Alan Cousin

Alan Cousin
Personal information
Date of birth (1938-03-07)7 March 1938
Place of birth Alloa, Scotland
Date of death 20 September 2016(2016-09-20) (aged 78)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Alloa Y.M
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1955–1965 Dundee 288 (103)
1965–1969 Hibernian 84 (4)
1969–1970 Falkirk 14 (0)
Total 386 (107)
International career
1958[1] Scottish League XI 2 (1)
1958–1960 Scotland U23[2] 3 (3)
1960–1962[3] SFL trial v SFA 2 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alan Cousin (7 March 1938 – 20 September 2016)[4] was a Scottish footballer, who played for Dundee, Hibernian, and Falkirk.[4][5][6]

Career

At the age of 16, Cousin played rugby in the mornings and football in the afternoons, for Alloa Y.M.C.A. He was noticed within a year of helping out the Central Scottish side and played for Scotland Under 16s, where as a centre forward, he was in the side that beat England 8–1.

Scouts from various clubs sought his skills, but it was Dundee manager Willie Thornton who succeeded in signing him. Cousin made his debut when first team regular George Merchant was injured and one month later, he scored his first goal for Dundee in a 5–1 friendly victory against Manchester United, who had just become the English champions.

After establishing a first-team place, Cousin attended St. Andrews University to study Greek and Latin for an Arts Degree, whilst combining this with his early professional footballing career. Often his training would involve running on the St. Andrews beach later made famous in the film Chariots Of Fire.

Cousin was Dundee's top goalscorer three consecutive seasons (1958 to 1960). He played in attack for Dundee alongside Alan Gilzean in a team considered by Bob Crampsey to be the best produced in Scotland since the Second World War.[7] Dundee won the Scottish League championship in 1962 and then reached the semi-final of the European Cup in the following season.[7] Cousin played in every match of the championship-winning season.[7]

Cousin was dubbed the 'King of the double shuffle' [8] because of his ability to repeatedly outwit opposing players, by stepping over the ball. He was inducted into the Dundee F.C. Hall Of Fame in a tribute dinner in 2011, to salute his contribution to football at the club.

Cousin was never booked or sent off in his career, which is truly remarkable, given the treatment meted out to strikers in those days.[9]

Cousin began a teaching course in Dundee after completing his degree, before he took up the post of Classics teacher at his old school, Alloa Academy. He would take up teaching full-time after his football career, eventually becoming Deputy Rector at Lornshill Academy, until he retired in 1995.[9]

Cousin died in September 2016, aged 78.[10]

References

  1. ^ SFL player Alan Cousin, London Hearts Supporters Club
  2. ^ Scotland U23 player Cousin, Alan, FitbaStats
  3. ^ Ronnie McDevitt (2016). Scotland in the 60s: The Definitive Account of the Scottish National Football Side During the 1960s. Pitch Publishing. ISBN 9781785312458.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b "Alan Cousin". www.ihibs.co.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  5. ^ "DUNDEE : 1946/47 - 2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  6. ^ "FALKIRK : 1946/47 - 2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  7. ^ a b c Pattullo, Alan (8 November 2003). "The unlikely lads who earned status as Dundee's style icons". The Scotsman. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  8. ^ Local Heroes (29 September 2012). "Local Heroes: Alan Cousin". DC Thomson. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  9. ^ a b https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituary-alan-cousin-footballer-and-teacher-1466307 [bare URL]
  10. ^ Masson, James (20 September 2016). "Tributes after Dundee legend Alan Cousin dies aged 78". Evening Telegraph. DC Thomson. Retrieved 20 September 2016.


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