Alex Downie (footballer)

Alex Downie
Personal information
Full name Alexander Leck Brown Downie
Date of birth 8 October 1876
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death 9 December 1953(1953-12-09) (aged 77)
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Wing half
Youth career
?–1898 Glasgow Perthshire
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1898–1899 Third Lanark 4 (0)
1899–1900 Bristol City
1900–1902 Swindon Town 57 (2)
1902–1909 Manchester United 172 (12)
1909–1911 Oldham Athletic 48 (0)
1911–1914 Crewe Alexandra (player-coach)
1914–1915 Nelson
Total 281 (14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexander Leck Brown Downie (8 October 1876 – 9 December 1953) was a Scottish footballer who played as a wing half. He was born in Glasgow,[1] and played for Glasgow Perthshire and Third Lanark,[2] before moving to England to play for Bristol City in the 1890s. He then joined Swindon Town[3] before moving to Manchester United in October 1902.

He was able to play in all three half-back positions, and thus earned a regular first-team spot at Old Trafford even after being replaced by Dick Duckworth. He made ten appearances in 1907–08 as the Red Devils won the Football League championship and played in 23 of the league fixtures of the following season but did not take any part in the two-legged 1908 FA Charity Shield at its start, nor in the 1909 FA Cup final at its end.[4] In 1909, after scoring 14 goals in 191 appearances for United, he moved to Oldham Athletic. In the 1909–10 season, he skippered the Latics to promotion to the First Division. He later played for Crewe Alexandra and Nelson.[5]

References

  1. ^ 1876 Births in the District of St Rollox in the County of Lanark District 644/6 page 551 no 1652
  2. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine.
  3. ^ Alex Downie, Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  4. ^ Alexander Leek Brown Downie [sic], 11v11.com. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. ^ Downie Alex Image 1 Manchester United 1905, Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  • Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888-1939. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.


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