Finlay Speedie

Finlay Speedie
Personal information
Full name Finlay Ballantyne Speedie[1]
Date of birth (1880-08-18)18 August 1880
Place of birth Dumbarton, Scotland
Date of death 5 February 1953(1953-02-05) (aged 72)
Place of death Dumbarton, Scotland[2]
Position(s) Inside Forward
Youth career
Artizan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Clydebank Juniors
Strathclyde
1900–1906 Rangers 98 (38)
1906–1908 Newcastle United 52 (13)
1908–1909 Oldham Athletic 15 (6)
1909 Bradford Park Avenue 5 (1)
1909–1915 Dumbarton 100 (27)
1918–1920 Dumbarton 3 (0)
International career
1903 Scotland 3 (2)
1905 Scottish League XI[3] 1 (0)
Managerial career
Dumbarton (trainer)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Finlay Ballantyne Speedie (18 August 1880 – 5 February 1953) was a Scottish footballer who played for Rangers, Newcastle United and Scotland in the 1900s. He was a versatile forward who was most at home at inside left.

Career

Speedie began his career with junior clubs Clydebank and Strathclyde (playing for both in different competitions) then joined Rangers in 1900.[2] Playing under William Wilton he won two League championships, a Scottish Cup, two Glasgow Cups, a Charity Cup and the 1901 Glasgow Exhibition Cup.

He left Rangers in 1906 after a match against Celtic was played for his benefit[4] and joined Newcastle United, where he won the English First Division in 1906–07 in his first season.[5] He stayed on Tyneside for another season before joining Oldham for a season and then moved to Bradford Park Avenue for a few months before eventually re-joining old club Dumbarton; he won the old Scottish Division Two title in 1911.[6]

Speedie won three Scotland caps, scoring two goals — all in 1903.[2]

During the First World War he served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was awarded the Military Medal.[7] He maintained his links with Dumbarton and coached the team in the 1930s. His brother Willie had also played for the club[8] (as well as for Third Lanark),[2][9] and his nephew Bob (son of Willie, and nephew and cousin respectively of footballers Bob Ferrier of Sheffield Wednesday and Bob Ferrier Jr. of Motherwell) was a Sons player in the late 1930s.[10][2][9]

Speedie died on 5 February 1953, aged 72.

Honours

Newcastle United

References

  1. ^ Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (17 October 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1901-1910". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.
  3. ^ "Finlay Ballantyne Speedie - Scotland Football League Record from 11 Mar 1905 to 11 Mar 1905 clubs - Rangers".
  4. ^ Football. | Rangers v. Celtic. The Scotsman, 15 August 1906. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  5. ^ Finlay Ballantyne Speedie, Toon1892. Retrieved 16 March 2022
  6. ^ Finlay Speedie Player Profile, Sons Archive. Retrieved 16 March 2022
  7. ^ "North East War Memorials Project – Regional Content". www.newmp.org.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  8. ^ Willie Speedie Player Profile, Sons Archive. Retrieved 16 March 2022
  9. ^ a b John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine.
  10. ^ Robert Speedie Player Profile, Sons Archive. Retrieved 16 March 2022