Alex Massie

For the Scottish columnist, see Alex Massie (journalist).
Alex Massie
Personal information
Full nameAlexander C. Massie
Date of birth13 March 1906
Place of birthPossilpark, Scotland
Date of death1977 (aged 7071)
Playing positionWing Half
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Shawfield Juniors
Petershill
Benburb
Ashfield
Ayr United
1927?–1928Bury17(4)
1928–1930Bethlehem Steel32(12)
1930Dolphin
1930–1935Heart of Midlothian
1935–1939Aston Villa141(5)
National team
1932–1938Scotland18(1)
1932–1935Scottish League XI6(1)
Teams managed
1945–1950Aston Villa
1950–1951Torquay United
1951–1952Hereford United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Alex C. Massie (13 March 1906 – 1977) was a Scottish international footballer of the 1920s and 1930s, who played mainly as a right-half. He was born in Possilpark, Glasgow.[1]

Player

Massie began his career with Shawfield Juniors, and later played for Petershill, Benburb, Ashfield, Partick Thistle, and Ayr United before joining Football League side Bury in 1926/27.[1]

In 1928 he left Gigg Lane to play in the United States for Bethlehem Steel, and in 1930 he joined Irish side Dolphin. Later that year he returned to his native Scotland to join Heart of Midlothian.[2] His performances at wing-half, and occasionally at inside-forward soon won him international recognition, with his first full Scotland international cap coming on 19 September 1931 against Ireland.[3] Massie went on to be capped 18 times for Scotland, with his final game coming on 30 October 1937 against Wales, which was also the occasion of his only international goal.[4] He also represented the Scottish League XI.[5]

Massie moved to Aston Villa in December 1935, but was unable to prevent their first ever relegation at the end of the 1935–36 season.

Manager

Aston Villa

He retired from playing at end of the 1944–45 wartime season, and was appointed manager of Aston Villa in August 1945 and lead them to top ten finishes in his first three seasons, despite not having complete control of the playing side of things at Villa Park, and twelfth place the following year. However, in August 1950 he left Villa.

Torquay United and Hereford United

In 1950 he was appointed as manager of Torquay United as successor to Bob John, although he only remained as manager until 1951.[6]

He returned to management with Hereford United the following January, where he remained as manager until December 1952.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  2. "Alex Massie: Right Half". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  3. "Scottish FA site – Scotland v N Ireland 19/9/31". Scottishfa.co.uk.
  4. Alex Massie at scottishfa.co.uk
  5. "Scotland FL Players by Appearances". Londonhearts.com (London Hearts Supporters' Club). Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  6. "Managers". Torquay United. mehstg.com. Retrieved 15 October 2011.