Alex Dawson facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Downie Dawson | ||
| Date of birth | 21 February 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Aberdeen, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 17 July 2020 (aged 80) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1957–1961 | Manchester United | 80 | (45) |
| 1961–1967 | Preston North End | 197 | (114) |
| 1967–1968 | Bury | 50 | (21) |
| 1968–1971 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 57 | (26) |
| 1970 | → Brentford (loan) | 10 | (6) |
| 1971–1973 | Corby Town | ||
| Total | 394 | (212) | |
| International career | |||
| England Schoolboys | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alexander Downie Dawson (born 21 February 1940 – died 17 July 2020) was a Scottish footballer. He was a talented forward. Alex was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He started his professional football journey with Manchester United. After four years, he moved to Preston North End in 1961. He played there for six seasons. During that time, he played almost 200 games and scored 114 goals! He also played for Bury, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Brentford (on loan). Alex finished his career playing for Corby Town before retiring in 1973.
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Alex Dawson's Football Journey
Alex Dawson began his football career in the mid-1950s. He joined Manchester United as a young trainee. The famous manager Matt Busby was in charge at the time.
Starting at Manchester United
Alex made his first team debut at just 17 years old. This was on 22 April 1957. He scored a goal in a 2–0 win against Burnley. He also scored in the next two games. These goals helped Manchester United win the First Division title. It was their second title in a row!
Stepping Up After the Munich Air Disaster
In the 1957–58 season, Alex didn't play much at first. But then, a terrible plane crash happened in Munich. Eight Manchester United players sadly died. Other players, like Bobby Charlton, were injured. This meant Alex had to step up.
He played in United's first game after the crash. It was an FA Cup match against Sheffield Wednesday. Alex scored one of the goals in a 3–0 victory. He became a regular player for the rest of that season.
He even scored three goals (a hat-trick) in an FA Cup semi-final replay. This was against Fulham at Highbury. He is still the last player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final! Alex played in the final at Wembley. But United lost 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers.
In the next two seasons, Alex played more often. In the 1960–61 season, he scored 20 goals in all competitions.
Moving to Preston North End and Beyond
In 1961, Alex left Manchester United. He had scored 54 goals for the club. He then joined Preston North End. At Preston, fans called him the "Black Prince of Deepdale."
He played in the 1964 FA Cup Final for Preston. He scored a goal in the final! But Preston lost 3–2 to West Ham United. After Preston, Alex also played for Bury, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Brentford.
Alex Dawson passed away on 17 July 2020, at the age of 80.
