Alex Govan facts for kids
Govan in December 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Govan | ||
| Date of birth | 16 June 1929 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 10 June 2016 (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Plymouth, England | ||
| Playing position | Outside left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Bridgeton Boys Club | |||
| 1944–1946 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1946–1953 | Plymouth Argyle | 110 | (28) |
| 1953–1958 | Birmingham City | 165 | (53) |
| 1958 | Portsmouth | 11 | (2) |
| 1958–1960 | Plymouth Argyle | 32 | (8) |
| Total | 318 | (91) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1972–1973 | Truro City | ||
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Alexander Govan (born June 16, 1929 – died June 10, 2016) was a Scottish professional footballer. He played as an outside left, which is a forward player who plays on the side of the field.
Alex Govan spent most of his career with Plymouth Argyle. He also played for Birmingham City during their most successful time in the 1950s. He had a short period with Portsmouth too. Alex is famous for helping Birmingham City fans choose "Keep right on to the end of the road" as their team song.
Contents
Alex Govan's Football Journey
Early Days and Plymouth Argyle
Alex Govan was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He started playing football for a team called Bridgeton Boys Club. He was so good that he played for Scotland at schoolboy level. He even played one youth international match against Wales in 1945.
A scout from Plymouth Argyle noticed his talent. The scout thought Alex would become a top player for Scotland. After a successful tryout, Alex joined Plymouth Argyle in August 1946.
He scored 30 goals in 117 games for Plymouth. He was part of the team that won the Third Division South championship in the 1951–52 season. This was a big achievement for the club.
Moving to Birmingham City
When Birmingham City wanted to sign Alex, he wasn't sure about moving. His wife was from Plymouth, and he liked living there. But Birmingham's manager, Bob Brocklebank, promised them a house. So, Alex decided to join Birmingham.
He signed with Birmingham in June 1953 for £6,500. Alex scored a goal in his very first game for the club. He finished that season with eight goals. Birmingham City had a strong team with many talented players. Alex, along with other creative players, helped the team a lot.
Big Success with Birmingham
The team won the Second Division championship in 1954–55. This meant they moved up to the top league. In the top league, Birmingham City finished in sixth place. This was their highest ever league finish!
They also reached the 1956 FA Cup Final. This is one of the biggest football matches in England. During this FA Cup journey, Alex Govan played a key role in something special.
The Famous Team Song
Alex Govan is known for helping Birmingham City fans adopt their famous song. It's called "Keep right on to the end of the road" by Harry Lauder. No one is completely sure how it happened. Some say he sang it on the team bus. Others say he mentioned it was his favorite song in a radio interview.
Either way, by the time of the FA Cup Final, the song was very popular. A newspaper writer even wrote about how Birmingham fans sang it loudly. The song helped cheer the team on all the way to Wembley Stadium.
Alex's Amazing Goal Scoring
Alex Govan was known for his hard work and speed on the wing. He was also great at scoring goals. In April 1956, he was called up to play for the full Scotland squad. This was for a match against Austria. However, the game was just three days before the FA Cup Final. So, Birmingham City would not let him go.
The next season, Alex was Birmingham's top scorer. He scored 30 goals in all competitions! This was amazing for a winger. He even scored five hat-tricks that year. A hat-trick is when one player scores three goals in a single game.
He also helped Birmingham in their first European competition. This was the 1955–58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. He scored both goals in a 2–1 win against Inter Milan. This helped his team win their qualifying group.
Later Career and Retirement
By 1958, Alex's speed was starting to slow down. He moved to Portsmouth in March 1958. But he didn't settle in well there. Six months later, he returned to his first club, Plymouth Argyle.
He helped Plymouth win the Third Division championship that season. He retired from football the following year. Alex then settled down in Plymouth.
In 2012, Alex Govan was honored by Birmingham City. He was one of seven former players chosen for the club's Hall of Fame.
Alex Govan passed away at his home in Plymouth on June 10, 2016. He was 86 years old.
Honours
Plymouth Argyle
- Third Division South champions: 1952
- Third Division champions: 1959
Birmingham City
- Second Division champions: 1955
- FA Cup finalist: 1956
- Club's top scorer: 1956–57
