Alex Massie facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Massie | ||
| Date of birth | 13 March 1906 | ||
| Place of birth | Possilpark, Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 20 September 1977 (aged 71) | ||
| Place of death | Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England | ||
| Playing position | Right half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| Shawfield Juniors | |||
| Petershill | |||
| Benburb | |||
| Ashfield | |||
| 1925–1927 | Ayr United | 24 | (4) |
| 1927–1928 | Bury | 17 | (4) |
| 1928–1930 | Bethlehem Steel | 32 | (12) |
| 1930 | Dolphin | (2) | |
| 1930–1935 | Heart of Midlothian | 181 | (19) |
| 1935–1939 | Aston Villa | 141 | (5) |
| National team | |||
| 1932–1938 | Scotland | 18 | (1) |
| 1932–1935 | Scottish League XI | 6 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1945–1950 | Aston Villa | ||
| 1950–1951 | Torquay United | ||
| 1951–1952 | Hereford United | ||
| Hertford Town | |||
| 1973–1974 | Welwyn Garden City | ||
|
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Alexander Massie (born March 13, 1906 – died 1977) was a Scottish footballer. He played mostly as a right-half, which is a type of midfielder. Alex Massie played for several Scottish clubs early in his career. He then joined Bury in England.
After playing in the United States and Ireland, Massie returned to Scotland in 1930. He joined Heart of Midlothian. His great playing there led him to be chosen for the Scotland national football team. He also played for the Scottish League XI. In 1935, Massie moved to Aston Villa. After he stopped playing in 1945, he became the manager of Aston Villa. He also managed Torquay United and Hereford United.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Alex Massie was born in Possilpark, Glasgow, Scotland. He started his football journey with local youth teams. These included Shawfield Juniors and Petershill. He also played for Benburb and Ashfield. Later, he joined Ayr United.
Joining English Football
In January 1927, Massie moved to England. He joined Football League team Bury. In 1928, he went to the United States. There, he played for Bethlehem Steel. He also worked as a bookkeeper during this time. In 1930, he played for Dolphin in Ireland.
Return to Scotland and International Play
Later in 1930, Alex Massie came back to Scotland. He joined Heart of Midlothian. He played very well as a wing-half and sometimes as an inside-forward. His strong performances quickly earned him a spot on the Scotland national football team. His first international game for Scotland was on September 19, 1931, against Ireland.
Massie played for Scotland 18 times in total. His last game was on October 30, 1937, against Wales. In that game, he scored his only goal for Scotland. He also played in a special international match in 1935. This game celebrated the King's Silver Jubilee. He also represented the Scottish League XI.
Time at Aston Villa
In December 1935, Massie moved to Aston Villa. However, he could not stop the team from being relegated that season. This was the first time Aston Villa had ever been relegated. Two years later, he was still with the Villains (Aston Villa's nickname). They managed to get promoted back to the top division.
Managing Football Teams
Alex Massie stopped playing football at the end of the 1944–45 wartime season. In August 1945, he became the manager of Aston Villa. He led the team to finish in the top ten for his first three seasons. The next year, they finished twelfth. He left the club in August 1950.
Other Management Roles
In 1950, Massie was chosen to manage Torquay United. He took over from Bob John. However, he only stayed as manager until 1951. He then returned to management in January 1952. This time, he managed Hereford United. He stayed there until December 1952.
Later in his career, he also managed Hertford Town. He then managed Welwyn Garden City. With Welwyn Garden City, he won the South Midlands League Premier Division in the 1972–73 season.
Achievements
Aston Villa
- Football League Second Division: 1937–38 (This means they won the second division league title)
Welwyn Garden City
- South Midlands League Premier Division: 1972–73 (They won this league title)
See Also
- List of Scotland national football team captains
