Ally McCoist facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Ally McCoist
OBE
Personal information
McCoist in 1994
Full name	Alistair Murdoch McCoist
Date of birth	(1962-09-24) 24 September 1962 (age 62)
Place of birth	Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
0000–1978	Fir Park Boys Club
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1978–1981	St Johnstone	57	(22)
1981–1983	Sunderland	56	(8)
1983–1998	Rangers	418	(251)
1998–2001	Kilmarnock	53	(9)
Total		584	(290)
International career
1980–1981	Scotland U19	10	(7)
1983	Scotland U21	1	(0)
1986–1998	Scotland	61	(19)
1990	SFA (SFL centenary)	1	(0)
Managerial career
2011–2014	Rangers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alistair Murdoch McCoist (born 24 September 1962) is a famous Scottish former footballer. He played as a striker and later became a manager and TV expert.

McCoist started his football journey with St Johnstone in Scotland. He then moved to the English team Sunderland in 1981. Two years later, he returned to Scotland to play for Rangers. He had an amazing career with Rangers, scoring more goals than anyone else for the club. He also helped them win nine league championships in a row from 1988 to 1997. After Rangers, he played for Kilmarnock.

In 2007, McCoist was added to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. He is also in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. He played 61 games for the Scottish national team. He is the fifth-highest goalscorer ever in Scotland's top football league. He scored 260 goals for Rangers and Kilmarnock between 1983 and 2001.

Later in his career, McCoist also started working in television. From 1996 to 2007, he was a team captain on the BBC sports show A Question of Sport. In 2007, he became an assistant manager at Rangers, working with Walter Smith. He became the main manager of Rangers in 2011. The club faced some tough financial times. Rangers had to start playing in the fourth tier of Scottish football in 2012. McCoist helped them get promoted twice in a row. He left his role as manager in 2014.

Early Life and School Days

Ally McCoist was born in Bellshill Maternity Hospital and grew up in East Kilbride. He went to Maxwellton Primary and Hunter High School. His high school football coach and chemistry teacher was Archie Robertson. Robertson was a former player for Clyde and the Scotland team. McCoist has said that Robertson was a great guide and influence on him.

After school, McCoist worked for a short time as a clerical assistant. This job allowed him to fit his hours around his football training.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting at St Johnstone

McCoist's first professional club was St Johnstone. He joined them in 1978 from Fir Park Boys Club. He had wanted to join St Mirren, but Alex Ferguson thought he wasn't good enough. McCoist remembers Sir Alex Ferguson picking him up from school for training.

McCoist played his first game for St Johnstone on 7 April 1979. He scored his first goal in August 1980 against Dumbarton. That season, he scored 23 goals in 43 games. His great form caught the eye of several English clubs. These included Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur.

Time at Sunderland

In August 1981, Alan Durban, the Sunderland manager, signed McCoist. He was Sunderland's most expensive signing at £400,000. However, McCoist's time at Sunderland was not very successful. He scored nine goals in 65 games for a team that was struggling.

He scored his first goal for Sunderland against Nottingham Forest. In October 1982, he scored five goals in five games. These goals came against teams like Norwich City and Manchester City. After October, he didn't score any more goals for Sunderland.

In early 1983, McCoist was told that Rangers wanted to sign him. He was excited about the chance to move back to Scotland.

Becoming a Rangers Legend

At the end of the 1982–83 season, McCoist joined Rangers for £185,000. This was a dream move for him. He played for Rangers for fifteen years. During this time, he won many awards and titles.

He won the league championship ten times. This included the famous "Nine in a Row" period from 1989 to 1997. He also won the Scottish Cup once and the Scottish League Cup nine times. He was the top goalscorer in Europe twice in a row, in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, he won Scotland's two biggest Player of the Year awards.

McCoist played his first game for Rangers on the first day of the 1983–84 season. He scored twenty goals that year. He scored three goals in the League Cup final against Celtic in March 1984.

In 1986, he played his first game for the Scottish national team. This was the same year Graeme Souness joined Rangers. Souness helped change Rangers and Scottish football. McCoist scored 34 goals in the 1986–87 season, helping Rangers win the league title.

He scored 31 goals in 1987–88. In the 1990–91 season, he sometimes didn't play as much. But when Walter Smith became manager in 1991, McCoist became a key player again. He scored 34 goals in the league in the 1991–92 season. He formed a great partnership with Mark Hateley. He also scored the winning goal in the 1992 Scottish Cup final.

In the 1992–93 season, he scored 34 goals again in the league. He scored a total of 49 goals in 52 games that season. He broke his leg playing for Scotland in April 1993. After six months, he returned and scored an amazing overhead kick to win the 1993 Scottish League Cup final.

McCoist's appearances were limited for a couple of seasons due to injuries. But he played more regularly in the 1995–96 season, scoring 16 league goals. He won his tenth league title medal in 1996–97. His last game for Rangers was in the 1998 Scottish Cup final. He scored a goal in that game, but Rangers lost 2–1.

At Rangers, McCoist became the club's top goalscorer ever. He scored 355 goals in all games. He also holds the record for most league goals (251) and League Cup goals (54) for the club. He is third in the list of players with the most appearances for Rangers, with 581 games.

Finishing at Kilmarnock

McCoist ended his playing career at Kilmarnock. He played there for three seasons. He recovered from another broken leg in 1999. His last game was on 20 May 2001 against Celtic. Kilmarnock won 1–0, which helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Playing for Scotland

Youth Teams

McCoist played ten times for the Scotland national under-18 football team. He scored the winning goal against England in the European Under-18 Championships. He also scored with a free-kick against Spain.

Senior Team

McCoist played his first game for the Scotland senior team on 29 April 1986. It was a friendly match against the Netherlands.

He played in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In March 1993, he broke his leg playing against Portugal. Scotland lost that game 5–0.

He was captain for Scotland once, against Australia in 1996. He scored the winning goal in that game. McCoist scored one goal in a major tournament. It was a long-range shot at UEFA Euro 1996 against Switzerland. This was his last goal for Scotland. He was very sad not to be picked for the 1998 World Cup squad.

He played his last two games for Scotland in 1998. McCoist is Scotland's fifth-highest goalscorer, with 19 goals in 61 games.

Managerial Career

McCoist celebrating with the SPL trophy in 2009

McCoist joined the Scotland coaching team in 2004. He worked under his former manager, Walter Smith.

Managing Rangers

Assistant Manager (2007–2011)

McCoist returned to Rangers as an assistant manager to Walter Smith in January 2007. Smith later said that McCoist was in charge of the team for the entire Scottish Cup campaign in 2008. Rangers won the 2008 Scottish Cup final that year.

They also led Rangers to the final of the UEFA Cup in 2008. They lost 2–0 to Zenit Saint Petersburg in the final. On 22 February 2011, it was announced that McCoist would become the new Rangers manager in June 2011.

First Season as Manager (2011–2012)

McCoist's first game as Rangers manager was on 23 July 2011. It was a 1–1 draw against Hearts. His first win came on 30 July, a 2–0 victory against St Johnstone.

Rangers started his first league season well, topping the league after five games. His first Old Firm match as manager was a 4–2 win over Celtic. However, Rangers faced serious financial problems in February 2012. The club was docked ten points, which ended their chance of winning the league title. Rangers finished second that season.

Rebuilding Rangers (2012–2014)

After financial difficulties, Rangers had to start over in the Scottish Third Division. McCoist decided to stay and help the club. Rangers won the Third Division championship and were promoted to the third tier.

The next season, Rangers won the Scottish League One championship. They became the first Rangers team in 115 years to go a whole league season without losing a game. They also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

Final Season (2014–2015)

In the 2014–15 Scottish Championship, Rangers fell behind Hearts. McCoist decided to resign as manager in December 2014. He left his position with Rangers later that month. In September 2015, McCoist and Rangers officially ended his contract.

Media Career and Acting

McCoist is also well-known for his work on television. He was a team captain on the BBC's A Question of Sport from 1996 to 2007. He appeared on the show a record 363 times. After not being chosen for Scotland's 1998 World Cup team, he became a football expert for the BBC. People really liked his comments.

He also co-hosted a late-night chat show called McCoist and MacAulay for BBC Scotland from 1998 to 1999. In 2001, McCoist won the Sports Presenter of the Year award.

In 2000, McCoist acted in the film A Shot at Glory. He played Jackie McQuillan, a fictional legendary ex-Celtic player.

Between 1998 and 2005, McCoist was a commentator for the FIFA video games by EA Sports. He worked with John Motson.

McCoist has been a regular football expert for ITV Sport. He also worked for ESPN at the 2010 World Cup. His commentary partnership with Jon Champion at the 2018 World Cup was highly praised.

Since 2017, McCoist has been a studio expert for BT Sport's coverage of Scottish football. When Sky Sports got the rights to Scottish football in 2020, McCoist continued to be a pundit for them. Since 2019, he has also been a pundit and commentator for Amazon Prime Video's coverage of English Premier League matches.

Awards and Recognition

On 10 June 1994, McCoist was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to football. He was added to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also a member of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. In March 1996, McCoist was added to the Scotland national football team roll of honour after playing his 50th international game. In 2024, McCoist was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to football and broadcasting.

Personal Life

Ally McCoist has always been a big Rangers fan. He went to his first Old Firm game when he was ten years old. It was a Scottish Cup final in 1973, which Rangers won 3–2.

McCoist has five sons. His son, Argyll, is also a semi-professional footballer. In November 2024, McCoist shared that he has Dupuytren's contracture. This is a genetic condition that causes fingers to bend towards the palm.

Career Statistics

Playing Statistics by Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
St Johnstone	1978–79	Scottish First Division	4	0	0	0	0	0	–		4	0
	1979–80		15	0	1	0	0	0	–		16	0
	1980–81		38	22	3	1	2	0	–		43	23
	1981–82		0	0	0	0	5	4	–		5	4
	Total		57	22	4	1	7	4	0	0	68	27
Sunderland	1981–82	First Division	28	2	3	0	1	0	–		32	2
	1982–83	First Division	28	6	1	0	4	1	–		33	7
	Total		56	8	4	0	5	1	0	0	65	9
Rangers	1983–84	Scottish Premier Division	30	8	4	3	10	9	3	0	47	20
	1984–85		25	12	3	0	6	5	4	1	38	18
	1985–86		33	25	1	1	4	1	2	0	40	27
	1986–87		44	34	1	0	5	2	6	2	56	38
	1987–88		40	31	2	1	5	6	6	4	53	42
	1988–89		19	9	8	5	4	4	2	0	33	18
	1989–90		34	14	2	0	4	4	–		40	18
	1990–91		26	11	2	1	4	3	4	3	36	18
	1991–92		38	34	5	4	4	1	2	0	49	39
	1992–93		34	34	4	5	5	8	9	2	52	49
	1993–94		21	7	6	3	1	1	–		28	11
	1994–95		9	1	0	0	0	0	–		9	1
	1995–96		25	16	2	1	4	3	6	0	37	20
	1996–97		25	10	3	1	3	3	6	6	37	20
	1997–98		15	5	4	4	3	4	4	3	26	16
	Total		418	251	47	29	62	54	54	21	581	355
Kilmarnock	1998–99	Scottish Premier League	26	7	1	0	2	1	–		29	8
	1999–2000		9	1	0	0	1	2	2	0	12	3
	2000–01		18	1	2	0	2	2	–		22	3
	Total		53	9	3	0	5	5	2	0	63	14
Career total			584	290	58	30	79	64	56	21	777	405

International Goals for Scotland

List of international goals scored by Ally McCoist
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	9 September 1987	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	7	Hungary	1–0	2–0	Friendly
2	9 September 1987	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	7	Hungary	2–0	2–0	Friendly
3	14 October 1987	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	8	Belgium	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying
4	26 April 1989	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	15	Cyprus	2–1	2–1	1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	15 November 1989	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	19	Norway	1–0	1–1	1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	16 May 1990	Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland	21	Egypt	1–2	1–3	Friendly
7	12 September 1990	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	27	Romania	2–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
8	14 November 1990	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	29	Bulgaria	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
9	11 September 1991	Wankdorf Stadion, Bern, Switzerland	32	Switzerland	2–2	2–2	UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
10	13 November 1991	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	33	San Marino	4–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
11	19 February 1992	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	34	Northern Ireland	1–0	1–0	Friendly
12	20 May 1992	Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	37	Canada	2–1	3–1	Friendly
13	9 September 1992	Wankdorf Stadion, Bern, Switzerland	42	Switzerland	1–1	1–3	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
14	17 February 1993	Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland	45	Malta	1–0	3–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
15	17 February 1993	Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland	45	Malta	2–0	3–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	16 August 1995	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	47	Greece	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
17	15 November 1995	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	49	San Marino	3–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
18	27 March 1996	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	50	Australia	1–0	1–0	Friendly
19	18 June 1996	Villa Park, Birmingham, England	54	Switzerland	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 1996

Managerial Record

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team	Nat	From	To	Record					Ref.
Team	Nat	From	To	G	W	D	L	Win %	Ref.
Rangers		1 June 2011	21 December 2014	&&&&&&&&&&&&0167.&&&&&0167	&&&&&&&&&&&&0121.&&&&&0121	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&072.46000072.46
Career Total				&&&&&&&&&&&&0167.&&&&&0167	&&&&&&&&&&&&0121.&&&&&0121	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&072.46000072.46	—

Honours and Achievements

Player Honours

Rangers

Scottish Premier Division (10 times): 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97
Scottish Cup: 1991–92
Scottish League Cup (9 times): 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97

Individual Awards

Top scorer in European leagues: 1991–92, 1992–93
European Cup top scorer: 1987–88
Ballon d'Or: 1987 (21st place)
SFWA Footballer of the Year: 1991–92
SPFA Players' Player of the Year: 1991–92
BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year: 1992
Daily Record Golden Shot: 1991–92, 1992–93
Scotland national football team roll of honour: 1996

Manager Honours

Rangers

Scottish League One: 2013–14 (third tier)
Scottish Third Division: 2012–13 (fourth tier)