Alexander Smith Laidlaw (13 August 1877 – 12 September 1933[1]) was a Scottish dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer.[2][3]

Alex Laidlaw
Birth nameAlexander Smith Laidlaw
Date of birth(1877-08-13)13 August 1877
Place of birthEdinburgh, Scotland
Date of death12 September 1933(1933-09-12) (aged 56)
Place of deathBradford, England
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1897 Hawick ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1897 South of Scotland ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1897 Scotland 1 (0)
Rugby league career
Playing information
PositionForward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1898–1908 Bradford F.C.
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Other Nationalities

Background edit

Alex Laidlaw was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he was the landlord of The Prospect Hotel public house, 527 Bolton Road, Bradford, and he died aged 56 in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Rugby union career edit

Laidlaw played rugby union for Hawick.[4] He was capped by South of Scotland District in their match against North of Scotland District on 11 December 1897.[4] He earned one cap for Scotland in a victory over Ireland during the 1897 Home Nations Championship.[2]

Rugby league career edit

Laidlaw later played rugby league for Bradford F.C. (now Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.), signing in 1898,[5] and representative level rugby league (RL) for Other Nationalities, as a forward (prior to the specialist positions of; prop, hooker, second-row, loose forward), during the era of contested scrums.

Alex Laidlaw played as a forward, i.e. number 9, in Bradford FC's 5–0 victory over Salford in the Championship tiebreaker during the 1903–04 season at Thrum Hall, Hanson Lane, Halifax on Thursday 28 April 1904, in front of a crowd of 12,000.[6][7]

Alex Laidlaw played as a forward, i.e. number 9, and scored a try in Bradford F.C.'s 5–0 victory over Salford in the 1906 Challenge Cup Final during the 1905–06 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds, on Saturday 28 April 1906, in front of a crowd of 15,834.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ "Death details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Statistics at en.espn.co.uk (RU)". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org (RL)". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  4. ^ a b https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000295/18971213/167/0007 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "Scotland Rugby League International Honours Board". Sport Network.
  6. ^ Irvin Saxton (publish date tbc) "History of Rugby League – № 9 – 1903–04". Rugby Leaguer ISBN n/a
  7. ^ "1903/04 Northern Union Champions". rlhp.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  8. ^ "1906 Challenge Cup winning team". rlhp.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.

External links edit