Robert McLaren was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward, primarily for Heart of Midlothian. He joined the Edinburgh club in 1892 and was a fringe player in his first two seasons. He is then documented as having moved to Celtic in April 1894, but appears to have made no competitive appearances for the Glasgow side and returned to Hearts a few months later.[1][2]

Bob McLaren
Personal information
Full name Robert McLaren
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Bainfield
1892–1894 Heart of Midlothian 7 (3)
1894 Celtic 0 (0)
1894–1901 Heart of Midlothian 74 (19)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He then became an important member of the team at Tynecastle Park, featuring regularly as Hearts won the Scottish Football League championship in 1894–95 and 1896–97, took part in the 1895 'World Championship' match (McLaren scored twice in a 5–3 defeat to Sunderland)[3] and lifted the Scottish Cup in 1896;[4][2][5] he was also involved in minor competition wins: three Rosebery Charity Cups, two East of Scotland Shields and three Edinburgh Football Leagues.[1] However he had fallen out of favour and played his last game for the club by the time they won the Scottish Cup again in 1901, with any further career in football not widely known (he is not the same man as the defender who played for clubs including Airdrieonians in the same era).[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b (Hearts player) Bob McLaren, London Hearts Supporters Club
  2. ^ a b John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ When Sunderland met Hearts in the first ever 'Champions League' match, Nutmeg Magazine, September 2017
  4. ^ Hearts' Greatest Games, Mike Smith; eBook Partnership, 2012; ISBN 9781909178113
  5. ^ From the archive: looking back at the last Hearts v Hibs Cup Final, The Herald, 15 May 2012
  6. ^ Robert McLaren, Play Up Liverpool