William Longair (19 July 1870 – 28 November 1926) was a Scottish footballer who played as a half-back for Dundee in the 1890s. When he retired from playing, he became the club's trainer for over two decades, and remained an influential figure at the club.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Longair | ||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1870 | ||
| Place of birth | Dundee, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 16 June 1926 (aged 55) | ||
| Position(s) | Half back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1887 | Rockwell High School | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1887–1893 | Dundee East End | ||
| 1893–1895 | Dundee | 34 | (1) |
| 1895 | Newton Heath | 1 | (0) |
| 1895–1896 | Dundee | 16 | (1) |
| 1896 | Sunderland | 2 | (0) |
| 1896–1897 | Burnley | 2 | (0) |
| 1897–1898 | Dundee | 11 | (0) |
| 1898 | Brighton United | ||
| 1899–1902 | Dundee | 53 | (1) |
| Total | 119+ | (3+) | |
| International career | |||
| 1894 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Born in Dundee, Longair began his football career with Dundee F.C. in the early 1890s. He made his debut for Scotland in March 1894, and signed for Newton Heath in February 1895. He played for Newton Heath for four months, making one appearance, before returning to Dundee in June 1895.[2] Short spells at Sunderland and Burnley followed in the 1896–97 season,[3][4][5] before he moved to Brighton United in 1898 after a brief return up north. He returned to Dundee once again in May 1899, retiring from football in 1902.
Longair would later go on to become the club's trainer and perform the role for over 20 years, including training the eventual 1910 Scottish Cup winners.[6] Longair would also become Dundee's groundsman in 1924.[7] Upon his death in 1926, a crowd of approximately 20,000 lined the streets as his coffin passed to honour his services to the club and the city.[6]
His uncle, also named William Longair, was Lord Provost of the Burgh of Dundee from 1905 to 1908.
On 3 April 2009, Longair was inducted into Dundee's Hall of Fame (Heritage Award).[6][8]
References
edit- ^ "William Longair | Player Statistics | Dundee (Dee Archive)". deearchive.co.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ "William Longair - Manchester United Player Profile & Stats". mufcinfo.com. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Sunderland AFC - Statistics, History and Records - from TheStatCat". thestatcat.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ kjehan (26 December 1896). "Burnley v Liverpool 4-1 (League match: December 26, 1896)". "Play Up, Liverpool". Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ kjehan (2 March 1897). "Sunderland v Burnley 1-1 (League match: March 2, 1897)". "Play Up, Liverpool". Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ a b c "Hall of Fame". Dundee Football Club - Official Website. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "William Longair b. 19 Jul 1870 Dundee, Angus, Scotland d. 28 Nov 1926 Dundee, Angus, Scotland: The Grahams of Helensburgh". graham-clan.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Hall of Fame - Tribute to heroes". dundeefc.co.uk. Dundee FC. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
External links
edit- Scotland profile at LondonHearts.com
- Man Utd profile at MUFCInfo.com
- Portrait and info on career with Brighton United at Spartacus Educational
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