Gus Alexander
Encyclopedia
Angus Charles "Gus" Alexander (10 January 1934 – 3 January 2010) was a Scottish
footballer who played as a wing half
.
He joined Burnley
in 1950 as an amateur, signing as a professional
a year later. He made no first team appearances for Burnley after leaving for Southport
in 1957. After less than a year at Southport, he moved to Workington
, where he made nearly 50 league appearances. A move to York City
saw him finish his Football League
career, where he made seven appearances. After retiring from football, Alexander worked in the steel industry for a number of years before retiring in the 1990s.
, Angus
, Alexander started his career with Arbroath YC before joining Burnley
as an amateur on 5 July 1950 and signing a professional
contract on 25 January 1951. Although he was considered an understudy to Jimmy McIlroy
, he made no first team appearances for Burnley, and served his National Service
from 1952 to 1954 in Cyprus
and Suez
while playing football for the British Army
. After completing his military service, he joined Southport
for a four-figure fee
in July 1957. He made 14 appearances and scored one goal in the league before the club placed him on the transfer list because he was dissatisfied with playing reserve team
football. He signed for Workington
in February 1958 in exchange for Tommy Kinloch, making 49 appearances and scoring four goals in the league.
Alexander joined York City
in June 1959 as part of an exchange deal which saw Tom Brownlee
move to Workington. After making seven appearances for York he left the club in 1960, and subsequently worked for the Distington
Engineering Company. He had trials with his former club Workington in December 1961, but the club was unable to afford to sign him. He made no further professional appearances. After working in the steel industry for 14 years and then at a printing firm, he took early retirement in the early 1990s. He died in Workington
on 3 January 2010 at the age of 75 after suffering from an illness.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
footballer who played as a wing half
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
.
He joined Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in 1950 as an amateur, signing as a professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
a year later. He made no first team appearances for Burnley after leaving for Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
in 1957. After less than a year at Southport, he moved to Workington
Workington A.F.C.
Workington A.F.C. is an English football club from Workington, Cumbria. They are in the Conference North, and play their home matches at Borough Park, which has a capacity of 3,101 . The club play in red, and are known locally as the Reds...
, where he made nearly 50 league appearances. A move to York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
saw him finish his Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
career, where he made seven appearances. After retiring from football, Alexander worked in the steel industry for a number of years before retiring in the 1990s.
Career
Born in ArbroathArbroath
Arbroath or Aberbrothock is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus in Scotland, and has a population of 22,785...
, Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, Alexander started his career with Arbroath YC before joining Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
as an amateur on 5 July 1950 and signing a professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
contract on 25 January 1951. Although he was considered an understudy to Jimmy McIlroy
Jimmy McIlroy
James "Jimmy" McIlroy MBE is a former football player, regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Burnley Football Club.-At Burnley:...
, he made no first team appearances for Burnley, and served his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
from 1952 to 1954 in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
while playing football for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. After completing his military service, he joined Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
for a four-figure fee
Fee
A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup.Traditionally, professionals in Great Britain received a fee in contradistinction to a payment, salary, or wage, and would often use guineas rather than pounds as units of account...
in July 1957. He made 14 appearances and scored one goal in the league before the club placed him on the transfer list because he was dissatisfied with playing reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
football. He signed for Workington
Workington A.F.C.
Workington A.F.C. is an English football club from Workington, Cumbria. They are in the Conference North, and play their home matches at Borough Park, which has a capacity of 3,101 . The club play in red, and are known locally as the Reds...
in February 1958 in exchange for Tommy Kinloch, making 49 appearances and scoring four goals in the league.
Alexander joined York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
in June 1959 as part of an exchange deal which saw Tom Brownlee
Tom Brownlee
Thomas C 'Tom' Brownlee was a Scottish professional footballer. He was a centre forward.Brownlee's career started at Broxburn Athletic before he moved to England, with Walsall...
move to Workington. After making seven appearances for York he left the club in 1960, and subsequently worked for the Distington
Distington
Distington is a large village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, south of Workington and north-northeast of Whitehaven.Historically a part of Cumberland, the civil parish includes the nearby settlements of Common End, Gilgarran and Pica...
Engineering Company. He had trials with his former club Workington in December 1961, but the club was unable to afford to sign him. He made no further professional appearances. After working in the steel industry for 14 years and then at a printing firm, he took early retirement in the early 1990s. He died in Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
on 3 January 2010 at the age of 75 after suffering from an illness.