Reid Willie Image 5 Albion Rovers 1917

Description

Born in Baillieston, Lanarkshire, centre forward Willie Reid began his senior career in 1903 with Morton, whom he joined from Baillieston Thistle. He scored nineteen league goals in two seasons before a move to Third Lanark in April 1906 and playing in their Scottish Cup Final defeat to Hearts later that month. A transfer to Motherwell followed in 1907, where he scored 32 times in just over a year before a brief spell in England with Southern League Portsmouth in 1909.

Reid returned to Scotland in April 1909 when signed by Rangers, where he won three League titles in eleven seasons. He was the club’s top scorer for six consecutive seasons, between 1910 and 1916. He received all his caps for Scottish national side while with Rangers. Reid made his Scotland debut in a 2–2 draw with Wales in March 1911 and earned his last cap of 9, having scored 4 times for his country, three years later against England in April 1914. Reid also represented The Scottish League scoring 10 goals in 8 appearances between 1910 and 1915.

His football career was interrupted by the First World War, during which Reid served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery 52nd Lowland Division.

In a decade at Rangers he scored 188 goals in 275 appearances.

In 1920 Reid moved to Albion Rovers as player-manager, where he finished his playing career in 1922 with 36 League goals for the club. He held the role of secretary/manager with Albion Rovers’ before becoming Dundee United manager in 1931. Reid was unable to keep United up following their promotion and left in 1934 with the club in financial trouble. It was his final post in senior football. Reid remains the fourth highest goalscorer of all-time in the Scottish top flight with 275 goals.