Brady Alec Image 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1899

Description

Cathcart, Renfrewshire born inside forward Alec Brady started his career with his local junior side Dundee Harp in 1884 and then Renton Thistle in 1885 before moving to Partick Thistle in 1886. In 1887 season he moved to Sunderland, before joining Burnley during the inaugural season of the English Football League in 1888-89, making his Football League debut at Preston North End that September in their first League fixture. He finished the season as the team’s top scorer with 7 goals in 20 appearances. He then moved back to Sunderland to end the season there. In August 1889 Brady had been convinced to join Everton by their captain Andrew Hannah, also from Alec’s hometown of Renton. However a dispute with his player registration meant he was given a two-month suspension. After scoring twice on his debut against Stoke and a hat-trick in the 11-2 thrashing of Derby County in the FA Cup, Everton’s record victory, they narrowly missed out on winning the League trophy to Preston North End. In his second season with Everton they were crowned English League Champions with Brady scoring 9 goals.

After 20 goals in 36 appearances at Anfield, he was lured back to Scotland to play for Celtic in the Scottish League Championship in the summer of 1891. Despite narrowly missing out on the League title to Dumbarton, he scored two goals in three successive rounds to take Celtic to the final including a double v Rangers in a 5-3 win, Celtic went on to win the Scottish Cup, the club’s first ever major trophy, beating Queen’s Park 5-1 in a replay, but his stay at Celtic Park was brief and after just one season and 10 goals in 24 appearances, he returned to England to join Sheffield Wednesday in September 1892, where he would stay for seven seasons. He was a part of the Wednesday side that won the FA Cup in 1896 when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at Crystal Palace, making Brady one of the first players to win both the Scottish and English trophies at a time when they were considered the pinnacle of football competitions.

He returned to Scotland to play with Clydebank in 1899 after 38 goals in 177 appearances for The Owls before returning to his hometown team, Renton, a year later where he ended his playing career.