Hastings Alex Image 7 Sunderland 1936

Description

Born in Falkirk, left half Alex Hastings played junior football for Carron Welfare in 1927 and Rosewell Rosedale in 1928, before signing for local club Stenhousemuir in 1929, moving to First Division Sunderland in 1930. Hastings made his Football League debut for Sunderland in a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth at Fratton Park in September 1930, quickly establishing himself as a mainstay of the first eleven. In his first season Sunderland reached the FA Cup semi final, where they lost 2-0 to Birmingham at Elland Road.

He served as a captain throughout much of the 1930’s, and led Sunderland to the 1936 League Championship after they had finished as runners up in 1934-35. However he missed their 1937 FA Cup Final victory having played his only cup tie in the semi final victory over Millwall. His career was interrupted by the advent of the Second World War, but after the War he returned to Roker Park and played 4 times in the 1946 FA Cup before retiring. In his Sunderland career, Hastings made exactly 300 appearances and scored eight goals.

He won his first international cap for Scotland in November 1935 against Northern Ireland in a 2-1 win at Tynecastle. He won one further cap in 1937 in a 1-1 draw against the same opposition at Pittodrie exactly two years later.

After retiring as a player, Hastings managed Kilmarnock between 1948 and 1950, and also later scouted for Stoke City.