Massie Alex Image 5 Heart of Midlothian 1934

Description

Possilpark, Glasgow born right half Alex Massie began his career with Blockairn Juniors in 1921, Shawfield Juniors and Petershill in 1922, and later played for Glasgow Perthshire and Glasgow Benburb in 1923, and Glasgow Ashfield in 1924 before joining his first senior club, Partick Thistle the same year. He played for Ayr United in 1925 before joining First Division club Bury in 1926, making his Football League debut against Aston Villa in February 1927.

In 1928 he left Gigg Lane having scored 4 goals in 17 appearances to play in the United States for Bethlehem Steel, but returned in 1930 joining Irish League club Dolphin. Later that year he returned to his native Scotland to join Heart of Midlothian, making his debut in a 3-0 win over Falkirk at Brockville Park in October 1930, where he was soon given the nickname “The Ace of Hearts”.

His performances at right half, and occasionally at inside right won him international recognition, with his first full Scotland international cap coming in a 3-1 win against Ireland at Ibrox on 19th September 1931. Massie went on to be capped 18 times for Scotland, with his final cap coming against Wales on 30th October 1937, which was also the occasion of his only international goal. He also represented the Scottish League on 6 occasions between 1932 and 1935, scoring once, also on his final appearance, against the Football League in October 1935.

Massie moved to Aston Villa in December 1935 after 24 goals in 204 appearances for The Jambos. He made his Villa debut at Manchester City the same month and they conceded 18 goals in his first three appearances. He was unable to prevent their first ever relegation at the end of the 1935-36 season but missed only two matches as they won the Second Division Championship two years later to regain their top flight status, being ever present in their final First Division season before the interruption of the Second World War, by when he’d scored 5 goals in 155 appearances for The Villains.

Massie retired from playing at end of the 1944-45 wartime season, and was appointed manager of Aston Villa in August 1945 and led them to top ten finishes in his first three seasons, despite not having complete control of the playing side of things at Villa Park, and twelfth place the following year, however he left Aston Villa in August 1950. In November 1950 he was appointed as manager of Torquay United as successor to Bob John, although he only remained as manager until October 1951. He returned to management with Hereford United the following January, where he remained as manager until December 1952. He later managed Hertford Town and Welwyn Garden City.