Reid Alec Image 5 Preston North End 1929

Description

Bathgate, West Lothian born outside right Alec Reid began his football career with Arniston Juniors and played for Glasgow Ashfield in 1916 before joining Scottish League club Airdrieonians in March 1918, spending nearly three years at Broomfield Park where he scored 22 goals in 69 appearances before joining Third Lanark in December 1920.

He played five seasons for The Warriors where he was considered “well in the running for international honours” at representative level. Reid took part in the Home Scots v Anglo-Scots trial and was selected for the Glasgow FA’s annual Challenge Match against Sheffield, all taking place in 1922, but this never led to a full cap but despite his being chosen as a non playing reserve for the England v Scotland international in 1923, and he never won a cap for his country. After 44 goals in 162 appearances for The Warriors, he joined Aberdeen for £1,500 as a replacement for Alec Jackson in June 1925, at the time an Aberdeen club record.

He proceeded to score 22 goals in 80 appearances for The Dons over the next two seasons moved south to England to join Second Division Preston North End for the “considerable” transfer fee of £2,775 in August 1927, making his Football League debut the same month at Fulham. He played 6 seasons at Deepdale, where he was a regular goalscorer, scoring 4 goals in a 7-1 win over Port Vale in February 1929. He was a first team regular until losing his place in August 1932 before signing for First Division Blackpool in February 1933 after 50 goals in 201 appearances for The Lilywhites. However he only stayed at Bloomfield Road until the end of the season, scoring at Newcastle United in a 2-1 win in his final game of 14 appearances.

He joined non league Chorley in July 1933 and subsequently moved to Darwen in October 1934, playing for Aberdeen North End in 1935, Tunbridge Wells Rangers in 1936 and Babcock & Wilcox in 1937 before retirement.