Swann Andrew Image 1 Woolwich Arsenal 1901

Description

Dalbeattie, Dumfrieshire born centre forward Andrew Swann began his football career with Dalbeattie from where he joined Second Division club Lincoln City in 1898, making his Football League debut at Newton Heath (now Manchester United) in November 1898. He wasn’t recalled to the first team until the following February, when he scored in four successive matches for The Imps including netting a hat-trick in the fourth of those in a victory at Loughborough. His 10 goals in only 13 appearances saw him finish as Lincoln’s second highest scorer in 1898-99 but he moved on after the season end to join Southern League club New Brompton (now Gillingham).

He returned to Football League action with Second Division club Barnsley in the 1900 close season where he was comfortably the club’s top scorer in their 1900-01 campaign with 19 goals in 32 appearances. Swann was then signed by Woolwich Arsenal that summer and made a scoring debut in a 2-1 win over former club Barnsley at The Manor Ground, but scored only once more in 6 further appearances before being transferred to Stockport County in December 1901, where he again scored a debut goal in a 1-1 draw at Burslem Port Vale, and where he scored 4 goals in 14 appearances before the end of March.

Swann made his way via a brief spell with non league Mexborough United back to Scotland where he joined St Mirren  in May 1902, scoring 9 goals in 36 matches for The Buddies before returning to Southern League action with Tottenham Hotspur in 1904. He only played twice for Spurs before a return to Scotland with Partick Thistle in May 1905, where he made scored 3 goals in 20 appearances for The Jags during 1905-06.

He then returned to England to join Second Division Blackpool in the summer of 1906, scoring once in 27 appearances over the next three seasons before finishing his career with a move to Lancashire Combination Workington in 1909, his last known club before his eventual retirement.