Oldest Surviving Scottish Internationalists

[Bristol Rovers]

There has always been some confusion regarding Jim Paterson with most sources suggesting he was either born in Stirling or Dunipace in 1907. There also was a rumour though that he actually had been born in Cowdenbeath. He was definitely living with his family in the Causewayhead area of Stirling when he joined Cowdenbeath in 1930. However, at long last, after a lot of detective work, we can confirm that Jim Paterson joins Tommy Muirhead, Alex Venters and Willie Callaghan in being a Scottish internationalist who was born in Cowdenbeath. The vital clue at last was provided when a report of his marriage was located in the press. Newspaper reports also suggest he played for Causewayhead United & Strathallan Hawthorn as well before going to Camelon.

James Paterson’s birth certificate shows that he was born in Foulford Road, Cowdenbeath at what seems to be listed as 8b Block (hard to decipher) on 15 June 1905. His father was a miner named Alexander Paterson who had married Elizabeth Hunter at Langour, Tillicoultry in 1900.

Jim Paterson died on 30th December 1978 at 20 Fountain Road, Bridge of Allan

There were lots of J Patersons around at that point. Does anyone have adtae of death for this one, please, perhaps in Canada?

JOHN WILSON PATERSON
b 13.4.1904 Kirkcaldy, Fife
5’ 9”; 11 st IL
Début: 11.2.28 v Queen’s Park Rangers
Career: Edinburgh Emmet; Dundee in Spain FC; August 1924 Bathgate; 1927 Wellesley Juniors; 4.2.28 Bristol Rovers (trial); 7.2.28 Bristol Rovers (£30) [46,6]; March 1932 St Saviour’s, Vancouver; 1933 Toronto Scottish (to 1941).

Notoriously tough to research in the modern era, John Paterson joined Rovers from Fife County League football and made his début in a 4-0 defeat at home to QPR. He scored at Crystal Palace that season and his four goals the following campaign included a 75th-minute equaliser at home to Fulham in February 1929 which proved critical; the sixth goal of the game, it laid the platform for Rovers to run in a 5-3 win. After a final goal in the home defeat against Plymouth Argyle in the autumn of 1929, Paterson emigrated to Canada, where he reputedly played until the age of fifty. He returned to Eastville in September 1977, then aged seventy-two, to visit his former colleague Jesse Whatley.

[A_Beattie]

Re my post of June 28th this year: Richard Cairns tells me the date and place of birth needs revising and that James Maxwell Sr was born on July 26th 1887 in Kilmarnock.

David this >>>>>>>>>>>>>> You had it all the time but the original error (1882 - New Cumnock) is yet being printed in all new publications. :0)

[football2011]

New XI following the sad news tonight of Bobby Collins' passing.

Andy Paton (Motherwell)
Bobby Brown (Queen's Park and Rangers)
Sammy Cox (Rangers)
Alex Forbes (Sheffield United and Arsenal)
Johnny McKenzie (Partick Thistle)
Jock Aird (Burnley)
Doug Cowie (Dundee)
Tommy Docherty (Preston North End and Arsenal)
John Hewie (Charlton Athletic)
Johnny Little (Rangers)
Mike Cullen (Luton Town)

Substitute
John Grant (Hibernian and Raith Rovers)

[Rob R]

Just read that Andy Paton has died.

[ScottishFA]

http://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/2014/02/0 ... 1923-2014/

Also came across this glowing reference from Billy McNeill in an old interview: "Although I grew up in Bellshill, which is 15 miles from Glasgow, I hardly watched Celtic. I used to watch Motherwell instead. My father, who served in the army, was not a big football fan, so I often went with my friends to Fir Park. Centre-half Andy Paton was the Motherwell player I loved watching."

[Scottish]

Despite media claims about Billy Reid, Andy Paton was also the longest serving post-war Hamilton Accies manager, in charge at Douglas Park for a full nine years between Apr 1th 1959-Apr 27th 1968. After knocking at the door a few times, Accies were promoted under his stewardship in 1965 and despite immediate relegation, the true measure of his managerial abilities came after his departure as Hamilton plunged down the table, finishing last twice and second bottom once in the next four seasons.

As a player, he was voted Motherwell's greatest ever in 2007.

[Snuff]

With Andy Paton's passing, the revised "Scotland First XI" now reads:

Bobby Brown (Rangers) - three caps – 1946/47 : 1951-52: d.o.b. 19/03/1923
Sammy Cox (Rangers) – 25 caps – 1947-48 : 1953-54: d.o.b. 13/04/1924
Alex Forbes (Sheffield Utd and Arsenal) – 14 caps – 1946-47 : 1951-52: d.o.b. 21/01/1925
Johnny McKenzie (Partick Thistle) – nine caps - 1953-54 : 1955-56: d.o.b. 04/09/1925
Jock Aird (Burnley) – four caps – 1953-54: d.o.b. 18/02/1926
Doug Cowie (Dundee) - 20 caps - 1952-53 : 1957-58: d.o.b. 01/05/1926
Tommy Docherty (Preston NE and Arsenal) - 25 caps - 1951-59: d.o.b. d.o.b. 28/04/1928
John Hewie (Charlton Athletic) – 19 caps – 1955-56 : 1959-60: d.o.b. 12/12/1928
Johnny Little (Rangers) – two caps – 1951-52: d.o.b. 08/07/1930
John Grant (Hibernian) – two caps – 1958-59: d.o.b. 16/06/1931
Mike Cullen (Luton Town) – one cap – 1955-56: d.o.b. 03/07/1931

That's one goalkeeper, five full-backs, three wing-halves, and two wingers. It obviously doesn't pay to be an inside forward or centre forward when it comes to a long life.

[football2011]

Alex Forbes has passed away aged 89.

[Partick Thistle]

With Andy Paton's passing, the revised "Scotland First XI" now reads:
That's one goalkeeper, five full-backs, three wing-halves, and two wingers. It obviously doesn't pay to be an inside forward or centre forward when it comes to a long life.

Nor indeed a centre back. All the literal heid the ba's in fact.

[Snuff]

Partick Thistle wrote:

Nor indeed a centre back. All the literal heid the ba's in fact.

Doug Cowie is (at a stretch) the centre-half, that's the position he played in the win over Finland, in Helsinki, in May, 1954. I know he was more a wing-half, but, he played at centre-half that day.

[Scottish]

Neil Kaufman sends this:

ALEXANDER ROONEY FORBES died in Joburg on 28 July 2014 aged 89,

Dundee North End
Sheffield United
arsenal
Leyton ORIENT
Fulham
gravesend & Northfleet
emigrated to South Africa in in 1959

[Snuff]

A full obituary will shortly appear in The Herald and The Scotsman - fascinating story.

[bluedragon]

I was wondering if we had a new player in the team following the sad loss of Alex Forbes?

[Snuff]

[bbluedragon wrote:

I was wondering if we had a new player in the team following the sad loss of Alex Forbes?

Revised line-up is:

Bobby Brown (Rangers) - three caps – 1946/47 : 1951-52: d.o.b. 19/03/1923

Sammy Cox (Rangers) – 25 caps – 1947-48 : 1953-54: d.o.b. 13/04/1924

Johnny McKenzie (Partick Thistle) – nine caps - 1953-54 : 1955-56: d.o.b. 04/09/1925

Jock Aird (Burnley) – four caps – 1953-54: d.o.b. 18/02/1926

Doug Cowie (Dundee) - 20 caps - 1952-53 : 1957-58: d.o.b. 01/05/1926

Tommy Docherty (Preston NE and Arsenal) - 25 caps - 1951-59: d.o.b. d.o.b. 28/04/1928

John Hewie (Charlton Athletic) – 19 caps – 1955-56 : 1959-60: d.o.b. 12/12/1928

Johnny Little (Rangers) – two caps – 1951-52: d.o.b. 08/07/1930

Ian McMillan (Airdrieonians and Rangers) – six caps – 1952-61: d.o.b. 18/03/1931.

John Grant (Hibernian) – two caps – 1958-59: d.o.b. 16/06/1931

Mike Cullen (Luton Town) – one cap – 1955-56: d.o.b. 03/07/1931
[/b]

[bluedragon]

Thanks Snuff. From a personal view it is noticeable that I am starting to see a couple of names who I can vaguely remember in the autumn of their playing careers but more vividly as managers.