Alec Fraser (footballer)

Alexander "Alec" Fraser (1883 – after 1914) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Fulham, Bradford Park Avenue and Middlesbrough.[1] He also played for Inverness Thistle, Newcastle United, Darlington and Newcastle City. During the majority of his career he played as a forward, in either the centre forward or inside left position.

Not to be confused with Alex Fraser (Scottish footballer).
Alec Fraser
Personal information
Full name Alexander Fraser[1]
Date of birth 1883[1]
Place of birth Inverness,[1] Scotland
Playing position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Inverness Thistle
1903–1904 Newcastle United 0 (0)
1904–1908 Fulham[lower-alpha 1] 10 (5)
1908–1909 Bradford Park Avenue[lower-alpha 1] 17 (6)
1909–1911 Darlington (35)
1912–1913 Middlesbrough 5 (0)
1913–191? Newcastle City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Fraser was born in Inverness,[1] where he began his football career with his hometown club, Inverness Thistle of the Highland League.[1] In late December 1903, he signed for English First Division club Newcastle United.[2] His play improved while with Newcastle, to the extent that he was described as "a goal-getter much above the average", but he never played first-team football for that club, and moved on to Fulham of the Southern League in October 1904.[3]

He earned himself a good reputation as a centre forward, but refused to re-sign for Fulham at the end of the season and was reported likely to resume his career back in Scotland with Aberdeen.[4] No such move took place, and by January 1906 Fraser was back at Fulham.[5] helping them win the 1906–07 Southern League title,[6] After the club's election to the Football League in 1907, he scored five goals from ten Second Division appearances,[1] and replaced the injured Fred Threlfall in the team that beat Manchester United 2–1 to reach the semi-finals of that season's FA Cup.[7][8]

In April 1908, Fraser joined Bradford Park Avenue of the Southern League as a makeweight in the transfer of Harry Brown in the other direction.[8] Bradford were elected to the Football League for 1908–09, and Fraser scored six goals from seventeen League appearances.[1] He was transfer-listed at the end of the season, and signed for North-Eastern League club Darlington in late September 1909.[9][10] He was the club's top scorer in each of his first two seasons,[11] and in February 1912, he returned to the Football League with First Division club Middlesbrough.[12]

He made his first appearance at that level on 5 April, deputising for the rested George Elliott at inside right in a 1–0 win at home to West Bromwich Albion.[13][14] He injured a knee on the opening day of the 1912–13 season,[15][16] and was not retained for the next;[17] he had played five league matches without scoring. His last club was Newcastle City of the North-Eastern League.[1][18]

Notes
  1. Infobox statistics for Fulham and Bradford Park Avenue include Football League matches only.[1]
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References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. "Scottish players for Newcastle". Edinburgh Evening News. 29 December 1903. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Inverness player signs for Fulham". Football Post. Dundee. 29 October 1904. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "Aberdeen F.C. and Anglo-Scots". The Courier. Dundee. 5 June 1905. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Playing record: Alec Fraser". Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  6. "Fulham". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  7. "Sporting paragraphs". Nottingham Evening Post. 5 March 1908. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "United's fall". Daily News. London. 9 March 1908. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "English League's transfer market". Daily News. London. 4 September 1909. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Gainsborough v. Derby match". Lincolnshire Chronicle. 4 October 1909. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. Tweddle, Frank (2000). The Definitive Darlington F.C. Nottingham: Soccerdata. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-899468-15-7.
  12. "Commission to inquire into Easter Road affair". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. 14 February 1912. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. "Sporting Notes. Football". Daily Mail. Hull. 3 April 1912. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. "Middlesbrough v. West Bromwich Albion". Yorkshire Post. 6 April 1912. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. "Rough match at Hawthornes". Leeds Mercury. 5 September 1912. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. "Notes on out-door sports. Items of interest". Derby Daily Telegraph. 16 September 1912. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. "Windridge signs for Middlesbrough". The Courier. Dundee. 26 April 1913. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. "North-Eastern League". Yorkshire Post. 8 September 1913. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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