Danny Blair

Daniel Blair (2 February 1905 – 7 March 1985) was a Scottish football player who began his senior career in North America before finishing it in England. He also earned eight caps with the Scottish national team.[1]

Danny Blair
Personal information
Full name Daniel Blair
Date of birth (1905-02-02)2 February 1905
Place of birth Parkhead, Scotland
Date of death 7 March 1985(1985-03-07) (aged 80)
Place of death Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Playing position(s) Wing Half / Fullback
Youth career
Davonport Albion
Toronto Scottish
Willys Overland Motor Works
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1924–1925 Providence Clamdiggers 36 (5)
1925 Parkhead Juniors ? (?)
1925–1931 Clyde 179 (2)
1931–1936 Aston Villa 129 (0)
1936–1939 Blackpool 121 (0)
National team
1927–1928 Scottish League XI 3 (0)
1928–1932 Scotland 8 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Early career

Although he was born in Parkhead, Scotland, Blair began with his career with junior clubs Rasharkin in 1920 and Cullybackey in 1921, while he was a student in Ireland.[2] He then went on to play in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with Davonport Albion in 1922.[2] He then moved to Toronto Scottish, and Willys Overland in 1923, before signing with the Providence Clamdiggers of the American Soccer League in 1924.[3][2]

Return to the UK

After one season, he returned to Scotland where he signed with Parkhead Juniors, shortly before moving to Clyde in April 1925.[2] He spent six seasons with Clyde[4] before transferring to Aston Villa of the Football League for £7,000 on 24 October 1931. Blair played 138 League and Cup games for Aston Villa.[2] He played 37 times as Villa finished runners up to Arsenal in the League Championship in 1932–33 and was a member of their team that reached the 1934 FA Cup semi final, where they were heavily beaten by the eventual winner Manchester City.[2] He then joined Blackpool. He made his debut for the Tangerines in the opening League game of the 1936–37 season, in a 2–1 victory at Leicester City on 29 August 1936.[2] He went on to be an ever-present that campaign, starting in all of the club's 42 League games and two FA Cup games, as the team won promotion from Division Two.[5] He remained with Blackpool until the Second World War in 1939. Throughout his whole career he played in 408 League matches and scored two goals, both for Clyde.[2]

International career

While with Clyde, Blair made his debut for Scotland in a 4–2 win over Wales at Ibrox in October 1928. He won a total of eight caps for his country.[2][6]

Blair captained the team against Austria in May 1931.[7] A fixture later designated as an Unofficial Football World Championships match and the first time such a match was lost by a team from the British Isles.[8]

He also represented the Scottish League three times between 1927 and 1928.[2] Blair was also part of a Scottish FA XI that toured Canada in 1927. He featured in eleven matches on the tour.[9] Blair also featured for Glasgow in the annual inter-city representative match against Sheffield.[10]

Achievements

Clyde

Aston Villa

Blackpool

Scotland[6]

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References
  1. "Daniel Blair". www.londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  2. "Blair Danny Image 1 Aston Villa 1936". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
    "Blair Danny Image 6 Clyde 1929". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  3. Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921–1931. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-3429-4.
  4. [A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players], John Litster / Scottish Football Historian magazine, October 2012
  5. "Brown Battles". Scots Football Worldwide. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  6. "DANIEL BLAIR". SFA. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  7. "International Matches: Austria v Scotland, 1931". SFA. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  8. Brown, Paul (15 January 2010). "Austria vs Scotland 1931". UFWC. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  9. "Scottish Football Association Tour, 1927". Canadian Soccer History. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
    "Scottish Football Association Tour, 1927". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
    "Scottish Football Association Tour, 1927". SFHA. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  10. "Glasgow Well Beaten in Inter-City Match". Glasgow Herald. 17 September 1929. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  • Profile at Aston Villa Player Database
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