Alex Donald
Scottish footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexander Donald (born 5 June 1948) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a winger for English club Port Vale between 1965 and 1968, and later played in Northern Ireland for Derry City and Ballymena United.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Donald[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 5 June 1948[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland[1] | ||
| Position | Right winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Winchburgh Albion | |||
| Pumpherston Juniors | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1965–1968 | Port Vale | 43 | (0) |
| 1968–1971 | Derry City | ||
| 1971–1983 | Ballymena United | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1983 | Ballymena United (caretaker) | ||
| 1983 | Ballymena United (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
Donald won the West Lothian County Schools sprint title while at Kirkliston Primary School and then Winchburgh Secondary.[2]
Career
Donald played youth-team football for Winchburgh Albion and Pumpherston Juniors.[2] He had a successful trial with Jackie Mudie's Port Vale over the summer of 1965, having joined in July he signed as a professional by October.[1] He made his debut on 12 January 1966 in a 2–0 defeat by Bradford City at Valley Parade, in what was the youngest ever front-line in the history of the Football League – consisting of Donald (17), Roddy Georgeson (17), Mick Cullerton (17), Paul Bannister (18), and Paul Ogden (19).[1] He played 11 Fourth Division games in 1965–66, before making 24 appearances in the 1966–67 campaign.[1] He featured ten times in the 1967–68 season under Stanley Matthews before he was given a free transfer in May 1968.[1]
He moved to Northern Ireland to sign with Derry City, who were managed by his former Vale teammate Jimmy Hill.[3] He spent three years with Derry, before turning part-time at Ballymena United whilst working a job as a manager at a factory.[2] Ballymena manager Alex McCrae had previously tried to sign him whilst he was the Falkirk manager.[3] He was granted a testimonial match against Southampton in 1976 that was attended by George Best and Mick Channon.[2] He played 260 games in a 12-year stay.[3] He served the club as caretaker manager twice in 1983, taking charge after Ivan Murray left in February; Ian Russell served as manager between April and November, and Jim Platt was appointed manager in December.[4] He returned to the club as assistant to caretaker-manager Gary Erwin in October 1984.[5]
Personal and later life
He married Ann, a radiographer.[6] In 2018, Donald claimed a gold medal in the 400 metres event in his age category at the Scottish Masters Athletics Championships at Grangemouth Stadium.[2]