Benny Yorston
Scottish footballer
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Benjamin Collard Yorston (14 October 1905 – 1977) was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Montrose, Aberdeen, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Collard Yorston | ||
| Date of birth | 14 October 1905 | ||
| Place of birth | Nigg, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 1977 (aged 71–72) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1927 | Montrose | ||
| 1927–1931 | Aberdeen | 143 | (101) |
| 1932–1934 | Sunderland | 46 | (24) |
| 1934–1939 | Middlesbrough | 151 | (54) |
| 1941 | Hibernian (guest) | 0 | (0) |
| 1945 | Dundee United | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 340 | (179) | |
| International career | |||
| 1931 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
Born in Nigg, Kincardineshire, the diminutive (5 ft 5in) forward played for Aberdeen juvenile sides Kittybrewster and Mugiemoss before joining Montrose in 1927.[1] He spent only 3 months with the Gable Endies before returning north to sign for Aberdeen F.C.. Yorston stayed with the Dons for five seasons and remains the club's record goal-scorer for a single season, having notched 38 goals in 1929–30. He won his only cap for Scotland against Ireland in 1931.
Yorston was one of five Aberdeen players dropped after a 1–1 draw with Kilmarnock later that year. At the time, the reasons were not clear, but the club's official history claims that several players had been involved in a betting scandal. No players were ever charged with any offence, but none of them ever played for Aberdeen again.[2]
Yorston joined Sunderland for £2,000 in January 1932 (£121,000 today) then moved to their North-East rivals Middlesbrough for £1,250 in 1934 (£77,000 today). He stayed with Middlesbrough until the outbreak of the Second World War, during which he "guested" for Hibernian,[3] Aldershot, Reading, West Ham United[4] and Lincoln City,[1] featuring once for Dundee United shortly after the war ended.[5] He retired before the cessation of global hostilities.
Yorston's nephew Harry was also a professional footballer who, like his uncle, played for Aberdeen and the Scottish national side.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aberdeen | 1926–27 | Scottish Division One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927–28 | 28 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 17 | ||
| 1928–29 | 31 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 35 | 32 | ||
| 1929–30 | 38 | 38 | 4 | 7 | 42 | 45 | ||
| 1930–31 | 28 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 22 | ||
| 1931–32 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 8 | ||
| Total | 143 | 101 | 13 | 23 | 156 | 124 | ||
| Sunderland | 1931–32 | First Division | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11 |
| 1932–33 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 7 | ||
| 1933–34 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 7 | ||
| Total | 46 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 49 | 25 | ||
| Middlesbrough | 1933–34 | First Division | 12 | 7 | - | - | 12+ | 7+ |
| 1934–35 | 19 | 7 | - | - | 19+ | 7+ | ||
| 1935–36 | 42 | 13 | - | - | 42+ | 13+ | ||
| 1936–37 | 21 | 7 | - | - | 21+ | 7+ | ||
| 1937–38 | 25 | 8 | - | - | 25+ | 8+ | ||
| 1938–39 | 32 | 12 | - | - | 32+ | 12+ | ||
| Total | 151 | 54 | - | - | 151+ | 54+ | ||
| Career total | 340 | 179 | 16+ | 24+ | 342+ | 203+ | ||