WILSON, David (1928)

Overview

Came from the mining village of Heppburn-on-Tyne in Northumberland, where he played for the local Colliery side, when Willie McAndrew signed him in 1928. Davie would go on to become the best goalscorer the club ever produced. Accies had decided to run a reserve side in 1928 and Davie served his apprenticeship with it. Games were arranged against junior selects, in October he scored a hat trick against an East of Scotland eleven, a week later he netted twice against Celtic reserves. As a result he was brought in against Hibernian the following month and though he didn’t score he was troublesome to the visitors defence and was unlucky on a couple of occasions not to open his account.

In season 1930-31 he played against Ayr United reserves at Douglas Park and scored six goals. The following week, on August 22nd, he scored four times against Dundee for the first team, also at Douglas Park in a 6-2 First Division match. Though by now a first team regular, he was in the Accies side which secured the Second Eleven Cup in April 1934. He had an excellent record in Scottish Cup matches though when Douglas Park’s biggest ever crowd, 28,690, turned up on March 3rd 1937 in the competition he did not score when Accies defeated Heart of Midlothian 2-1 on that historic Wednesday afternoon.

He scored a hat trick no less than twenty times in Scottish League matches and he scored four goals in a match on three occasions. Not only was he a goal taker but he was also an excellent provider of scoring opportunities as has been recounted by fans who have had the pleasure of seeing him in action before the 1940’s when the club were at its height as a force in Scottish football. His combination play with first Alex Herd, and then later on with Bertie Harrison was appreciated by fans all over the country at a time when there were many more neutral supporters of the sport who picked their game week by week rather than follow a particular team.

Played in a Scottish League XI against a KOSB side at Berwick in April 1940. East Fife had him as a guest in May 1943. He was offered the job of groundsman at a wage of £4-10/- per week. Due to other wartime commitments, he was unable to take up the offer.

On leaving Accies he joined Stranraer where he teamed up with former colleague, Jacky Cox. The Stair Park side were beaten finalists in the 1947 Qualifying Cup when Davie was unable to play due to an injury, he was sadly missed as he had netted 12 of the 21 goals scored up to that time. He had scored a hat trick on his debut and in the 2nd Round of the competition he had scored 5 times in the Stranraer side’s 6-4 win at Duns. That same season the Wigtownshire side won the Championship of the Western section of the league to lose on a play off 2-1 to Ayr United after a 1-1 draw. In 33 games played, 149 goals were scored of which Davie claimed 69, not bad for a "lethal but lethargic centre forward", as he was described at that time.

Davie was without any question the most famous of all Accies pre-Second World War players. Had he been born in Scotland, many good judges were of the opinion that he would have been selected to play for our National side, as it was he was taken as a member of the Scottish Football Association party which toured Canada in 1935. During the tour he played in 7 matches and scored 11 goals which included 2 hat tricks to finish joint second top scorer.

In his playing days he was a rather modest 5’9” by to-days standards for such a prolific scorer and weighed 11sts 8lbs. In retirement he kept a very low profile for such a well known sportsman, such was the nature of someone who was said to be a true gentleman in all respects. Being an Englishman it was not surprising to learn that he enjoyed a game of cricket on occasion in the close season.

Died in Glasgow on 22nd February 1992 at the age of 83.

Debut on 10th November 1928 in a Scottish League match at home to Hibernian.

Scottish League 329 Appearances 255 Goals (3 Fours, 20 Hat tricks)

Scottish Cup 31 Appearances 32 Goals (5 Hat tricks)

Western League 15 Appearances 13 Goals (1 Hat trick)

Southern League 105 Appearances 66 Goals ( 1 Four, 2 Hat tricks)

Summer Cup 12 Appearances 6 Goals

Scottish League Cup 29 Appearances 21 Goals (1 Hat trick)

Lanarkshire Cup 11 Appearances 12 Goals (1 Hat trick, 1 Four)

Accies Career

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