William Stevenson (goalkeeper)

William Stevenson
Personal information
Date of birth c. 1906[1]
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Strathclyde
1926–1927 Arthurlie 51 (0)
1927 → Beith (loan)
1927–1928 Providence Clamdiggers 14 (0)
1928–1929 Third Lanark 35 (0)
1929–1938 Clyde 232 (0)
1938–1940 Dunfermline Athletic 33 (0)
Total 364 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Stevenson (born c. 1906; date of death unknown) was a Scottish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

He began his senior career at Arthurlie,[2] being loaned to Beith within Scotland then allowed to pursue an opportunity in the United States, where he spent a season with Providence Clamdiggers[3] – they finished in mid-table in both parts of the 1927–28 American Soccer League season. He then returned across the Atlantic Ocean, spending one year with Third Lanark[2] before settling at Clyde,[4] where he was the regular goalkeeper from 1929 until 1936 when he was displaced by Jock Brown.[2] The closest Stevenson came to a trophy during his time at Shawfield was a defeat to Rangers in the 1933 Glasgow Cup final,[5] coming six months after losing the semi-final of the 1932–33 Scottish Cup to Motherwell.[6] In 1938 he transferred to lower division Dunfermline Athletic,[7] spending one standard season in Fife and one more under unofficial conditions after the outbreak of World War II before retiring.[2]

At representative level, Stevenson was selected once for the Glasgow FA's annual challenge match against Sheffield in 1932,[8] and was a member of the Scottish Football Association's tour of North America in the summer of 1935,[9] playing in every match (he was the only goalkeeper in the party) and conceding only 10 goals in 13 fixtures as the tourists returned home with a 100% record – the SFA does not regard any of these matches as full internationals,[10] although two are counted as such by the United States Soccer Federation.[11][12] He had earlier represented his country at Junior level while with Strathclyde at the start of his career.[13]

References

  1. ^ Duchess of Richmond, Liverpool, UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960, 1 June 1935, via Ancestry (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c d John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ William Stevenson, ScocerStats.us
  4. ^ Stevenson William Image 3 Clyde 1935, Vintage Footballers
  5. ^ Glasgow Cup Final | Easy Victory for Rangers, The Glasgow Herald, 16 October 1933
  6. ^ Motherwell Reach Scottish Cup Final | Inter-city Rivals To Meet Again At Hampden, The Glasgow Herald, 20 March 1933
  7. ^ Peter Wilson 1938-39, Dunfermline Athletic FC. Retrieved 13 June 2021
  8. ^ Football | Glasgow Easily Defeats Sheffield, The Glasgow Herald, 3 November 1932
  9. ^ "Scottish Football Association Tour, 1935". Canadian Soccer History. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. ^ Scotland Unofficial Matches 1929-1935, RSSSF, 2 Feb 2021
  11. ^ Barrie Courtney (23 April 2015). "USA - Details of International Matches 1885-1969". RSSSF. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  12. ^ (Scotland player, including unofficial matches) William Stevenson, London Hearts Supporters Club
  13. ^ Junior Scotland 1889 to 2019: The Players and Matches, Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 13 June 2021