Oldest Player

[qpsnapper]

I've done a search and can't see a thread on the subject of oldest players (apologies if there is and I've missed it), but I see that Bobby Geddes has come on as a sub for Dundee tonight against Raith Rovers less than four months shy of his 50th birthday!

Is he the oldest player to take the field in an SFL match?

[Bristol Rovers]

I certainly don't have any answers to this (I know for south of the border ...), but here are a few names for starters, in the hope someone may know.

George Johnstone (born 15.12.1914) played in one League game for Cowdenbeath in the 1958-59 season, when he would have been 43/44. Does anyone know of an older player, pre-Geddes?

Oldest goalscorers in Scottish League?:
Graeme Armstrong for Stenhousemuir v Albion, 28.11.98, aged 42y 158d
Davie Irons for Gretna v Elgin, 20.03.04, aged 42y 119d
Craig Brewster for Ross Co v QoS, 04.04.09, aged 42y 112d
Please add names ...

[Insertnamehere]

Didnt Andy Millen play for St Mirren when in his 40's?

[Gorgiewave]

Henry Smith made one appearance for Berwick Rangers when aged, I think, 46. And I think John Burridge played for Queen of the South while aged 44.

[Bristol Rovers]

Andy Millen was 42y 279d, according to Wikipedia, when he played his last game for St Mirren v Hearts, 15 March 2008.

[John Meffen]

John Burridge was, as far as I know, Falkirk's oldest player, and he continued [though it was ever downhill after FFC] two years later with QOS, round about 44-45 years.

[John Meffen]

oops, blind as well as stupid, just saw two posts up, sorry

[Scottish]

Tom Blair was 45 yrs 6 months, 10 days when he played for Dundee United in the opening league match v St Bernard's in 1937-38. They lost 7-1 and that was that.

I can't come up with older than Geddes for Scotland though of course Neil McBain was 51 yrs, 4 mths when he played for New Brighton at Hartlepool in the Third Division (North) in March 1947.

I'm sure there was some Swedish guy who played at 71 in the Third Division many years ago. And then there was the Doncaster Rovers chairman John Ryan who came on as a sub in the 89th minute in a Conference match at Hereford in 2003 a month shy of his 52nd birthday.

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

Jim Calder kept goal for Peterhead vs. Ayr Utd. @ Balmoor Stadium 2nd Division on 31/3/2007 aged 46 years 245 days so Bobby Geddes beats him by almost exactly 3 years. I think Stanley Mathews played his last game for Stoke City aged 50 years & 5 days ending a career span of about 34 years.

[Gorgiewave]

I take it Michael Foot was never a 95th-minute sub.?

[bobby s]

The oldest Hibs ones I can find so far are:

John Burridge 41 years 5 months 12 days
Ray Wilkins 40 years 3 months 21 days
Jim Leighton 38 years 9 months 28 days

I'm guessing Jimbob would have been nearly 42 when he made his final appearance in the Scottish Cup Final of 2000. Ray Wilkins infamously made his debut on his 40th birthday for Hibs.

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

Davie Irons was 48 years 98 days when he came on as a substitute for Threave Rovers vs. Whitehill Welfare Scottish Cup 2nd Round 24/10/2009.
There MUST be many instances, unrecorded, of older players in early Scottish Cup & lower division Scottish League games which will only ever be discovered by chance.

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

Jim Leighton was 41 years 308 days when he played for 2 minutes in the 2000 Cup Final.

[Snuff]

What about Ally MacLeod coming off the bench to play for QOS Reserves when 61 or 62?

Maybe Skyline Drifter can enlighten us on that one.

Also, didn't Davie Wilson and Rab Stewart make appearances for Kilmarnock Reserves when nearing bus pass age?

Maybe not first team, but still official games.

Getting away from football: I played in my old rugby master from school's last game - he was 63 at the time.

[Scottish]

Graham Deans e-mailed me regarding Ally McLeod as follows

"Several years ago when I lived in Dumfries, Ally McLeod had to turn out for Queen of the South against St. Mirren in a reserve match at Love Street when he was 61. Queens’, whom he managed at the time, lost 7-1, but it was none other than Ally McLeod who scored their solitary goal!"

Davie Wilson was, I think, a mere stripling in his early forties, when he turned out for Killie reserves. Not sure about Rab Stewart. He might have been a bit older when he played.