Ally MacLeod

MacLeod started his playing career at Third Lanark as a provisional signing as a schoolboy in 1947. He made his first-team debut against Stirling Albion at Cathkin Park on 6 November 1949. In 1953, MacLeod was in the Thirds side that trounced Alloa Athletic in the League Cup opener, 10–0. Sitting 8–0 up, MacLeod's teammates' main objective was to get him on the scoresheet. He had set up five goals but had missed several sitters himself. A left-foot rocket shot, and a simple tap in took Thirds' tally to 10. He joined the Royal Scots for National Service but was still able to turn out for the Thirds. MacLeod was reluctant to move to St Mirren in 1956, but having secured a guarantee that the reported £8,000 fee would tremendously help Third Lanark's survival, he moved on. He spent only six weeks at St Mirren before moving to English team Blackburn Rovers. Managed by fellow Scot Dally Duncan, MacLeod was man of the match in the 1960 FA Cup Final, but the game was lost 3–0 to Wolves. While at Blackburn he made strenuous efforts along with the PFA steward Jimmy Hill to help abolish the maximum wage, but when subsequently his promised wage increase was not forthcoming, while other players in the team were raised from £20 to £40 per week, he entered into discussions with Hibernian. When Blackburn realised that they were going to lose him to Hibs they improved their offer with an increase from £20 to £35. MacLeod, having already accepted Hibs' offer, felt he could not go back on his…

Ayr United

He started his managerial career in 1966 when he took charge of Ayr United. He took Ayr back to Scotland's top division and turned them into a well respected side. He took them to a Scottish and a League Cup semi-final and also set their attendance record with 25,225 watching a 2–1 success over Rangers F.C. In 1973, MacLeod was named Ayr's "Citizen of the Year".

Aberdeen

In November 1975, after nine years at Ayr, he moved to Aberdeen where he guided them to a League Cup final success over Celtic.

Scotland

1978 World Cup qualification and preparation

After success with Ayr and Aberdeen, in May 1977 the Scottish Football Association appointed him manager of the Scotland national team. He introduced himself to the squad with the blunt statement: "My name is Ally MacLeod and I am a winner." In his first months in charge, Scotland beat England at Wembley and qualified for the 1978 World Cup from a group containing Czechoslovakia, who had won the 1976 European Championship, and Wales. Scotland's World Cup expectations gathered momentum with MacLeod happy with the wave of massive optimism, saying to the press his team would return with "at least a medal". Scottish comedian Andy Cameron recorded a version of "Ally's Tartan Army", which reached number 6 in the UK charts just before the World Cup. Qualification was particularly sweet for Scotland since, for the second World Cup in succession, Scotland had achieved what their…

Third Lanark

Glasgow Charity Cup: 1955–56 Hibernian

East of Scotland Shield: 1960–61 Blackburn Rovers

Football League Second Division promotion: 1957–58 FA Cup runner-up: 1959–60

Manager

Ayr United

Scottish Division Two: 1965–66 Scottish Division Two promotion: 1968–69 Scottish Second Division: 1987–88 Ayrshire Cup: 1969; 1970; 1971; 1975; 1988 Aberdeen

Scottish League Cup: 1976–77 Scotland

British Home Championship: 1976–77 Motherwell

Lanarkshire Cup: 1981 Airdrieonians

Lanarkshire Cup winners: 1984

Managerial statistics