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Alan Morton Alan Lauder Morton of Glasgow Rangers, the 'Wee
Blue Devil', was the first of Scottish football's superstars. Morton was born in Jordanhill, Glasgow in 1893. He grew up in Airdrie, where his family relocated due to his father's work. He had an unsuccessful trial with Airdrieonians before beginning a twenty year career, first as an amateur with Queen's Park than as a professional with Rangers: as a qualified mining engineer he was always a part-time professional. Morton was an outside-left of dazzling skills. At 5ft 4in and seldom weighing more than nine stone, he was small and slight but remarkably strong. His dribbling skills, founded on exceptional balance, made him a formidable opponent. Morton is particularly remembered for his ability to float hanging crosses just under the crossbar so that goalkeepers would frequently find themselves tumbling into the net with the ball. He won a record 31 Scottish caps at a time when internal football consisted largely of games against the other home nations. Morton played 11 times against England, notably in the famous 'Wembley Wizards' team of 1928 which beat England 5-1. Still regarded by many as Rangers' greatest player, Morton scored 166 goals in 495 games for the club and helped the club to nine League Championships and two Scottish Cups. He retired in 1933 and was made a director, probably the first player to go directly from the dressing room to the board room. Morton remained a director until his death in December 1971. His portrait in oils hangs still hangs in the entrance hall of Ibrox Stadium. |
