Alec Logan Explained

Alec Logan
Fullname:Alexander Logan
Birth Date:1882[1]
Birth Place:Barrhead, Scotland
Death Place:Cambrai, France
Position:Forward
Years1:–1902
Clubs1:Barrhead Fereneze
Years2:1902–1906
Clubs2:Hibernian
Caps2:2
Goals2:0
Years3:1903
Clubs3:Airdrieonians (loan)
Years4:1903–1905
Clubs4:Arthurlie (loan)
Caps4:34
Goals4:18
Years5:1906–1907
Caps5:25
Goals5:14
Years6:1907–1909
Clubs6:Aston Villa
Caps6:24
Goals6:11
Years7:1909–1910
Caps7:45
Goals7:22
Years8:1910–1912
Caps8:37
Goals8:9
Years9:1912–1913
Clubs9:Kilmarnock
Caps9:23
Goals9:6
Years10:1913–1914
Clubs10:Partick Thistle
Nationalyears1:1907–1910
Nationalteam1:Scottish League XI
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:1

Alexander Logan (1882 – 10 October 1918) was a Scottish footballer, who played for clubs including Hibernian, Aston Villa, Falkirk (two spells), Bristol City and Kilmarnock.

Career

Born in Barrhead,[1] Logan began his senior career with local club Barrhead Fereneze before signing for Hibernian, one of the leading clubs in Scotland, in 1902. He was a member of the squad which won the 1902–03 Scottish Division One championship title, although he only featured in two league matches[2] [3] and had been loaned to Airdrieonians in January 1903 until the end of the campaign;[4] the Lanarkshire club won the lower division and gained promotion, but the extent of his involvement is uncertain.

He went out on loan again for the next two seasons to hometown club Arthurlie, also of the second tier.[4] He remained with Hibernian for 1905–06 but did not appear in any competitive fixtures for the Leith side and moved on permanently to Falkirk in summer 1906.[4] [5] His form at the Brockville Park club took an immediate upturn (14 goals in 25 league matches)[4] which was such that he came into contention for international selection, and after less than a full season with the Bairns before he was signed by top English club Aston Villa, where his younger brother James[6] had already been playing in the defence for two years.[7] [8]

Logan was involved for two and a half seasons at Villa Park (the club finished runners-up in 1907–08) but despite a decent scoring record he was unable to secure a regular place in the team, and returned to Falkirk in the summer of 1909.[4] Once again, he performed well for the club and in 1909–10 they missed out on the Scottish League title by two points (meanwhile in England his former club Aston Villa and brother James did win the championship).

Falkirk then signed another younger Logan brother, Tommy,[6] although the siblings were teammates only for a matter of months before Alec's form again attracted the attention of English clubs, this time moving to Bristol City in December 1910.[4] The club suffered relegation from the top tier at the end of his first season, and midway through the second he transferred back to Scotland with Kilmarnock.[4] After a year in Ayrshire,[9] [10] he again moved on during the winter, this time to Partick Thistle.[4]

International

Logan was never selected for the full Scotland team. He represented the Scottish Football League XI twice: a goalless draw against the English League at Ibrox Park in March 1907 and a 3–1 win over the Irish League, in which he scored, in October 1910 at Belfast. The call-ups came during each of his brief but effective spells at Falkirk.[11]

Wartime and death

The outbreak of World War I ended Logan's professional football career aged 32. His military service included time with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders for whose regimental football team he was selected in November 1914.[12] He was serving with the 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders when he died of wounds at No. 30 Casualty Clearing Station on 10 October 1918 during the Second Battle of Cambrai.[13] [14]

Honours

Aston Villa

Runner-up 1907–08

Falkirk

Runner-up 1909–10

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SurnameLOGAN ForenameALEXANDER GenderM Year1882 Ref572/2 269 RD NameBarrhead and Levern [Census search return]]. ScotlandsPeople. 17 November 2018.
  2. Web site: Scotland 1902/03 . Alan Brown . 21 October 2001 . . 17 November 2018 .
  3. Web site: Hibernian player Alex Logan. FitbaStats . 17 November 2018 .
  4. Web site: Alexander Logan (Alex Logan or Alec Logan) . Play Up Liverpool . 17 November 2018 .
  5. Web site: Falkirk FC 1906/07 . Falkirk Football Historian . 25 August 2013 . 17 November 2018 .
  6. Web site: 1891 LOGAN, JAMES (Census 572/2 10/ 35) Page 35 of 44 [Census return extract]]. . 1891. subscription . 17 November 2018 .
  7. Web site: Logan, Alec . Aston Villa Player Database . 17 November 2018 .
  8. Web site: Sport, Football, Aston Villa F,C, 1908-1909 . . 17 November 2018 .
  9. Web site: Kilmarnock player A. Logan. FitbaStats . 17 November 2018 .
  10. Web site: Kilmarnock player '? Logan' [comparison with other sources confirms this profile also relates to Alec Logan] ]. FitbaStats . 17 November 2018 .
  11. Web site: Scottish League player Alec Logan. London Hearts Supporters' Club. 16 November 2018.
  12. Web site: Player Representative Honours . Partick Thistle History Archive . 17 November 2018 . 21 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121132610/http://partickthistleahistory.wikifoundry.com/page/Player+Representative+Honours . dead .
  13. Web site: 1918 LOGAN, ALEXANDER (Statutory registers Deaths 114/AF 74) Death report extract]. . 1918. subscription . 15 November 2018 .
  14. Web site: South & Levern Parish Church Barrhead . The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project. 5 January 2017. 17 November 2018 .