Alexander Hall (soccer) explained

Alexander Hall
Fullname:Alexander Noble Hall
Birth Date:3 December 1880[1]
Birth Place:Aberdeen, Scotland
Death Date:[2]
Death Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Position:Centre forward
Years1:1898–1901
Clubs1:Peterhead
Years2:1901
Clubs2:Buckie Thistle
Years3:1902–1903
Clubs3:Toronto Scots
Years4:1904
Clubs4:Galt
Years5:1905
Clubs5:Westmount
Years6:1905
Clubs6:Aberdeen
Caps6:0
Goals6:0
Years7:1905–1906
Clubs7:Peterhead
Years8:1906–1907
Clubs8:St Bernard's
Caps8:10
Goals8:12
Years9:1907–1908
Clubs9:Newcastle United
Caps9:6
Goals9:2
Years10:1908–1910
Clubs10:Dundee
Caps10:25
Goals10:8
Years11:1910–1911
Clubs11:Portsmouth
Years12:1911–1912
Clubs12:Motherwell
Caps12:11
Goals12:0
Years13:1912–1915
Clubs13:Dunfermline Athletic
Caps13:68
Goals13:33
Years14:1920–1923
Clubs14:Peterhead
Clubs15:Mimico Beach
Nationalyears1:1904
Nationalteam1:Canada Olympic
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:3

Alexander Noble Hall (3 December 1880 – 25 September 1943), sometimes known as Sandy Hall,[3] was a professional soccer player who played as a centre forward in the Scottish League for Dunfermline Athletic, Dundee, Motherwell and St Bernard's.[4] Born in Scotland, he was a part of Canada's gold medal-winning 1904 Olympic team and finished the tournament as joint-top scorer,[5] with three goals.[6] The goals came in the form of a hat-trick in a 7–0 win over the United States, represented by Christian Brothers College.[7]

Personal life

Born in Aberdeen and growing up in Peterhead, Hall played amateur football and worked as a stonecutter locally before emigrating to Canada in 1901. He returned to Scotland in 1905 and became a professional footballer in 1906. In 1912, the Carnegie Hero Fund and the Royal Humane Society recognised Hall with awards for bravery, for his rescuing of a child from Peterhead harbour. While a player with Dunfermline Athletic prior to the First World War, he also served as the club's groundsman. During the war, Hall served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, the Royal Engineers, the Tank Corps and married his wife,[8] with whom he had three children. The family emigrated to Toronto in 1923 and he worked at Wellington Destructor.[9] Hall died in Toronto on 25 September 1943.

In 1983, Hall's youngest son Tom was the world's first recipient of a successful single lung transplant.

Career statistics

Club

Club! rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueNational cupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
St Bernard's1906–07[10] Scottish Second Division1012007[11] 41716
Newcastle United1907–08[12] First Division620062
Dundee1907–08Scottish First Division302353
1908–09Scottish First Division300030
1909–10Scottish First Division198542412
Total258773215
Motherwell1911–12Scottish First Division11050160
Dunfermline Athletic1912–13Scottish Second Division2518703218
1913–14Scottish Second Division211100602711
1914–15Scottish Second Division22410234
Total68337708233
Career total1205519714415366
  1. Web site: Alexander Hall . 27 October 2019 . Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust.
  2. Web site: Alex Hall Bio, Stats, and Results . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161203070710/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ha/alex-hall-1.html . 3 December 2016 . 3 August 2021 . Olympics at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  3. Web site: 26 April 2018 . Played for Dundee and Motherwell – Sandy Hall . 3 August 2021 . Dundee Football Club – Official Website . en-US.
  4. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . Tony Brown . 2012 . 978-1905891610 . Nottingham . 122.
  5. Web site: Alexander Hall . 14 February 2021 . Olympedia.
  6. Web site: 6 April 2017 . Olympic Football Top Goalscorers . 3 August 2021 . My Football Facts . en-US.
  7. Web site: Football, Men – Round-Robin, Match #1 . 13 July 2022 . Olympedia.
  8. Web site: Newcastle United Footballers in the Great War . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200925014711/http://www.newmp.org.uk/article.php?categoryid=100&articleid=1421&displayorder=63 . 25 September 2020 . 27 October 2019 . North East War Memorials Project.
  9. Web site: Great Teams Galt FC 1904 . 31 October 2023 . Canadian Soccer History.
  10. Book: Litster, John . Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players . PM Publications . Norwich.
  11. Appearances in Scottish Qualifying Cup
  12. Web site: Alex Hall . 27 October 2019 . 11v11.com.

International

Scores and results list Canada Olympic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hall goal.

No.! scope="col"
DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
116 November 1904World's Fair Stadium, St. Louis, United States Christian Brothers College1–07–01904 Summer Olympics
2?–0
3?–0

Honours

Galt FC

St Bernard's

Dundee

Motherwell

Dunfermline Athletic

Peterhead

Individual