| Alex Venters | |
| Fullname: | Alexander Venters |
| Birth Date: | 9 June 1913 |
| Birth Place: | Cowdenbeath, Scotland |
| Death Place: | Cowdenbeath, Scotland |
| Position: | Inside forward |
| Clubs1: | South End Rovers |
| Years2: | –1930 |
| Clubs2: | St Andrews United |
| Years3: | 1930–1933 |
| Clubs3: | Cowdenbeath |
| Caps3: | 96 |
| Goals3: | 36 |
| Years4: | 1933–1946 |
| Clubs4: | Rangers |
| Caps4: | 175 |
| Goals4: | 89 |
| Years5: | 1946–1947 |
| Clubs5: | Third Lanark |
| Caps5: | 8 |
| Goals5: | 2 |
| Years6: | 1947–1948 |
| Clubs6: | Blackburn Rovers |
| Years7: | 1948 |
| Clubs7: | Raith Rovers |
| Caps7: | 4 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1933–1939 |
| Nationalteam1: | Scotland |
| Nationalcaps1: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 1935–1939 |
| Nationalteam2: | Scottish League XI |
| Nationalcaps2: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 1 |
| Nationalyears3: | 1940–1943 |
| Nationalteam3: | Scotland (wartime) |
| Nationalcaps3: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 1 |
Alexander Venters (9 June 1913 – 30 April 1959) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Cowdenbeath, Rangers and Scotland.
Alex Venters, an inside forward, joined Rangers in November 1933 after his first club Cowdenbeath.[1] He spent a total of 13 years at Ibrox Park, winning three Scottish league titles (1935, 1937 and 1939), two Scottish Cups (1935, 1936) and scoring 102 goals in 201 appearances.[2] 18 of these 102 goals came against Celtic in various competitions.[3] In the last season before association football was suspended due to World War II (1939) Venters was top scorer in the Scottish First Division (35 goals).[4] Venters was also a prolific scorer during World War II; however, as these games were unofficial, his additional 53 wartime goals cannot be added to his official goalscoring record.[5]
After the war, Venters played for Third Lanark, Blackburn Rovers and ended his career with Raith Rovers.[6] [7] [8]
Between 1933 and 1939 he won three caps for Scotland, the first of which was against Ireland in 1933 while with Cowdenbeath. He won a further two official caps (both in matches against England) while at Rangers, in 1936 and 1939. He also played in four wartime internationals.[9]
In 1959 he died prematurely from a heart attack at the age of 45.[10]
Due to his prolific goalscoring in the 1930s and his great record in Old Firm matches he became a member of the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2006.
Venters' father Sandy and brothers Andrew and Jock were also footballers.[11]