Bob McEwan explained

Bob McEwan
Fullname:Robert Blaikie McEwan
Birth Date:1881
Birth Place:Edinburgh, Scotland
Death Date:[1]
Death Place:Edinburgh, Scotland
Position:Full Back
Years1:1896–1901
Clubs1:Edinburgh Rosebery
Years2:1901–1903
Clubs2:St Bernard's
Caps2:27
Goals2:2
Years3:1903–1904
Clubs3:Bury
Caps3:35
Goals3:0
Years4:1904–1905
Clubs4:Rangers
Caps4:9
Goals4:0
Years5:1905–1906
Clubs5:Chelsea
Caps5:19[2]
Goals5:0
Years6:1906–1908
Clubs6:Glossop
Caps6:55[3]
Goals6:1
Years7:1908–1909
Caps7:2
Goals7:0
Years8:1909–1910
Clubs8:Dundee
Caps8:12
Goals8:0
Totalcaps:159+
Totalgoals:3+

Robert Blaikie McEwan (1881 – 1957) was a Scottish footballer who played for clubs including St Bernard's, Bury, Rangers, Chelsea, Glossop and Dundee. He played over 100 games in the Football League and nearly 50 in the Scottish Football League and was also on the winning team in the 1910 Scottish Cup final.

Career

McEwan joined Bury of the Football League First Division from Scottish club St Bernard's in 1903;[4] he played 35 times for Bury before returning to Scotland in 1904, where he played for Rangers.[5] A year later, he returned to England to join newly-formed Chelsea.[4] [6] He played in the club's first game in the Football League and was technically the first Chelsea player to score a goal in a competitive match, as he scored an own goal which gave opponents Stockport County a 1–0 win.[7]

After a season with Queens Park Rangers in which he barely featured in the first team,[8] he returned to Scotland in 1909 to play for Dundee. He was in the "Dee" team that won the 1910 Scottish Cup final.[9] [4] [10]

Style of play

In 1905, the Penny Illustrated Paper likened his style of play to that of 19th-century Scottish international Donald Gow and said he had "plenty of speed and a safe kick".[11]

Personal life

In 1906, McEwan was acclaimed a hero for saving a boy from drowning in the Firth of Forth after a boat capsized.[12]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results?search_type=people&surname=Mcewan&surname_so=syn&forename=Robert%20blaikie&forename_so=starts&record_type=stat_deaths Statutory registers - Deaths - Search results
  2. Web site: Robert McEwan. Association of Football Statisticians. 9 December 2021.
  3. Book: Joyce, Michael. Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. 2004. SoccerData. 1-899468-67-6. 167.
  4. A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players. John Litster. Scottish Football Historian magazine. October 2012.
  5. https://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/player.php?playerid=1884 Rangers player Robert McEwan
  6. https://www.stamford-bridge.com/player.php?id=368&surname=McEwan&firstname=Bob Chelsea FC Player Profile: Bob McEwan
  7. Web site: History: Stockport 1 Chelsea 0. Chelsea F.C.. 7 January 2018. 9 December 2021.
  8. http://www.qprnet.com/seasonal-stats---files.html Seasonal Stats Files 1908/09
  9. Web site: Bob McEwan Player Profile. Dee Archive. 9 December 2021.
  10. Web site: 1910 - Scottish Cup. Dundee F.C.. Kenny Ross. 9 December 2021.
  11. Penny Illustrated Paper. The Chelsea Club. 9 September 1905.
  12. News: Plucky footballer. 10 July 1906. Mid Sussex Times. 6. 9 December 2021. British Newspaper Archive. subscription.