| Danny Blair | |
| Fullname: | Daniel Blair |
| Birth Date: | 2 February 1905 |
| Birth Place: | Parkhead, Scotland |
| Death Place: | Blackpool, Lancashire, England |
| Height: | 5 ft 5+1/2 in[1] |
| Position: | Wing half, full back |
| Youthclubs1: | Davonport Albion |
| Youthclubs2: | Toronto Scottish |
| Youthclubs3: | Willys Overland Motor Works |
| Years1: | 1924–1925 |
| Years2: | 1925 |
| Years3: | 1925–1931 |
| Years4: | 1931–1936 |
| Years5: | 1936–1939 |
| Clubs1: | Providence Clamdiggers |
| Clubs2: | Parkhead Juniors |
| Clubs3: | Clyde |
| Clubs4: | Aston Villa |
| Clubs5: | Blackpool |
| Caps1: | 36 |
| Caps2: | ? |
| Caps3: | 179 |
| Caps4: | 129 |
| Caps5: | 121 |
| Goals1: | 5 |
| Goals2: | ? |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1927–1928 |
| Nationalteam1: | Scottish League XI |
| Nationalcaps1: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 1928–1932 |
| Nationalteam2: | Scotland |
| Nationalcaps2: | 8 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
Daniel Blair (2 February 1905 – 7 March 1985) was a Scottish football player who began his senior career in North America before finishing it in England. He also earned eight caps with the Scotland national team.[2]
Although he was born in Parkhead, Scotland, Blair began with his career with junior clubs Rasharkin in 1920 and Cullybackey in 1921, while he was a student in Ireland.[3] He then went on to play in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with Davonport Albion in 1922.[3] He then moved to Toronto Scottish, and Willys Overland in 1923, before signing with the Providence Clamdiggers of the American Soccer League in 1924.[4] [3]
After one season, he returned to Scotland where he signed with Parkhead Juniors, shortly before moving to Clyde in April 1925.[3] He spent six seasons with Clyde[5] before transferring to Aston Villa of the Football League for £7,000 on 24 October 1931. Blair played 138 League and Cup games for Aston Villa.[3] He played 37 times as Villa finished runners up to Arsenal in the League Championship in 1932–33 and was a member of their team that reached the 1934 FA Cup semi final, where they were heavily beaten by the eventual winner Manchester City.[3] He then joined Blackpool. He made his debut for the Tangerines in the opening League game of the 1936–37 season, in a 2–1 victory at Leicester City on 29 August 1936.[3] He went on to be an ever-present that campaign, starting in all of the club's 42 League games and two FA Cup games, as the team won promotion from Division Two.[6] He remained with Blackpool until the Second World War in 1939. Throughout his whole career he played in 408 League matches and scored two goals, both for Clyde.[3]
Blair made his International debut for Scotland in a 4–2 win over Wales at Ibrox in October 1928. He won a total of eight caps for his country.[3] [7] He captained the team against Austria in May 1931.[8] [9]
He received league honours with the Glasgow Junior League against the breakaway Intermediate League in 1925,[10] and later on with the senior Scottish League XI three times between 1927 and 1928.[3]
Selected to represent the Scottish FA XI team that toured Canada in 1927, Blair featured in eleven matches in total.[11] He earned further honours with Glasgow in the annual inter-city fixture Sheffield.[12]
Clyde
Aston Villa
Blackpool
Scotland[7]