Robert Hamilton (Scottish footballer) explained

Robert Hamilton
Fullname:Robert Cumming Hamilton
Birth Date:1877 5, df=y
Birth Place:Elgin, Scotland
Death Place:Elgin, Scotland
Position:Striker
Years2:1896–1897
Years3:1897–1906
Years4:1906–1907
Years5:1907–1908
Years6:1908
Years7:1908–1910
Years8:1910–1913
Clubs1:Elgin City
Clubs2:Queen's Park
Clubs3:Rangers
Clubs4:Fulham
Clubs5:Rangers
Clubs6:Heart of Midlothian
Clubs7:Morton
Clubs8:Dundee
Clubs9:Elgin City
Caps2:0
Caps3:164
Caps4:29
Caps5:11
Caps6:5
Caps7:52
Caps8:93
Goals2:0
Goals3:154
Goals4:11
Goals5:3
Goals6:1
Goals7:25
Goals8:37
Totalcaps:354
Totalgoals:231
Nationalyears1:1899–1911
Nationalteam1:Scotland
Nationalcaps1:11
Nationalgoals1:15
Nationalyears2:1898–1904
Nationalteam2:Scottish Football League XI
Nationalcaps2:7
Nationalgoals2:9

Robert Cumming Hamilton (13 May 1877 – 2 May 1948) was a Scottish international footballer, most notable for his ten-season association with Rangers.

Playing career

Club

Hamilton started his footballing career with local side Elgin City in the Highland League. He relocated to Glasgow in 1896 to attend the city's University, and joined Queen's Park.[1] A year later he joined Rangers where he remained until 1907, earning a reputation as a potent goal-scorer who was particularly accurate from long range.[1]

Hamilton played every match, was top scorer and captained the team during the 1898–99 season, in which they won every league match.[2] He earned further League winners medals in 1899–1900, 1900–01 and 1901–02 and was part of Rangers' Scottish Cup-winning sides in 1898 and 1903.[2] He became Rangers all-time top scorer against rivals Celtic during his time at Ibrox, was the club's top goalscorer for nine consecutive seasons and the highest overall in Scottish League Division One on six occasions (including two shared awards), his highest total being 28 from 24 appearances in 1903–04.[3]

Hamilton moved south of the border to join Fulham in May 1906, helping them to win the 1906–07 Southern League title,[1] before returning to Rangers a year later. He left the Govan club for a second time in 1908, briefly moving to Heart of Midlothian before joining Morton.[4] He signed for Dundee at the end of the 1909–10 season to late to be involved in the side which defeated Clyde to win the Scottish Cup, Dundee's first, that year.[1] After three full seasons and part of a fourth at Dens Park,[5] he returned to first club Elgin City in 1913 where he finally retired.

International

Hamilton won a total of eleven caps for Scotland between 1899 and 1911, scoring fifteen goals, four of which came in Scotland's 11–0 win over Ireland in 1901, their biggest ever margin of victory.[6] He was also selected seven times for the Scottish League representative side, scoring nine goals.[1] [7]

Post football

After retiring from football Hamilton went into education, and after graduating from the University of Glasgow he became a school teacher then eventually master. He maintained an involvement in education throughout his life and eventually served upon the Moray and Nairn Education Board in the mid-1930s.[1] He was also involved in local politics, serving in the Elgin Town council between 1914 and 1937. For the last six years of this period he was the Provost of Elgin.[1] Hamilton died in May 1948, aged 71. In the late 1950s/early 1960s a new road in a private housing estate overlooking the River Lossie at the north side of Elgin was named after him as Hamilton Drive, which still remains today.

Career Statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland189933
190011
190125
190223
190310
190411
191112
Total1115

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hamilton goal.

List of international goals scored by Robert Hamilton
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland3-09-1Friendly[8]
27-1
3Villa Park, Birmingham, England1-21-2Friendly[9]
4Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland4-05-2Friendly[10]
5Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland 7-011-0Friendly[11]
68-0
710-0
811-0
9Crystal Palace Stadium, London, England2-12-2Friendly[12]
10Grosvenor Park, Belfast, Ireland1-05-1Friendly[13]
113-0
124-0
13Dalymount Park, Dublin, Ireland1-01-1Friendly[14]
14Ninian Park, Cardiff, Wales1-12-2Friendly[15]
152-2

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lamming, Douglas . A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872–1986 . Hutton Press . 1987 . 0-907033-47-4 .
  2. http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/player.php?playerid=1838 (Rangers player) Hamilton, Robert C.
  3. https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scottops.html Scotland – List of Topscorers
  4. A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players. John Litster. Scottish Football Historian magazine. October 2012.
  5. Web site: 1910–11. DundeeFC.net. 23 April 2002.
    Web site: 1911–12. DundeeFC.net. 23 April 2002.
    Web site: 1912–13. DundeeFC.net. 23 April 2002.
    Web site: 1913–14. DundeeFC.net. 23 April 2002.
  6. https://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/robertcumminghamilton.html (Scotland player) Bob Hamilton
  7. https://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/robertcumminghamilton.html (SFL player) Robert Cumming Hamilton
  8. Web site: Scotland vs. Ireland. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.
  9. Web site: England vs. Scotland. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.
  10. Web site: Scotland vs. Wales. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.
  11. Web site: Scotland vs. Ireland. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.
  12. Web site: England vs. Scotland. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.
  13. Web site: Ireland vs. Scotland. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.
  14. Web site: Ireland vs. Scotland. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.
  15. Web site: Wales vs. Scotland. National Football Teams. 17 July 2024.