Quick Facts
Biography
Alexander "Alex" Pollock Donaldson (4 December 1890 – 1972) was a Scottish footballer who played for numerous teams in England as well as the Scotland national team. An outside-forward, he stayed with Bolton Wanderers from 1912 to 1921, and also spent time with Sunderland, Manchester City, Chorley, and Ashton National. After his football career ended, he opened a sports shop in Gorton, Manchester.
Club career
Donaldson played for minor teams Belgrave, Balmoral United and Ripley Athletic before being given his big chance with a trial at Sheffield United – the trial was not a success. However, he was signed by Bolton Wanderers in 1912 from Ripley Athletic and made his debut against Chelsea on 7 September 1912. The "Trotters" finished the 1912–13 season in eighth place in the First Division. Wanderers finished in sixth position in 1913–14 and ended the 1914–15 campaign in 17th place. The Football League was suspended during World War I, and Donaldson guested for Leicester Fosse and Port Vale. He returned to Burnden Park after the war, helping the club to sixth and third-place finishes in 1919–20 and 1920–21. He made a total of 139 league and seven FA Cup appearances for Bolton, scoring six goals. He then signed with Manchester City via Sunderland. He played just seven First Division games for the "Citizens" in 1923–24. After leaving Maine Road he played non-league football for Chorley and Ashton National.
International career
Donaldson very nearly played for England before being capped by Scotland. While heading for an English international trial match in Sunderland on 21 January 1914, Donaldson revealed that he was actually born in Scotland.
He earned his first Scotland cap against Wales on 28 February 1914, in a goalless draw at Celtic Park. On 14 March, he played in a 1–1 draw with Ireland at Windsor Park. On 4 April, he played in a 3–1 victory over England at Hampden Park; the game secured Scotland a second-place finish in the 1914 British Home Championship. No official matches took place for six years because of World War I, though Donaldson did take part in unofficial wartime internationals. He returned to international football in the 1920 British Home Championship, playing in the 3–0 home victory over Ireland on 13 March. On 10 April, he scored in a 5–4 defeat to England at Hillsborough. He won his sixth and final cap on 4 March 1922, in a 2–1 home win over Ireland.
Statistics
Club statistics
- Sourced from Alex Donaldson profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bolton Wanderers | 1912–13 | First Division | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| 1913–14 | First Division | 33 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 36 | 3 | |
| 1914–15 | First Division | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 1919–20 | First Division | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 1920–21 | First Division | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 1921–22 | First Division | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 139 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 146 | 6 | ||
| Sunderland | 1921–22 | First Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1922–23 | First Division | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| Total | 43 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 1 | ||
| Manchester City | 1923–24 | First Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
International statistics
| Scotland national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1914 | 3 | 0 |
| 1920 | 2 | 0 |
| 1922 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 0 |
Honours
- with Scotland
- British Home Championship winner: 1922