Andy Walker (1910s footballer)

Andy Walker, (c. 1880s/1890s - Unknown) a footballer who played both North and South of the border. In Scotland for Dundee and in England for Chelsea. He was a versatile player who played in the midfield and as a forward.

Andrew McQueen Walker was born on 29 May 1891 at Whitehill Cottages, Newbattle. His father was miner George Walker who was wed to Agnes McQueen. The family in due course moved to Cowdenbeath and young Andy began playing with Cowdenbeath juvenile side Gordon Athletic. Willie Simpson who was later to found Cowdenbeath Royals in the 1950s was then the secretary of Gordon Athletic who played at Woodend Park, Cowdenbeath. Andy was a forward and a penalty expert. Off the field he was a bread baker. He scored 13 times from the spot for Gordon Athletic in season 1909/10. For 1910/11, he went junior with Lumphinnans Swifts and swiftly had senior scouts watching him with seven goals in four matches. Dundee invited Andy to play as a trialist in a reserve match v Falkirk and he weighed in with two goals. On 10 October 1910, he signed for Dundee and moved from the family home at 72 Hall Street, Cowdenbeath to lodgings at Sibbald Street, Dundee.

Dundee’s new centre didn’t feature too often in the 1st team during his first two years at Dens Park but he made a breakthrough with 7 goals in 20 appearances in season 1912/13. Half a dozen English clubs were soon keeping tabs on his performances. 1st Division Chelsea it was who signed him in May 1913. He made an impressive debut and scored two goals v Oldham. Most of his appearances for Chelsea came in the following season, as Chelsea fought their way through into the 1915 FA Cup Final.

Walker had now dropped back to the left half position and lined up in the half back trio in the final v Sheffield United at Old Trafford. The final became known as the Khaki final due to the number of servicemen in attendance. United though beat Chelsea’s 3-0. Andy then joined up and spent most of the next four years in the forces. He did play two matches for Raith Rovers in 1916 but looked pretty rusty. Post war, he played three times for Chelsea in 1919/20 before joining Newport County in May 1920. He followed that with a spell at Accrington Stanley.

In 1923, he left his wife Agnes at home in Accrington and sailed on the SS Samaria from Liverpool for the USA to play for Fall River. His footballing in the USA though was limited but his wife joined him as they decided they would emigrate to the USA. He had married Agnes Gourlay from Dunfermline in Fulham in 1921.

In 1930, Andy and Agnes took out American citizenship and they had followed the old adage of ‘Go West’. It was hooray for Hollywood as by then, Andy was working in the movie industry as a studio grip. In the 1930 census, they were at South Ardmore Drive, Los Angeles and then in 1940 at Hauser Street, Los Angeles. In 1936, Andy travelled home to visit his mother at 27 Stenhouse Street, Cowdenbeath following the death of his father.

Andy Walker died on 27 May 1964 in Los Angeles.

Chelsea

• FA Cup: Runners Up 1915