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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Moses McLay McNeil | ||
| Date of birth | (1855-10-29)29 October 1855 | ||
| Place of birth | Belmore, Garelochside, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 9 April 1938(1938-04-09) (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Dumbarton, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Outside forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1872–1882 | Rangers | ||
| International career | |||
| 1876–1880 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Moses McNeil (29 October 1855 – 9 April 1938) was a Scottishfootballer who was one of the founding members ofRangers Football Club. He played as anoutside forward.
Moses McLay McNeil was born on the 29 October 1855, at Belmore, Garelochside; now the location of the HMNB Clyde Naval Base at Faslane.
His father was John McNeil (Master Gardner) from Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland and his mother was Jean Lowdon Bain from Downpatrick, Ireland. They were married in Glasgow 1839. When born, he had seven brothers and two sisters.
McNeil, along with fellow founding membersPeter McNeil (his brother) and friendsWilliam McBeath andPeter Campbell, adopted the nameRangers, reportedly from an Englishrugby annual. Rangers played their first ever match againstCallander F.C. atGlasgow Green'sFlesher's Haugh in May 1872, which resulted in a 0–0 draw. Rangers played one more match in 1872, an 11–0 win against a team called Clyde (not the survivingClyde F.C.).
In 1874 Rangers played their first-everScottish Cup match, and McNeil scored in a 2–0 win over Oxford, but Rangers lost toDumbarton in the second round. Rangers reached their first Scottish Cup final in1877 but lost toVale of Leven after two replays.
McNeil's Rangers reached the Scottish Cup final again in1879 but, after Rangers refused to play in the replay following a 1–1 draw atthe first Hampden, the trophy was awarded to Vale of Leven. Rangers won their first trophy later in 1879: theGlasgow Merchants Charity Cup, after beating Vale of Leven 2–1 in front of 11,000 spectators at Hampden.
McNeil's last recorded appearance for Rangers was on 30 September 1882 in a Scottish Cup replay defeat toQueen's Park at Hampden Park. He made 34 Scottish Cup appearances and scored ten goals during his Rangers career.
McNeil won twocaps forScotland, the first on 25 March 1876 in a 4–0 win overWales (thefirst international between the two countries) and the second on 13 March 1880 in a 5–4 win overEngland, in which he played alongside his brother,Henry. McNeil was the first Rangers player to play for Scotland and the club's first international footballer.
After playing football, McNeil focused on his occupation as a Commercial Traveller. He never married and died of cardiac disease on 9 April 1938 at 50 Townend Road,Dumbarton, although his usual address was Craig Cottage at Clynder, Argyle and Bute, aged 82.
A plaque was laid at McNeil's grave, which is in St Modan's Parish Churchyard,Rosneath (nearHelensburgh)[1] on 30 June 2015, which reads "Moses McNeil 29th October 1855, 9th April 1938. A local man and founder of Rangers Football Club".[2]
