| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew Nesbit Wilson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1896-02-14)14 February 1896 | ||
| Place of birth | Newmains,Lanarkshire, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 15 October 1973(1973-10-15) (aged 77)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Putney,London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Cambuslang Rangers | |||
| 1914–1919 | Middlesbrough | 9 | (5) |
| 1917–1918 | →Hamilton Academical (guest) | 4 | (5) |
| 1918 | →Leeds City (guest) | ||
| 1918–1919 | →Heart of Midlothian (guest) | 33 | (32) |
| 1919–1921 | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| 1921–1923 | Middlesbrough | 77 | (51) |
| 1923–1931 | Chelsea | 238 | (59) |
| 1931–1932 | Queens Park Rangers | 20 | (3) |
| 1932–1934 | Sporting Club Nîmois | ||
| International career | |||
| 1919 | Scotland (wartime) | 2 | (4) |
| 1920–1923 | Scotland | 12 | (13) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1934–1937 | Walsall | ||
| 1946–1947 | Gravesend & Northfleet | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Andrew Nesbit Wilson (14 February 1896 – 15 October 1973) was a Scottish footballer who played forMiddlesbrough,Heart of Midlothian,Dunfermline Athletic,Chelsea,Queens Park Rangers,Sporting Club Nîmois and theScotland national team.
Wilson was born inNewmains,Lanarkshire. He joinedMiddlesbrough fromjunior sideCambuslang Rangers in 1914.
His early career was interrupted by theFirst World War during which his left hand and forearm were shattered by enemy fire atArras. He wore a glove to mask the withered hand and forearm for the rest of his life.[3][4]
Wilson debuted forHeart of Midlothian in January 1918, playing for them until the end of the following season. The Scottish League championship continued to be played during the conflict, and he scored 32 times in 33 official appearances.[5] He also played a handful of league matches forHamilton Academical.[1]
He guested a couple of times for Leeds City in April 1918, scoring twice on hisPeacocks debut atBradford Park Avenue on 6 April.[6]
In 1919 Wilson joinedDunfermline Athletic when they were part of the rebelCentral League, a body outsideScottish Football League jurisdiction. When this league was absorbed by the SFL in 1921, those players previously contracted to a Scottish or English league side were obliged to return to whichever side held their registration as part of the agreement.
Thus Wilson returned to Middlesbrough in time for the1921–22 season. He ended that season as not just 'Boro's top scorer but also the League's, with 31 strikes.[7]
In November 1923 Wilson joinedDavid Calderhead's sizeable contingent of Scots atChelsea mid-season for£6,000.[8] He was replaced at Middlesbrough the following month withIan Dickson fromAston Villa for £3,000.[9] Wilson ended the1923–24 season as both Middlesbrough and Chelsea's top scorer; both clubs were relegated from the top flight that season.
He made 253 appearances for Chelsea and scored 52 goals in the next eight years.[10] In that time he lined up beside compatriots such asWillie Ferguson,Tommy Law,Hughie Gallacher,Alex Jackson andAlec Cheyne.
He joinedQueens Park Rangers in 1931, scoring three times in 20 league games, then spent a two-season sojourn in France withSporting Club Nîmes.
At Dunfermline and Middlesbrough, Wilson was capped 12 times byScotland between 1920 and 1923; he averaged more than a goal per game with 13 goals. He scored another four in two unofficial wartime internationals.[11]
Ten of his Scotland goals, across nine matches, helped the nation to win theBritish Home Championship three times in a row between1920–21 and1922–23.
In 1934 he becameWalsall manager. He then accepted a series of coaching positions, including at Chelsea,Gravesend and Northfleet, where he was the club's first manager following their formation in 1946.[4] He spent the 1946–47 season at Gravesend before departing.
Wilson was a keen lawn bowler and reached the final of the1945 National Championship triples.[12]
His younger son,Jimmy, survived a tour as a tail-gunner in thefar east duringWorld War II.[4] Jimmy played forWatford after the war.[13]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 March 1920 | Celtic Park,Glasgow, Scotland |  Ireland | 1–0 | 3–0 | British Home Championship |
| 2 | 10 April 1920 | Hillsborough Stadium,Sheffield, England |  England | 2–2 | 4–5 | British Home Championship |
| 3 | 12 February 1921 | Pittodrie Park,Aberdeen, Scotland |  Wales | 1–0 | 2–1 | British Home Championship |
| 4 | 2–1 | |||||
| 5 | 26 February 1921 | Windsor Park,Belfast, Ireland | Ireland | 1–0 | 2–0 | British Home Championship |
| 6 | 9 April 1921 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | England | 1–0 | 3–0 | British Home Championship |
| 7 | 4 March 1922 | Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland | Ireland | 1–1 | 2–1 | British Home Championship |
| 8 | 2–1 | |||||
| 9 | 8 April 1922 | Villa Park,Birmingham, England | England | 1–0 | 1–0 | British Home Championship |
| 10 | 3 March 1923 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Ireland | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1923 British Home Championship |
| 11 | 17 March 1923 | Love Street,Paisley, Scotland | Wales | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1923 British Home Championship |
| 12 | 2–0 | |||||
| 13 | 14 April 1923 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | England | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1923 British Home Championship |
