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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Neil McBain[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1895-11-15)15 November 1895 | ||
| Place of birth | Campbeltown, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 13 May 1974(1974-05-13) (aged 78) | ||
| Place of death | Ayr, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Half-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Campbeltown Academicals | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Hamilton Academical | |||
| 1914–1921 | Ayr United | 111 | (12) |
| 1921–1923 | Manchester United | 42 | (2) |
| 1923–1926 | Everton | 97 | (1) |
| 1926–1928 | St Johnstone | 38 | (4) |
| 1928 | Liverpool | 12 | (0) |
| 1928–1931 | Watford | 85 | (5) |
| 1947 | New Brighton | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 386 | (24) | |
| International career | |||
| 1922–1924 | Scotland | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1929–1937 | Watford | ||
| 1937–1938 | Ayr United | ||
| 1938–1939 | Luton Town | ||
| 1946–1948 | New Brighton | ||
| 1948–1949 | Leyton Orient | ||
| 1949–1951 | Estudiantes de La Plata | ||
| 1955–1956 | Ayr United | ||
| 1956–1959 | Watford | ||
| 1962–1963 | Ayr United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Neil McBain (15 November 1895 – 13 May 1974) was a Scottish professionalfootball player and coach. He remains the oldest player to appear in an EnglishFootball League match aged 51 years.[3]
McBain, awing half, began his senior football career in the summer of 1914, joiningAyr United,[4] with whom he made his league debut on 20 March 1915 against Clyde. He served in theBlack Watch and then transferred to theRoyal Navy duringWorld War I.[5] He moved toManchester United in November 1921 for a fee of £4,600.
In January 1923, after 42 league games for United, McBain moved toEverton, costing the Goodison Park side £4,200. He played 97 league games for Everton, leaving in July 1926 to joinSt Johnstone[4] for a fee of £1,100.
He returned toMerseyside in March 1928, joiningLiverpool, but played only 12 times before joiningWatford in November the same year.
HisScotland international debut came in April 1922 while he was with Manchester United, in a 1–0 victory againstEngland atVilla Park. He won two further caps while with Everton, in 1923 againstIreland and in 1924 againstWales.
He was appointed player-manager of Watford in 1929, retiring as a player in 1931 after playing 85 times for Watford. He left Watford in August 1937 and took over as manager of Ayr United later that year. In June 1938 he returned to England, as manager ofLuton Town, but left Luton in June 1939.
He was appointed as manager ofNew Brighton in June 1946.
On 15 March 1947, for the match againstHartlepool United, New Brighton had an injury crisis among their goalkeepers with none being available. McBain opted to play in goal against himself at the age of 51 years and 120 days (and almost exactly 32 years after his professional debut) and so became the oldest player to appear in a football league match, a record he still holds. New Brighton lost the match by three goals to nil.[6]
He was sacked by New Brighton in February 1948 with the club bottom of the league. Later that month he joinedLeyton Orient as assistant toCharlie Hewitt, but in August 1948 took over as manager after Hewitt left to rejoinMillwall. In August 1949, McBain left Orient to manage Argentine sideEstudiantes de La Plata.
McBain returned to Ayr United, as manager, in 1955, taking the club to promotion as Scottish Division Two runners-up in 1956, but in August 1956 left to manage Watford for a second time, his second spell lasting until February 1959.
His final spell as a manager came again at Ayr United, between 1962 and 1963. He died in 1974, aged 78.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)| Sporting positions | ||
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| Preceded by | New Brighton A.F.C. manager 1946–1948 | Succeeded by |