Frank Munro
Encyclopedia
Francis Michael "Frank" Munro (25 October 1947 – 16 August 2011) was a Scottish
international
footballer who played as a centre back.
Munro played for Dundee United
and Aberdeen
in his native Scotland before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers
in 1968. Here he won a League Cup winners
medal while with the club, and played in the first-ever UEFA Cup Final
.
at junior and amateur level in 1961–62, after leaving school, but he left without signing professional forms. Following this, he returned home to his native Scotland and signed as a professional for Dundee United
. He broke into the first team in 1964 and won four youth caps for his country during his time at Tannadice
.
In October 1966, he moved to fellow Division 1 outfit Aberdeen
for £10,000. His first season proved a success as he collected a runners-up medal as the team fought its way through to the 1967 Scottish Cup Final
, losing 0–2 to Celtic at Hampden Park
. This was sufficient to qualify for Europe though, and they competed in the Cup Winners' Cup
the following season, giving Munro his first — but not last — taste of European football. Munro scored Aberdeen's first goal in European
competition, in a 10–1 win against KR Reykjavik.
In the summer of 1967, Munro and Aberdeen travelled to America to compete in the newly formed United Soccer Association league
. Due to the lack of existing teams, the league organisers instead imported several established teams from around the globe to compete under 'franchise' names. Aberdeen competed as the "Washington Whips
", based in the capital.
The Whips won the Eastern division and so progressed through to the championship play-off match in July, where they faced the Western champions, Los Angeles Wolves
(represented by Wolverhampton Wanderers
). The Whips eventually lost 5–6 in extra time, but Munro's performance in scoring a hat-trick, caught the eye of the opposition manager Ronnie Allen
.
semi final defeat of Ferencváros and played in the final, collecting another runners-up medal after a 2–3 aggregate defeat to Spurs
.
Munro didn't have to wait too long though for a winners' medal as Wolves lifted the 1974 League Cup
, after a 2-1 victory over Manchester City
at Wembley. The Wolves also won the Texaco Cup
in 1971.
His performances for Wolves also won him nine Scotland
caps — as well as four at Under-23 level — spread from 1971 to 1975. His full debut coming on 18 May 1971 against Northern Ireland
. His last appearance for Scotland was in a 1–1 draw against Romania
in Bucharest
.
Shortly after helping the Midlanders to regain their First Division status in 1976–77 — after a year outside it — Munro returned to Scotland when the lure of Celtic
proved too strong. He signed after a short loan period in December 1977 for £20,000. Munro was the last player Jock Stein
signed as Celtic manager.
. His time in Glasgow was to prove short-lived, however. Despite picking up another runners-up medal (in the 1978 Scottish League Cup
), Celtic only finished fifth in the Scottish Premier Division. Munro was released by Celtic in the summer of 1978 and he headed for a new challenge in Australia by signing for South Melbourne Hellas
, managed by former Wolves goalkeeper Dave MacLaren
. Although initially this was only planned as a short-term arrangement, he ended up moving there permanently.
During the 1980s Munro took up a player/coach role at Albion Rovers, before retiring as a player. He later managed Hamlyn Rangers (now known as Geelong Rangers F.C.) and Keilor Park (formerly Keilor Australia). He returned to the UK in 1991 and settled in Wolverhampton, with his partner Naomi. He suffered a stroke in the early 2000s that left him confined to a wheelchair for his remaining life. He died on 16 August 2011 after suffering acute breathing difficulties.
with Wolverhampton Wanderers
with Celtic
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
international
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
footballer who played as a centre back.
Munro played for Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
and Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
in his native Scotland before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in 1968. Here he won a League Cup winners
1974 Football League Cup Final
The 1974 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 1973–74 Football League Cup, the 14th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in The Football League...
medal while with the club, and played in the first-ever UEFA Cup Final
1972 UEFA Cup Final
The 1972 UEFA Cup Final was the final of the first ever UEFA Cup football tournament. It was a two-legged contest played on 3 May and 17 May 1972 between two English clubs, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur....
.
Early
Munro started his career as a centre-forward with ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at junior and amateur level in 1961–62, after leaving school, but he left without signing professional forms. Following this, he returned home to his native Scotland and signed as a professional for Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
. He broke into the first team in 1964 and won four youth caps for his country during his time at Tannadice
Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park, usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium located on Tannadice Street in the Scottish city of Dundee. The stadium is home of Dundee United F.C. and has a capacity of 14,209.-Early days :...
.
In October 1966, he moved to fellow Division 1 outfit Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
for £10,000. His first season proved a success as he collected a runners-up medal as the team fought its way through to the 1967 Scottish Cup Final
1967 Scottish Cup Final
The 1967 Scottish Cup Final was played on 29 April 1967 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 82nd Scottish Cup. The match was contested by Celtic and Aberdeen, the match was won 2–0 by Celtic with goals from William Wallace.-Match details:...
, losing 0–2 to Celtic at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. This was sufficient to qualify for Europe though, and they competed in the Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1967-68
The season 1967-68 of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by A.C. Milan final victory against Hamburger SV, the fourth West German finalist in four years.-First round:-First leg:---------------------Second leg:...
the following season, giving Munro his first — but not last — taste of European football. Munro scored Aberdeen's first goal in European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competition, in a 10–1 win against KR Reykjavik.
In the summer of 1967, Munro and Aberdeen travelled to America to compete in the newly formed United Soccer Association league
United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
. Due to the lack of existing teams, the league organisers instead imported several established teams from around the globe to compete under 'franchise' names. Aberdeen competed as the "Washington Whips
Washington Whips
The Washington Whips were a soccer team based in Washington, D.C. that played in the United Soccer Association. The league was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The Washington club was actually Aberdeen F.C...
", based in the capital.
The Whips won the Eastern division and so progressed through to the championship play-off match in July, where they faced the Western champions, Los Angeles Wolves
Los Angeles Wolves
Los Angeles Wolves are a former United States professional soccer team, owned by Jack Kent Cooke, that played for two seasons during the 1960s...
(represented by Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
). The Whips eventually lost 5–6 in extra time, but Munro's performance in scoring a hat-trick, caught the eye of the opposition manager Ronnie Allen
Ronnie Allen
Ronald "Ronnie" Allen was an English international football player and manager. He was a professional footballer for nineteen years, between 1946 and 1964, making 638 appearances in the Football League, and scoring 276 goals. He also won five caps for England national team...
.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In October 1968, Wolves acted upon this display and signed Munro for £55,000. Munro went on to play 371 times in total for the club, becoming firmly established at centre back, despite signing as a midfielder. He also chipped in with 18 goals in total, including scoring in both legs of the 1972 UEFA CupUEFA Cup 1971-72
The UEFA Cup 1971–72 was the inaugural year of the competition. It was won by English side Tottenham Hotspur over their countrymen Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–2 on aggregate after a two-legged final....
semi final defeat of Ferencváros and played in the final, collecting another runners-up medal after a 2–3 aggregate defeat to Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
.
Munro didn't have to wait too long though for a winners' medal as Wolves lifted the 1974 League Cup
1974 Football League Cup Final
The 1974 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 1973–74 Football League Cup, the 14th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in The Football League...
, after a 2-1 victory over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
at Wembley. The Wolves also won the Texaco Cup
Texaco Cup
The Texaco Cup was an association football competition involving clubs from England, Ireland and Scotland that had not qualified for European competitions. Irish clubs withdrew from the competition after 1971-72 due to political pressure, and in 1973-74 and 1974-75 competed in a separate Texaco Cup...
in 1971.
His performances for Wolves also won him nine Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
caps — as well as four at Under-23 level — spread from 1971 to 1975. His full debut coming on 18 May 1971 against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
. His last appearance for Scotland was in a 1–1 draw against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
Shortly after helping the Midlanders to regain their First Division status in 1976–77 — after a year outside it — Munro returned to Scotland when the lure of Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
proved too strong. He signed after a short loan period in December 1977 for £20,000. Munro was the last player Jock Stein
Jock Stein
John 'Jock' Stein CBE was a Scottish association football player and manager. He became the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967...
signed as Celtic manager.
Later life
Stein saw Munro as being a replacement for the injured Pat StantonPat Stanton
Patrick Gordon Stanton is a Scottish former football player and manager.He joined Hibs from Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic in 1963 and made his debut for the club against Motherwell in October that year. He quickly established himself in the first team, playing in defence or midfield...
. His time in Glasgow was to prove short-lived, however. Despite picking up another runners-up medal (in the 1978 Scottish League Cup
1978 Scottish League Cup Final
The 1978 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 18 March 1978 and was the final of the 32nd Scottish League Cup competition. It was contested by the Old Firm derby rivals, Rangers and Celtic. Rangers won the match 2–1 after extra time thanks to goals by Davie Cooper and Gordon Smith.-Match...
), Celtic only finished fifth in the Scottish Premier Division. Munro was released by Celtic in the summer of 1978 and he headed for a new challenge in Australia by signing for South Melbourne Hellas
South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
, managed by former Wolves goalkeeper Dave MacLaren
Dave MacLaren
David "Dave" MacLaren is a retired Scottish football player and manager.MacLaren began his career at local club Auchterarder before being signed to Dundee...
. Although initially this was only planned as a short-term arrangement, he ended up moving there permanently.
During the 1980s Munro took up a player/coach role at Albion Rovers, before retiring as a player. He later managed Hamlyn Rangers (now known as Geelong Rangers F.C.) and Keilor Park (formerly Keilor Australia). He returned to the UK in 1991 and settled in Wolverhampton, with his partner Naomi. He suffered a stroke in the early 2000s that left him confined to a wheelchair for his remaining life. He died on 16 August 2011 after suffering acute breathing difficulties.
Honours
with Aberdeen- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
runner-up: 19671967 Scottish Cup FinalThe 1967 Scottish Cup Final was played on 29 April 1967 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 82nd Scottish Cup. The match was contested by Celtic and Aberdeen, the match was won 2–0 by Celtic with goals from William Wallace.-Match details:...
with Wolverhampton Wanderers
- League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winner: 19741974 Football League Cup FinalThe 1974 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 1973–74 Football League Cup, the 14th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in The Football League... - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
runner-up: 19721972 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1972 UEFA Cup Final was the final of the first ever UEFA Cup football tournament. It was a two-legged contest played on 3 May and 17 May 1972 between two English clubs, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.... - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Champions: 1976–77
with Celtic
- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
: 19781978 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 1978 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 18 March 1978 and was the final of the 32nd Scottish League Cup competition. It was contested by the Old Firm derby rivals, Rangers and Celtic. Rangers won the match 2–1 after extra time thanks to goals by Davie Cooper and Gordon Smith.-Match...