Tommy Muirhead
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tommy" Allan Muirhead (31 January 1897 in Cowdenbeath
, Fife
– June 1979) was a Scottish
footballer
who played for Hibernian
, Rangers
and Scotland
.
on September 15, 1917. He went on to score 49 goals in 353 appearances for Rangers and won 8 championship medals. He was also captain of the club for a spell.
in 1925. Cash-rich American Soccer League
club Boston Wonder Workers
lured him across the Atlantic to assume the role of player-manager. However, despite the presence of several other Scots, including internationalists such as Alex McNab
and Barney Battles
, he could not settle in Boston and returned to Glasgow after only 14 games.
on 25 February 1928.
(1931-36) and Preston North End
(1936-37) and he also worked as a sports journalist.
Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is 5 miles north-east of Dunfermline and 18 miles north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a Police Burgh in 1890...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
– June 1979) was a Scottish
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...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played for Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and 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...
.
Hibs and Rangers
Muirhead, a forward who was occasionally deployed as a half-back, was signed by Rangers for £20 from Hibernian in May 1917. He made his debut, ironically against his former club, Hibs in a 3-0 win at IbroxIbrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
on September 15, 1917. He went on to score 49 goals in 353 appearances for Rangers and won 8 championship medals. He was also captain of the club for a spell.
American Soccer League
Muirhead's Rangers career was interrupted by a brief stint in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1925. Cash-rich American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
club Boston Wonder Workers
Boston Wonder Workers
The Boston Soccer Club was a member of the American Soccer League. They were renamed the Boston Bears for the Fall 1929 ASL season.In 1925, the ASL and the St. Louis Soccer League boycotted the National Challenge Cup, now known as the U.S. Open Cup. The "Wonder Workers", as they were dubbed, had...
lured him across the Atlantic to assume the role of player-manager. However, despite the presence of several other Scots, including internationalists such as Alex McNab
Alex McNab
Alex "Alec" McNab was a Scottish-U.S. soccer player and coach. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the United States. In the U.S., he won six consecutive U.S. Open Cups with teams from both the American Soccer League and St. Louis Soccer League...
and Barney Battles
Barney Battles, Jr.
Bernard "Barney" Joseph Battles was a Scottish footballer whose name is synonymous with Heart of Midlothian...
, he could not settle in Boston and returned to Glasgow after only 14 games.
National team
Muirhead was capped at international level, making 8 appearances for Scotland including captaining his country in a 1-0 defeat to Northern IrelandNorthern 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...
on 25 February 1928.
Manager
After his playing career, Muirhead had further spells in management with St JohnstoneSt Johnstone F.C.
St. Johnstone F.C. is a professional football club based in Perth, Scotland. Although it is officially recorded as being formed in 1884, the club did not play its first game until February 1885. The club's home since 1989 has been McDiarmid Park....
(1931-36) and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
(1936-37) and he also worked as a sports journalist.