Alex Willoughby (17 September 1944 – 14 July 2004) was a Scottish professional football forward who played for Rangers and Aberdeen.

Alex Willoughby
Personal information
Full name Alexander Willoughby
Date of birth (1944-09-17)17 September 1944
Place of birth Springburn, Scotland
Date of death 14 July 2004(2004-07-14) (aged 59)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Drumchapel Amateur
1959–1963 Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1963–1969 Rangers 75 (39)
1969–1974 Aberdeen 104 (10)
1974–1975 Hong Kong Rangers 49 (10)
Managerial career
1980–1982 KA
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Willoughby was born in Springburn, Glasgow,[1] and educated at Petershill Primary School and Colston Junior Secondary School, both located in the Springburn area. He played youth football with his local Boys' Brigade team, and then with Drumchapel Amateurs before commencing his career with Rangers as a schoolboy signing at 15 years of age in 1959. He subsequently signed professional terms with Rangers in 1961. He scored in the 1963 Scottish League Cup Final win over Morton, but was omitted from the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final team to the surprise of many, with Roger Hynd preferred, despite Willoughby having scored 17 goals in 14 games[2] in the three months prior.[3]

He joined Aberdeen in 1969, and left Scotland in 1974 to play for Hong Kong Rangers,[4] before spells in Australia and South Africa.[1] He then coached Icelandic side KA.[5]

Personal life

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His cousin was former Rangers and Aberdeen forward Jim Forrest. Willoughby played alongside Forrest at Drumchapel, Rangers, Aberdeen and Hong Kong Rangers.[6][3] He died in 2004 from cancer, aged 59.[7][3]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

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Club[8][9] Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rangers 1962-63 Scottish Division One 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2
1963-64 6 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 8 4
1964-65 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2
1965-66 23 6 2 1 9 5 0 0 34 12
1966-67 12 16 0 0 0 0 3 1 15 17
1967-68 23 10 2 0 0 0 1 0 26 10
1968-69 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0
Total 75 39 4 1 11 6 5 1 95 47
Aberdeen 1969–70 Scottish Division One 19 0 1 0 6 1 0 0 26 1
1970–71 19 2 4 0 1 0 1 0 25 2
1971–72 29 7 3 1 6 2 4 0 42 10
1972–73 25 1 1 0 9 0 2 1 37 2
1973–74 11 0 0 0 5 0 3 0 19 0
Total 103 10 9 1 27 3 10 1 149 15
Career total 178 49 13 2 38 9 15 2 244 62

References

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  1. ^ a b "Alex Willoughby". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Rangers player Alex Willoughby, season 1966-67". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Alex Willoughby". The Scotsman. 14 July 2004. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Rangers sign up Scottish star for record fee". South China Morning Post. 13 February 1974.
  5. ^ Iceland, National and University Library of. "Timarit.is". timarit.is. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  6. ^ Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872-1986 (Hardback). Hutton Press. ISBN 0-907033-47-4. ().
  7. ^ "Willoughby dies". Sporting Life. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Rangers Player Alex Willoughby Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 12 April 2023.