Alex Govan
Govan in December 2008
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Govan | ||
| Date of birth | 16 June 1929 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 10 June 2016 (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Plymouth, England | ||
| Playing position | Outside left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| – | Bridgeton Boys Club | ||
| 1944–1946 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946–1953 | Plymouth Argyle | 110 | (28) |
| 1953–1958 | Birmingham City | 165 | (53) |
| 1958 | Portsmouth | 11 | (2) |
| 1958–1960 | Plymouth Argyle | 32 | (8) |
| Total | 318 | (91) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
Alexander "Alex" Govan (16 June 1929 – 10 June 2016) was a Scottish professional footballer who played at outside left. Most of his career was spent with Plymouth Argyle (in two spells) and with Birmingham City during their most successful period in the 1950s, and he also had a short spell with Portsmouth. He is credited with being responsible for Birmingham's fans adopting Harry Lauder's song "Keep right on to the end of the road" as their anthem.
Govan was born in Glasgow. He played football for Bridgeton Boys Club, was capped for Scotland at schoolboy level, and played one youth international match for his country, against Wales youth team in 1945. He was recommended to Plymouth Argyle manager Jack Tresadern by Alec Hardie, head of the club's Scottish scouting network, who thought he would go on to represent Scotland at senior level. After a successful trial, he was eventually persuaded to make the long trip south, and he signed for Argyle at the end of August 1946. Govan admits there was an incentive apart from the football:
One of the directors was a builder and he took me on as an apprentice chippie – not officially, but on the books to keep me out of National Service! When I got to 18 I was eventually called up by the RAF but I would often go back to Plymouth at the weekends to play for the reserves.
He scored 30 goals in 117 appearances for Plymouth, and was part of the team that won the Third Division South championship in the 1951–52 season.
...
Wikipedia