Alex Dawson

Alexander Downie Dawson (21 February 1940 – 17 July 2020) was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward. He was born in Aberdeen in Scotland, but began his professional career with Manchester United, where he spent four years before joining nearby Preston North End in 1961. In six seasons there, he made almost 200 league appearances and scored 114 goals. He then spent a year with fellow Lancashire side Bury, before moving to Brighton & Hove Albion. In 1970, he went on loan to Brentford, but his league career ended the following year. He spent two more seasons playing for Corby Town before retiring in 1973.

Alex Dawson
Personal information
Full name Alexander Downie Dawson
Date of birth (1940-02-21)21 February 1940
Place of birth Aberdeen, Scotland
Date of death 17 July 2020(2020-07-17) (aged 80)[1]
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1957–1961 Manchester United 80 (45)
1961–1967 Preston North End 197 (114)
1967–1968 Bury 50 (21)
1968–1971 Brighton & Hove Albion 57 (26)
1970 → Brentford (loan) 10 (6)
1971–1973 Corby Town
Total 394 (212)
International career
England Schoolboys
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Born in Aberdeen, Dawson started his career as a trainee with Manchester United under Matt Busby in the mid 1950s. He was given his First Division debut as a 17-year-old on 22 April 1957, when he scored in a 2–0 home win over Burnley in the First Division. He also found the net in United's next two league games against Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion. These games came after United had sealed the First Division title for a second successive season.

In 1957–58, he made just one appearance during the first six months of the season, but then came the Munich air disaster in which eight Manchester United players died, including forwards Tommy Taylor and Liam Whelan, while Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet were unavailable for several weeks as they recovered from their injuries. He was on the scoresheet in United's first game after the crash, scoring one of United's goals in a 3–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the fifth round of the FA Cup.[3] He remained a regular player in the team until the season's end, scoring a hat-trick against Fulham in the FA Cup semi-final replay at Highbury, the last man to do so until Riyad Mahrez in 2023. He was in the team for the Wembley final against Bolton Wanderers, but United lost 2–0.

He faced competition for a first-team place from new signing Albert Quixall, which restricted him to 11 appearances in 1958–59. The subsequent two seasons saw Dawson enjoy more regular first team action, and in the 1960–61 season he scored 20 goals in all competitions.

Dawson's first team chances were limited in 1961–62 following the arrival of David Herd.[2]

He left United for Preston North End in 1961 after scoring 54 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils. At Preston, he became known as the "Black Prince of Deepdale" and featured in their 1964 FA Cup Final team. He scored in the final as Preston lost 3–2 to West Ham United.[3] He later played for Bury, Brighton and Brentford.

Dawson died on 17 July 2020, aged 80.[1]

References
  1. "Alex Dawson RIP". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  2. "Alex Dawson – Manchester United Player Profile & Stats". www.mufcinfo.com.
  3. "Alex Dawson: Ex-Man Utd, Preston, Bury, Brighton forward dies aged 80". BBC News. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  • Alex Dawson at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
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