Wikipedia

Paddy Travers

Patrick Travers (28 May 1883 – 5 February 1962) was a Scottish football player and manager in the first half of the 20th century. He played for many clubs in his native Scotland and for Barnsley in England, before becoming involved in coaching, and later, management, winning the Scottish Cup with Clyde on two occasions either side of World War II.

Paddy Travers
Personal information
Full name Patrick Travers
Date of birth 28 May 1883
Place of birth Beith, Scotland[1]
Date of death 5 February 1962(1962-02-05) (aged 78)
Place of death Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Inside left[2]
Youth career
Renfrew Victoria
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1900–1901 Thornliebank
1901–1902 Barnsley 13 (4)
1902–1903 Thornliebank
1903–1904 Barnsley 8 (0)
1904 Thornliebank
1904–1907 New Brompton
1907–1908 Renton
1908–1910 Clyde 36 (8)
1910–1911 Aberdeen 34 (10)
1911–1912 Celtic 18 (3)
1912–1914 Aberdeen 63 (11)
1914–1917 Dumbarton 92 (10)
1917–1919 Clydebank 61 (12)
1920 Vale of Leven
1920 Dumbarton Harp
1920–1922 Dumbarton 17 (0)
Managerial career
1920–1922 Dumbarton
1923–1938 Aberdeen
1938–1956 Clyde
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Raised in Renfrew, Travers first played for his hometown team Renfrew Victoria around the turn of the century. In 1901 he played 13 games for Barnsley, before returning to Scotland to play for Thornliebank. He had a further spell at Barnsley, then went back to Thornliebank, followed by games for New Brompton and Renton before moving to Clyde.[2][3]

In 1910, Travers was signed by Jimmy Philip to play for Aberdeen,[2] but only played one season for them before returning to Glasgow, where he had business interests, to play for Celtic.[1] He had one season with the Bhoys, playing regularly after coming in for the injured Jimmy McMenemy until he himself was injured and Patsy Gallacher took the place, resulting in him missing out on the latter stages of the 1911–12 Scottish Cup as the club won the competition.[4] He then returned to Aberdeen,[2] and this time stayed until the end of the 1913–14 season when he moved on to Dumbarton.[5][6] He spent the remainder of his playing career in the West Dunbartonshire area, also playing for Clydebank, Vale of Leven and Dumbarton Harp.[6]

Managerial career

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Aberdeen

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Travers coached in Norway and was trainer then player-manager of Dumbarton before being engaged to coach Aberdeen in 1922.[7] He remained in that position until the retirement of Philip in the summer of 1924.[2] One of his first acts as manager was the signing of Alec Jackson, together with his brother George. Jackson went on to be one of the most renowned players of his generation. In spite of this, however, Travers' first season in charge ended with relegation only avoided on goal difference. In the following seasons, many players came and went – Travers worked hard in the transfer market of the time, and his dealings are credited with improving the club's previously precarious financial situation.

Travers' Aberdeen were the first Scottish club to tour South Africa in 1927.[8] He also oversaw club tours of Norway in 1929,[8] Scandinavia in 1933,[9] and South Africa again in 1937.[8]

In 1931, Travers mysteriously dropped three of the club's regular players before a match against Falkirk. In all, five players never played for the club again,[2] and it was reported in the 1970s that this was the result of an alleged plot to win fixed-odds bets on half-time and full-time scores. No police action was ever taken, and many of those involved protested their innocence for the remainder of their lives. The same year, he brought Donald Colman to the club from Dumbarton to act as a coach.[7]

Between April and September 1936, the team set a club record seven consecutive away league game wins.[10]

In 1937, Travers took his team to the Scottish Cup final, the first time Aberdeen had ever appeared in the event. They were defeated 2–1 by Celtic in front of a record official attendance of 146,433, although many more spectators may have gained illegal entry. That summer, the club were on a tour of South Africa when outside-right Jackie Benyon died suddenly of peritonitis. Travers remained in charge for two more seasons, but feeling that he no longer had the full support of his directors, accepted an offer to manage Clyde in 1938; he was replaced at Aberdeen by Colman.

Clyde

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The success which had eluded him at Pittodrie soon materialised at Shawfield, however, and the Scottish Cup was won by Travers' Clyde team in 1938–39. He was still manager of Clyde in 1954–55, when the Bully Wee beat Celtic in a replay to win their second Cup. He was also a runner up as manager with Clyde in the Scottish Cup in 1948–49 when Clyde lost 4–1 to Rangers in the final.

Also notably in season 1951–52, Travers led Clyde to four trophies in a single season; the Scottish Division B league title, the B Division Supplementary Cup, the Glasgow Cup and the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup.[11]

His four Scottish Cup finals earned him a reputation as a "Cup specialist" when named as one of Scotland's 50 greatest managers by the Sunday Herald newspaper.[12][13]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[14] [15]
Club Season League National cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aberdeen 1910–11 Scottish Division One 34 10 4 2 38 12
Celtic 1911–12 Scottish Division One 18 3 4 3 22 6
Aberdeen 1912–13 Scottish Division One 32 7 1 0 33 7
1913–14 31 4 2 1 33 5
Total 63 11 3 1 66 12
Dumbarton 1914–15 Scottish Division One 37 8 – 37 8
1915–16 21 1 – 21 1
1916–17 34 1 – 34 1
Total 92 10 0 0 92 10
Dumbarton 1920–21 Scottish Division One 16 0 3 0 19 0
1921–22 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 17 0 3 0 20 0
Career total 224 34 14 6 238 40

Managerial statistics

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[16][17][18][19][a]

Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Dumbarton   1921 1922 43 10 10 23 023.26
Aberdeen   1924 1938 571 269 128 174 047.11
Clyde   1938 1956 468 183 89 196 039.10
Total 1,082 462 227 393 042.70
  1. ^ Does not include wartime competitions or regional tournaments such as the Glasgow Cup.

Sources

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  • Webster, Jack (2003). The First 100 years of The Dons: The official history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903 - 2003. Hodder & Stoughton, London. ISBN 0-340-82344-5.
  • Since 1881: the searchable Premiership and Football League player database

Honours

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Player

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Thornliebank

Renton

Aberdeen

Celtic

Dumbarton

Clydebank

Manager

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Dumbarton

Aberdeen

  • Scottish Cup: Runner-up: 1936–37
  • Aberdeenshire Cup (10) : 1924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34[31]
  • Aberdeenshire League (4): 1925–26, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29[32]
  • Dewar Shield (8): 1926–27, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1936–37[33]

Clyde

Sources

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References

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  1. ^ a b Celtic player Patrick Travers, FitbaStats
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Paddy Travers, AFC Heritage Trust
  3. ^ [A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players], John Litster / Scottish Football Historian magazine, October 2012
  4. ^ Final game of the legendary Patsy Gallacher, Celtic FC, 10 October 2015
  5. ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
  6. ^ a b Paddy Travers, Sons Archive
  7. ^ a b Donald Colman, The Vale of Leven
  8. ^ a b c "THE DONS ON TOUR". Aberdeen FC. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  9. ^ "ABERDEEN FC - TEAM - 1935/36". Aberdeen-FC.com. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  10. ^ "REDS ON THE ROAD". Aberdeen FC. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Clyde FC Hall of Fame: Harry Haddock". Clyde FC. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  12. ^ "Scotland's 50 Greatest Managers". Sunday Herald. 8 June 2003. Archived from the original on 24 December 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  13. ^ "Scotland's 50 Greatest Managers". 8 June 2003. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  14. ^ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Celtic Player Patrick Travers Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  16. ^ Dumbarton manager Pat Travers, FitbaStats
  17. ^ Aberdeen manager Pat Travers, FitbaStats
  18. ^ Managers: Pat Travers, AFC Heritage Trust
  19. ^ Clyde manager Pat Travers, FitbaStats
  20. ^ "FOOTBALL". Paisley Gazette. 11 April 1903. Retrieved 30 March 2022. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "FOOTBALL". Barrhead News. 20 May 1904. Retrieved 30 March 2022. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "RENTON WIN COUNTY CUP". Dundee Courier. 30 April 1908. Retrieved 30 March 2022. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ a b "Managers, Paddy Travers". AFC Heritage. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  24. ^ "North East Cup Final 1913–14". AFC Heritage. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  25. ^ "DUMBARTON FINAL". Sunday Post. 2 May 1915. Retrieved 30 March 2022. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ "SPORT OF ALL SORTS". Daily Record. Retrieved 30 March 2022. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ "FOOTBALL". The Scotsman. 9 September 1918. Retrieved 30 March 2022. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ^ "CLYDEBANK CHARITY CUP". Sunday Post. 12 May 1918. Retrieved 30 March 2022. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ^ "Dunbartonshire Cup (1884–1940)". SFHA. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  30. ^ "Dunbartonshire Charity Cup competitions (1915–27)". SFHA. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  31. ^ "Aberdeenshire Cup (1887-)". SFHA. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  32. ^ "Aberdeenshire League (1919-)". SFHA. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  33. ^ "Dewar Shield". SFHA. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  34. ^ "B Division Supplementary Cup (1945–1952)". SFHA. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  35. ^ "GLASGOW CUP FINAL SUCCESS FOR CLYDE". The Scotsman. 1 October 1946. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  36. ^ "CELTIC BEATEN IN FINAL". Dundee Courier. 25 September 1951. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  37. ^ "RANGERS WIN CUP BY CORNERS". Daily Record. 30 May 1940. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  38. ^ "FOOTBALL RESULTS". Bradford Observer. 12 May 1952. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  39. ^ "TRIBUTE TO CLYDE". Daily Record. 15 May 1939. (via) British Newspaper Archive.
  40. ^ "WORST GAME I'VE SEEN". Daily Record. 3 June 1940 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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