Alex Govan
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 | ||
Position(s) |
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 | 166 | (53) |
1958 | Portsmouth | 11 | (2) |
1958–1960 | Plymouth Argyle | 32 | (8) |
Total | 319 | (91) | |
Managerial career | |||
1972–1973 | Truro City | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Alexander Govan (16 June 1929 – 10 June 2016) was a Scottish professional
Life and career
Govan was born in
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.[4]
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.
When
Though unable to score at such a rate in the top flight, the club still achieved its highest ever league finish of sixth place.
Govan was the man who first sang the Blues anthem Keep Right on to the End of the Road on the way to Birmingham's 1956 FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. The song spread quickly among the players – and then to the fans.[11]
another has him revealing in a radio interview that it was his favourite song.
In the build-up to the 1956 FA Cup semi-final with Sunderland I was interviewed by the press and happened to let slip that my favourite song was Harry Lauder's old music hall number 'Keep Right on to the End of the Road'. I thought no more about it, but when the third goal went in at Hillsborough the Blues fans all started singing it. It was the proudest moment of my life.[12]
Either way, by the time the football correspondent of the Times came to write his Cup Final preview, the song was well enough established for him to describe how
the Birmingham clans swept their side along to Wembley – the first side ever to reach a final without once playing at home – on the wings of the song Keep right on to the end of the road.[13]
The strengths of Govan's game were hard work, pace on the wing and exceptional goalscoring ability. In April 1956, his ability was recognised by the national selectors when he received his only call-up to the
I scored five hat-tricks that year, including three in ten days – I couldn't believe it myself! The sad thing is that in those days you didn't get to keep the match ball as it was dubbined up and used again the next week![4]
He also took a productive part in Birmingham's first foray into European competition in the 1955–58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, scoring both goals to beat Inter Milan 2–1 and thereby top the qualifying group.[15]
By 1958 his pace was beginning to flag.
In 2012, Govan was one of seven former players elected to Birmingham City's Hall of Fame.[19]
Govan died at his Plymouth home on 10 June 2016 at the age of 86.[20]
Career statistics
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Plymouth Argyle[21] | 1946–47 | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
1947–48 | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
1948–49 | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
1949–50 | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
1950–51 | Third Division South | 35 | 9 | 3 | 1 | — | 38 | 10 | ||
1951–52 | Third Division South | 35 | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | 36 | 9 | ||
1952–53 | Third Division South | 33 | 10 | 3 | 2 | — | 36 | 12 | ||
Total | 110 | 28 | 7 | 3 | — | 117 | 31 | |||
Birmingham City[22] | 1953–54 | Second Division | 38 | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | 40 | 8 | |
1954–55 | Second Division | 37 | 15 | 4 | 1 | — | 41 | 16 | ||
1955–56 | First Division | 36 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 40 | 4 | |
1956–57 | First Division | 35 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 2[a] | 2 | 44 | 30 | |
1957–58 | First Division | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 22 | 2 | |
Total | 166 | 53 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 187 | 60 | ||
Portsmouth[23] | 1957–58 | First Division | 9 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 2 | ||
1958–59 | First Division | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
Total | 11 | 2 | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||||
Plymouth Argyle[21] | 1959–60 | Third Division | 20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 6 | |
1960–61 | Second Division | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | ||
Total | 32 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 8 | |||
Career total | 319 | 91 | 24 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 348 | 101 |
- ^ a b c Appearances in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Honours
Plymouth Argyle
- 1951–52
- 1958–59
Birmingham City
Sources
- Lewis, Peter, ed. (2000). Keeping right on since 1875 The Official History of Birmingham City Football Club. Lytham: Arrow. ISBN 1-900722-12-7.
- Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-010-2.
- Matthews, Tony (2000). The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875–2000. Cradley Heath: Britespot. ISBN 0-9539288-0-2.
- Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: Derby Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.
References
- ^ a b "Argyle Internationals". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
- ^ "Soccer football. New players signed for Plymouth Argyle". Western Morning News. Plymouth. 6 July 1946. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Amateur 'goalie' being given trial with Argyle Reserves". Western Morning News. Plymouth. 31 August 1946. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c "Alex Govan". Birmingham City F.C. 2007. Archived from the original on 8 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
- ^ a b Matthews (1995), p. 91.
- ^ Matthews (1995), p. 189.
- ^ Matthews (1995), p. 190.
- ^ "Birmingham City". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ^ Dillon, William & Lauder, Harry. "The End of the Road". A Celebration of Sir Harry Lauder "Laird of the Music Hall". Archived from the original on 19 September 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ^ "Keep Right On". Birmingham City Swedish Supporters Club. Archived from the original on 6 January 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ^ Boyden, Malcolm (19 April 2003). "Ross finds ways to turn airwaves blue". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ^ Lewis (2000), p. 63.
- ^ "Every Prospect of a Good Final". The Times. London. 5 May 1956. p. 4.
- ^ Matthews (1995), p. 192.
- ^ Ross, James (27 June 2007). "Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1955–58". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Archived from the original on 1 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
- ^ Matthews (2000), p. 99.
- ^ Matthews (1995), p. 98.
- ^ "Plymouth Argyle". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ^ "The magnificent seven". Birmingham City F.C. 9 March 2012. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "RIP Alex Govan – 1929–2016". Birmingham City F.C. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Alex Govan". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Matthews (2010), pp. 342–353, 473.
- ^ "Alex Govan". PompeyRama. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
External links
- Alex Govan at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database