mcfarlane_robert
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| Name: Robert McFarlane |
Nationality: Scotland |
| Position: right-back |
Signing Information: Transferred from: Sunderland Albion, 08/1891, £ |
| Birthdate: 00-00-0000 |
Years at Club: 1891-1892 |
| Age: () |
Debut: 03/10/1891 v Manchester City (North Road) 5-1 (FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round) |
| Birthplace: Airdrie, Scotland |
Previous clubs: Airdrieonians, Bootle, Sunderland Albion |
| Height: 5' 8" (1.73m) |
Farewell to Manchester United: Transferred to Airdrieonians, 08/1892, £ |
| Weight: 12st 4lbs (78.2kg) |
Passed Away: 26/10/1898 |
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Newton Heath found an excellent and experienced right-back for 1891-92, name of Robert McFarlane. He was a 5'8", 12-plus stone Scotsman who was "splendid at recovery, a good sprinter and tackler". The Heathens were so impressed they promptly made him captain upon his arrival.
McFarlane was only 12 years old when he hooked up with Violet club in his hometown of Airdrie. When that club disbanded two years later, he crossed over to another local side called Caledonians where he played at outside-left! At 15, he was invited to assist Airdrie's reserves in a cup-tie against Kilmarnock and he did such a good job he was signed on full time. By 1883, Bob had cemented a place in the first team and went on to win both the Lanarkshire Cup and Airdrie Charity Cup three years on the trot.
Third Lanark liked what they saw in McFarlane, snapping him up in 1888 and playing him at half-back. His conversion to full-back was complete later in the year when English side Bootle obtained his services as they competed in the Football Combination. In 1889-90, when they entered into the Football Alliance, McFarlane missed the opening game then appeared in the remaining 21 outings to help Bootle finish as runners-up.
McFarlane joined Sunderland Albion in 1890 and helped them to finish in second spot this time, missing only three league matches all season. That was when he arrived at North Road, as a successor to John Mitchell at Newton Heath's right-back slot. The new captain made his debut in a friendly against Port Vale on September 1st, 1891, and played in a total of 39 matches all season. Injury kept him out for a month around the turn of the year but Bob played in 18 league matches as Heath finished... second - there were only three Football Alliance campaigns and Bob McFarlane was runner-up in all of them!
Bob also found love in Manchester, marrying his teammates Jack and Roger Doughty's sister, Ellen, that year, which would indicate he had smoothed matters over with Jack - the Welshman was reprimanded by the FA in 1889 when he reacted to a trip by the then Bootle back by kicking him! Bob signed on with the Heathens as they gained entry into the Football League in the summer of 1892. However, after spending that summer back home (and collecting wages all along), he was approached by his old club Airdrieonians and convinced to return to them as an amateur.
Much to Heath's chagrin, McFarlane returned to become "one of the best backs in Scotland". He played for Airdrieonians for several years from 1892-93 onwards. Six league matches into the 1898-99 season, however, while training for the next game, Bob caught a chill and contracted pneumonia. On October 26th, he sadly passed away in his home in Hallcraig, Airdrie, still only 31 years of age. Bob married Ellen the sister of team mates Jack & Roger Doughty. Biography kindly provided by Charbel Boujaoude. |
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Season
Goals |
Season
Apps |
| 1 |
1891-1892 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| TOTALS |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
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