Debut:
25/08/1923 v Bristol City (A) 1-2 (League Division Two)
Farewell:
Transferred to Manchester Central, 07/1928, £
Passed Away:
05/03/1953 (age 51)
Biography
Francis Comber “Frank” McPherson was an accomplished and versatile English forward who represented Manchester United during the 1920s. Comfortable playing at outside-left or through the centre, he combined pace and intelligent movement with an impressive eye for goal.
McPherson was born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, on 14 May 1901. The son of Scottish parents from Aberdeen, he worked as a ship plater for Vickers and began playing football for the company’s works team, Barrow Shipbuilders. His early career also included a brief spell with Partick Thistle in Scotland before he joined Chesterfield Municipal in 1919.
He returned to his home town with Barrow in February 1921 and helped the club win the Lancashire Combination championship. Barrow subsequently became a founder member of the Football League Third Division North, giving McPherson the opportunity to establish himself in League football.
Manchester United signed McPherson from Barrow in 1923. He made his United debut at outside-left against Bristol City at Ashton Gate on 25 August 1923, although the occasion ended in a 2–1 Second Division defeat.
McPherson quickly became a regular member of the first team. He made 36 appearances and scored twice during his debut season, with his first United goal coming against Bradford City in January 1924. A week later, he also scored against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup.
His contribution became increasingly important during the 1924–25 campaign. Operating predominantly on the left wing, McPherson scored seven goals in 39 appearances as United finished second in the Second Division and secured promotion back to the top flight.
The change to the offside law in 1925 suited McPherson’s pace and attacking instincts. Although originally used as an outside-left, he was increasingly selected at centre-forward and developed into one of United’s most productive goalscorers.
His finest goalscoring season at Old Trafford came in 1925–26. McPherson scored 22 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, including a hat-trick in a 3–1 victory over Leicester City on 28 December 1925. He also made a major contribution to United’s FA Cup run, scoring four times as the club reached the semi-finals before losing to Manchester City.
McPherson maintained that form during the following campaign. He began the 1926–27 season spectacularly, scoring seven goals in United’s opening four matches. That sequence included two goals against Liverpool, two against Sheffield United and another two against Leeds United. He finished the season with 16 goals from 35 appearances.
Competition for attacking positions meant that McPherson was used in several roles across the forward line. He alternated between outside-left, inside-left and centre-forward, but remained a dependable source of goals whenever selected. His adaptability allowed United to accommodate other leading forwards of the period, including Joe Spence, while still benefiting from McPherson’s speed and finishing ability.
McPherson made 29 appearances and scored seven goals in his final United season, 1927–28. His last appearance for the club came at outside-left in a dramatic 4–3 defeat against Bury on 14 April 1928.
Across his five seasons with Manchester United, McPherson amassed 175 first-team appearances and scored 54 goals. His record included 47 league goals and seven in the FA Cup. He was particularly prolific during the middle years of his United career, scoring 38 times across the 1925–26 and 1926–27 seasons.
After leaving Old Trafford in 1928, McPherson briefly represented Manchester Central before joining Watford for £850. He made an extraordinary start at Vicarage Road and scored 33 goals in 33 league appearances during the 1928–29 season—a Watford club record that remained intact for more than 30 years.
McPherson subsequently played for Reading before returning to Watford in 1933. During the 1935–36 FA Cup, he scored a hat-trick against Leicester City despite Watford losing the match 4–3. That treble is believed to have been the first FA Cup hat-trick scored by a player on the losing side during the competition proper.
After being released by Watford, McPherson returned to Barrow-in-Furness and resumed working in the shipyards. He briefly returned to League football with Barrow in 1937, scoring twice in three appearances before bringing his long playing career to an end.
Following his retirement, McPherson became the licensee of the Greaves Arms Hotel in Oldham. He died suddenly in Davyhulme on 5 March 1953, aged 51.
Although his United career came during a difficult and often overlooked period in the club’s history, Frank McPherson was a talented and productive forward. His role in the 1924–25 promotion campaign, his contribution to the 1926 FA Cup run and his impressive total of 54 goals ensure that he retains a worthy place in Manchester United’s historical record.
