Alexander Ernest Stevenson (9 August 1912 – 2 September 1985) was an Irish

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who played for Rangers and Everton, amongst other teams. As an international, Stevenson also played for both Ireland teams – the FAI XI and the IFA XI. Stevenson is the only footballer to have played for both the FAI XI and Rangers and is one of only four players born in what is now the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

to play for the club, the others being Alex Craig, James Lowry McAuley and

Jon Daly Jon Daly, sometimes credited as Jonathan C. Daly, Jon C. Daly or Jonathan Barney Daly, is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer best known for his sketch comedy work on the Comedy Central series ''Kroll Show''. In 2013 he starred as H ...

Club career

Early years

Stevenson began his career with

Dolphins A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (t ...

in the

League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...

. In 1932 he helped them reach the final of the

FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...

where they lost 1–0 to

Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...

. Shortly afterwards, on 8 May 1932, aged 19 and while still a Dolphins player, he made his debut for the FAI XI in a 2–0 away win against the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. In August 1932 he signed for Rangers after being spotted by Arthur Dixon, a club coach. As part of the transfer deal, Rangers played Dolphins in a friendly at

Dalymount Park Dalymount Park (Irish: ''Páirc Cnocán Uí Dhálaigh'') is a football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as D ...

in 1933. Stevenson spent just a season and a half at Rangers. Although he made just 12 appearances in the

Scottish League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km sout ...

, he scored 7 goals and developed a reputation as a highly intelligent player. While at Rangers, Stevenson also made his debut for the IFA XI and he helped the club win the

Division One The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...

title during the 1933–34 season.

Everton

In January 1934 Stevenson signed for Everton for a fee of £37,000 and made his debut for the club against

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

the following month. He remains one of Everton's all-time top goalscorers. He was also a great supplier of goals, first to Dixie Dean and then to

Tommy Lawton Thomas Lawton (6 October 1919 – 6 November 1996) was an English football player and manager. A strong centre-forward with excellent all-round attacking skills, he was able to head the ball with tremendous power and accuracy. Born in F ...

and he formed an excellent understanding with fellow

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

international Jackie Coulter on the left wing. In

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

, together with Lawton,

Joe Mercer Joseph Mercer, OBE (9 August 1914 – 9 August 1990) was an English football player and manager. Mercer, who played as a defender for Everton and Arsenal in his footballing career, also went on to manage Aston Villa, Manchester City and Engl ...

and Tommy G. Jones he was a member of the Everton team that won the last First Division title before the start of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. During this campaign he scored 10 goals in 36 games. During the war, while continuing to play for Everton, Stevenson also enlisted in the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. Between 1939 and 1946 he made 202 appearances and scored 89 goals for Everton in wartime regional leagues. One of the highlights of his wartime career came on 1 June 1940 when he scored a hat-trick in the last five minutes of a game against

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. As well as playing for Everton, he also turned out as a guest for both

Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...

and

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

. After the war Stevenson played in an Everton team that also included fellow

internationals Peter Farrell,

Tommy Eglington Thomas Joseph Eglington (15 January 1923 – 18 February 2004) was an Irish footballer who played as an outside-left for, among others, Shamrock Rovers, Everton and Tranmere Rovers. Eglington was also a dual internationalist and played for bo ...

and

Peter Corr Peter Joseph Corr (23 June 1923 – 1 June 2001) was an Irish footballer. Corr played as an outside-right for, among others, Everton and Ireland. In 1949 he was a member of the Ireland team that defeated England 2–0 at Goodison Park, becomin ...

and future team manager

Harry Catterick Harry Catterick (26 November 1919 – 9 March 1985) was an English football player and manager. As a player Catterick played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra, in a career that was interrupted by World War II, but he is most notable as a manager. ...

. By the time he finished his career with the club he had made 255 English League appearances and scored 82 league goals. He also played a further 16 games and scored a further 8 goals in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

. He made his final league appearance for Everton on 7 May 1949.

Irish international

When Stevenson began his international career in 1932 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

-based

IFA IFA or Ifa may refer to: Organisations Economics * Independent financial adviser, a type of financial services professional in the UK * Index Fund Advisors * Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, representing actuaries in the UK * Institute of Ac ...

and the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

-based FAI claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era, including Stevenson, played for both teams.

FAI XI

Between 1932 and 1948 Stevenson made 7 appearances for the FAI XI, making his international debut on 8 May 1932 in a 2–0 win against the

. His teammates that day also included fellow dual internationalists, Mick O'Brien, Jimmy Kelly and

Paddy Moore Paddy Moore (4 August 1909 – 24 July 1951) was an Irish professional footballer who played for, among others, Shamrock Rovers and Aberdeen. Moore was a dual internationalist and played for both Ireland teams – the FAI XI and the IFA XI. ...

. In October 1931 Stevenson had also played for a junior FAI XI against

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a ...

. However, Stevenson had to wait for fourteen years, partly because of the

, before he made his second appearance for the FAI XI on 30 September 1946 in a 1–0 defeat to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Puzzled by the fourteen-year gap between his first and second FAI cap, Stevenson apparently approached both the Everton secretary-manager,

Theo Kelly Theo Kelly (17 January 1896 – 30 April 1964) was manager of Everton Football Club from 1939 to 1948. Biography Theo Kelly was born Louis Alford Theodore Kelly in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on 17 January 1896. His father, Louis Theophilus ...

, and the FAI secretary

Joe Wickham Joe Wickham (1890 in Phibsboro, Dublin – 3 November 1968 in Katowice, Poland) was the General Secretary of the Football Association of Ireland from the 1930s until his death in 1968 at the age of 78. He took over from Jack Ryder in 1936, having ...

for an explanation but neither was prepared to offer one. Stevenson, who was a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

, was accused in some quarters of refusing to play for the FAI XI on religious grounds, but he was adamant that religion had nothing to do with it on his part. He subsequently played for the FAI XI a further five times, helping them to a notable victory against

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

on 2 March 1947. He made his last appearance for the FAI XI on 5 December 1948 in a 1–0 defeat against

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. However this was not his last involvement with the FAI. Between 1953 and 1955 Stevenson served as coach of the

IFA XI

Between 1933 and

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

Stevenson also made 19 appearances and scored 5 goals for the IFA XI, making his debut on 16 September 1933 in a 2–1 away win against

, with the press praising his contribution.Disappointing Scots Half-Backs and Wing Men Weak
The Glasgow Herald, 18 September 1933 He subsequently formed a notable inside forward partnership with Peter Doherty. He scored his first goal for the IFA XI on 6 February 1935 in 2–1 defeat against

. He also scored against England in a 5–1 defeat on 23 October 1937. His remaining three goals were all scored against

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

in 1936, 1937 and 1947. On 11 May 1935, at

Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...

, Stevenson also played for an

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

/ Wales XI in a 10–2 defeat against an English League XI. During the

, he also played in two wartime internationals for the IFA XI. On 9 September 1944 at

Windsor Park Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Linfield F.C. who own the land the stadium is built on, while the Irish Football Association own and operate the stadium and pay Linfield an annual rent ...

, he played an 8–4 defeat against a ''Combined Services XI''. This team was basically a

Great Britain XI The United Kingdom national football team is a football team that represents the United Kingdom. Despite football being the most popular sport in the country, the team has not played since 1965 as separate teams represent each home nation (Engl ...

and featured, among others,

Matt Busby Sir Alexander Matthew Busby (26 May 1909 – 20 January 1994) was a Scottish association football, football player and manager, who managed Manchester United F.C., Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 197 ...

Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer who played as an outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the British game, he is the only player to have been knighted while stil ...

and

Stan Mortensen Stanley Harding Mortensen (26 May 1921 – 22 May 1991) was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final (subsequently known as the "Matthews Final"), in which he became the only player ever to score a h ...

. He also played in the

Victory international The term Victory International or Victory Internationals refers to two series of international football matches played by the national football teams of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales at the end of both the First and Second World Wars. The ...

against Scotland at

on 2 February 1946. On 27 November,

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

Stevenson was one of seven players who had been born in the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...

, to be selected by the IFA to play against

. The other six were

Johnny Carey John Joseph Carey (23 February 1919 – 22 August 1995) was an Irish professional footballer and manager. As a player, Carey spent most of his career at Manchester United, where he was team captain from 1946 until he retired as a player in 1953 ...

Con Martin Cornelius Joseph Martin (20 March 1923 – 24 February 2013) was an Irish footballer. Martin initially played Gaelic football for the Dublin county team before switching codes and embarking on a successful soccer career, playing for, among oth ...

, Bill Gorman,

, Peter Farrell and

Davy Walsh David Joseph Walsh (28 April 1923 – 14 March 2016), commonly referred to as Davy Walsh or Dave Walsh, was an Irish footballer who played as a centre forward for, among others, Linfield, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa. Walsh was a dual ...

. On 16 April 1947, he scored his last goal for the IFA XI in a 2–1 win against

. These two results helped the IFA XI finish as runners-up in the 1947 British Home Championship. Later that year, Stevenson made his last appearance for the IFA XI on 4 October 1947 in a 2–0 win against Scotland.

Honours

As a player

Dolphins *

: Runners-up 1932 Rangers * Scottish Champions: 1933–34 Everton * English Champions: 1938–39

British Home Championship The British Home Championship * sco, Hame Internaitional Kemp * gd, Farpais lìg eadar-nàiseanta * cy, Pencampwriaeth y Pedair Gwlad, name=lang (historically known as the British International Championship or simply the International Champio ...

: Runners-up 1946–47

As a manager

/ Premier Division: 2 **

St Patrick's Athletic St Patrick's Athletic Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Lúthchleas Phádraig Naofa) is a professional Irish association football club based in Inchicore, Dublin, that plays in the Irish Premier Division. Founded in May 1929, they played origin ...

1954–55 , 1955–56 *

League of Ireland Shield The League of Ireland Shield ( ga, Sciath Sraithe na hÉireann) is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972. It was played before the league season began ...

: 1 **

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

1959–60

References

Sources

*''Who's Who of Everton'' (2004): Tony Matthew

*''The Boys in Green – The FAI International Story'' (1997): Sean Rya

*''Soccer at War – 1939 – 45'' (2005): Jack Rolli

External links

Northern Ireland's Footballing Great Ireland (FAI) stats Rangers Players who served in Armed Forces
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Alex 1912 births 1985 deaths Association footballers from County Dublin Republic of Ireland association footballers Republic of Ireland international footballers Ireland (FAI) international footballers Dual Irish international footballers Pre-1950 IFA international footballers League of Ireland players Rangers F.C. players Everton F.C. players Bootle Athletic F.C. players Tranmere Rovers F.C. wartime guest players Blackpool F.C. wartime guest players St Patrick's Athletic F.C. managers Waterford F.C. managers League of Ireland managers Republic of Ireland football managers Republic of Ireland national football team managers Association football inside forwards Scottish Football League players English Football League players Ireland (IFA) wartime international footballers Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Dolphin F.C. players