Robert Craig McLean (17 February 1879 – 24 October 1936) was a Scottish professional
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 le ...
. After initially playing in Scotland, McLean moved to Millwall in 1904 and later joined
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
and finally Southampton, before returning to his home country to finish his playing career. He played primarily as a half-back.
Rutherglen Glencairn
Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club is a Scottish football (soccer), football club based in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, near Glasgow. Nicknamed ''The Glens'' and formed in 1896, they play at The Hamish B Allan Stadium (New Southcroft Park).
G ...
, and Vale of Leven — at that point competing outwith the
Scottish Football 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 south ...
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
, where he found himself "way down the pecking order".
After making no appearances for United, the following May he returned to the Southern League, this time joining Southampton. Described as "a bustling, vigorous half-back" who liked to launch long balls into the opponent's goal area, McLean made his debut in the Western League on 10 September 1906 in a 3–2 win over Tottenham Hotspur. His final appearance came in a 5–1 Southern League defeat at the hands of Reading on 25 March 1907. In his one season with the club, McLean made seven first-team appearances for the Saints – four in the Southern League and three in the Western League – before in March 1907 he "fell foul of the club's strict disciplinary code" and was suspended sine die for drunkenness.
After his dismissal from Southampton, McLean returned to the Second Division and played for Dumbarton and former club Vale of Leven before retiring from the game.
Personal life
During World War I, McLean served with The
Royal Scots Fusiliers
The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Mar ...
British Victory Medal
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...