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| Archie McLeod |
 Archibald Gillies McLeod was born on Tuesday, 7th January, 1908, in Townhead, Glasgow. The forward signed for Donald Turner's Thistle on Wednesday, 30th August, 1933, having most recently been with Parkhead. Aged 25, he made his debut appearance on Saturday, 2nd September, 1933, in a 3-0 defeat at home to Falkirk in the SFL First Division. Archie scored his only two goals for Thistle on the same day; on Saturday, 9th September, 1933, in a 3-3 draw away to Clyde in the SFL First Division. He played his last game for the club on Saturday, 4th November, 1933, in a 2-0 defeat away to Celtic in the SFL First Division, having appeared as a Jag on 3 occasions. His club-list included Ashfield, Maryhill, Parkhead, Partick Thistle and Derry City. Archie died on Thursday, 3rd October, 1957, in Garnethill, Glasgow, aged 49. |
 The son of John McLeod (ironsmith) and Mary McLeod (née Stewart). Archie was born in the family home at Couper Street, and that would be his base for life, Irish adventures notwithstanding! Archie’s grandfather was born and raised in Mull, being a crofter there. His father’s family moved to Glasgow, and lived in the Central Belt. A forward, Archie initially played for the Junior side Parkhead, where he was capped for the Scottish Junior side. He became a Jag in August 1933, and played mainly for the “A” team, who played in the Scottish Football Alliance, but had three appearances in the first team. He scored twice in the SFL First Division game against Clyde on Saturday 9 September 1933. Thistle went 2-0 up in the first half hour, Archie scoring the second goal. He was injured, and as there were no substitutes in those days, moved out to the wing to plough a lonely furrow. Clyde came back to score 3, but in the final minutes Archie scored his second to salvage a point for Thistle. A report in the Linlithgowshire Gazette on Friday 27 October 1933 describes the game between Partick Thistle A v Boness. Thistle won 6-0, and Archie scored two goals. In the second half, with Thistle 3-0 up, “Townsley spooned a ball in his own goalmouth, and McLeod dashed in to head into the net… Mcleod scored a sixth goal for the Thistle.” On leaving Thistle at the end of the 1933/34 season, Archie moved to Northern Ireland. During the 34/35 season he scored 57 goals for Derry City and also was part of the Dunville Cup winning team, the club’s first ever trophy. The Dunville Cup became the City Cup, and is now the Irish League Cup. In 1938 his football career ended in injury, and Archie retired from the game. He returned to Glasgow and worked in John Brown Shipbuilders. In the pre World War Two period five and six a side football was popular in the summer. Curiously Archie appears to have played in several games during his Irish sojourn. In the Glasgow Transport Sports Day 5-a-sides on 30 June 1936 Thistle were beaten 4-0 by Celtic in the semi-final, with a team of Bobby Johnstone, Charles Busby, Archie McLeod, Alex McSpadyen, and John Wallace. The same Jags team beat Kilmarnock 3-1 in the final of the Ayr United Sports Day 5-a-sides on 18 July 1936. Again the same team played in the Rangers Sports day 5s on 1 August 1936. Was Archie a guest for these games? Archie married Nellie Blair in 1938, and the couple had a daughter named Helen. Helen married Sandy McDonald, a Church of Scotland minister who served a term as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Their son, and grandson of Archie and Nellie, is the “Dr Who” & “Broadchurch” actor David Tennant. In 2012 Tennant followed Archie’s story in the TV series “Who do You Think You Are?” He went to Ireland to meet his cousins, and attended a Derry City game, where he took in the crowd atmosphere and banter. Archie’s life history was shown on national TV. |
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