Robert McLucas
Robert McLucas
A. Player

born in Scotland

Robert Robertson McLucas was born on Tuesday, 5th November, 1867, in Partick, Glasgow.

The forward joined Thistle in 1886.

Aged 18, he made his first known appearance on Saturday, 2nd October, 1886, in a 6-4 friendly win at home to Battlefield.

That day, Robert became a member of our scoring debutant's club, and even added a second for good measure.

He scored the last of his 3 known goals on Saturday, 9th October, 1886, in a 3-2 friendly defeat at home to Morton.

He played his last known game for the club on Saturday, 3rd March, 1888, in a 6-2 friendly win at home to Morton, having appeared for the Thistle on at least 5 occasions.

His club-list included Partick Thistle, Elswick Rangers, Newcastle West End and Willington Athletic.

Robert died on Sunday, 12th May, 1901, in Newcastle upon Tyne, aged 33.

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Bio Extra

In first team terms, Robert, who could play anywhere in the forward line, was a fringe player in his time at Inchview from 1886. In October of that year, all 3 of his known goals came in the first two games he was quoted as playing; a debut brace in a 6-4 home win over Battlefield and a consolation goal in a 2-3 defeat at home to Morton 7 days later. These were exciting times for the club, with an FA cup tie at Blackburn Olympic (winners in 1883) all set for the end of the month. Despite his goals in the run up to that tie, Robert never made the trip down to Blackburn for the historic game. Perhaps work got in the way? He must have been disappointed either way.

Interestingly, Robert was part of the touring Thistle reserves party which landed in the North East in September 1887. It was the opening game of the season at Mill Lane, Newcastle, home to Elswick Rangers. The home side featured two former Jags, namely Jack Beattie and a "J. Campbell" (currently unidentified). The scorers on the day were not reported, but Thistle won by 4 goals to 2. Perhaps a seed was sown on that tour, for Robert would return to Mill Lane as a player!

Robert was one of several ship workers from the Glasgow area to settle on Tyneside during the mid-to-late 1880s and ply their trade in the Tyneside yards and on the football field. He became a regular with Elswick Rangers as the 1880s turned into the 1890s. He made a single guest appearance for Newcastle West End against Wishaw at the start of the 1891-92 season when certain reports in the local press covertly listed him as β€œA Mann”. At the time of his stay with Rangers, Robert lived in Elswick, working as a ship-plater in the local shipyards.

Robert moved to the other side of the city during the 1890s, to Byker, likely nearer to new employers at one of the many companies around Willington Quay, where he also continued his football for six seasons with the strong Athletic club. The Scot was selected for the Northumberland XI when with Willington and became skipper of the Tyne club, being described as a β€œcapital general” over his period there. Robert also lifted the Northumberland Senior Cup after defeating Shankhouse in the 1896 final, while he also appeared in the FA Amateur Cup. He died at a young age when in his early thirties.

In his personal life, Robert married Margaret Jane O'Neill, in Partick, in 1889, just before setting off for a new life in Tyneside, where they raised a family together. He must have liked to be known as R. R. McLucas, as the press often referred to him in that way in the 1890s. This tied in nicely with our pre-found evidence regarding his identity, which is always re-assuring for the investigative historian!

(WS/PJO)



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