Sandy Hair

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Sandy Hair

● Sandy Hair, 1927 (HA) Alexander Hair was born on Wednesday, 9th March, 1898, in Bridgeton, Glasgow. The 5' 6 (10st 7lbs) forward signed for George Easton's Thistle on Monday, 28th May, 1923, having most recently been with Strathclyde. Aged 25, he made his debut appearance on Saturday, 18th August, 1923, in a 3-0 win at home to Ayr United in the SFL First Division. Sandy scored his first two goals for Thistle on Saturday, 1st September, 1923, in a 2-1 win away to Celtic in the SFL First Division. He scored the last of his 100 goals on Saturday, 20th October, 1928, in a 2-0 win at home to Clyde in the SFL First Division. That turned out to be his last game for the club, having clocked up 123 appearances as a Jag. His club-list included Clydebank Juniors, Strathclyde, Partick Thistle, Queen of the South, Third Lanark, Alloa Athletic, Bo'ness, Preston North End, Shelbourne, Colwyn Bay United, Worcester City, Burton Town and Shirley Town. Sandy died on Sunday, 31st May, 1970, in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, aged 72.

Every Goal

compiled from our All Games criteria.

25y, 5m, 23d		01.09.1923 Celtic [a] W2-1 (SFL First Division - game 4)
25y, 6m, 15d		24.09.1923 Third Lanark [a] W4-2 (SFL First Division - game 7)
25y, 6m, 20d		29.09.1923 Falkirk [a] W1-0 (SFL First Division - game 8)
25y, 6m, 27d		06.10.1923 Airdrieonians [h] W2-1 (SFL First Division - game 9)
25y, 7m, 4d		13.10.1923 Queen's Park [a] W2-0 (SFL First Division - game 10)
25y, 7m, 11d		20.10.1923 Clyde [h] W6-1 (SFL First Division - game 11)
25y, 7m, 18d		27.10.1923 Heart of Midlothian [a] L1-2 (SFL First Division - game 12)
25y, 9m, 22d		31.12.1923 Third Lanark [h] D2-2 (SFL First Division - game 22)
25y, 9m, 27d		05.01.1924 Morton [h] W2-0 (SFL First Division - game 24)
25y, 10m, 3d		12.01.1924 Dunkeld & Birnam [h] W11-0 (Scottish Cup 1st Round)
25y, 10m, 10d		19.01.1924 Raith Rovers [h] W2-0 (SFL First Division - game 25)
25y, 11m, 3d		12.02.1924 St Mirren [h] L1-2 (SFL First Division - game 27)
25y, 11m, 14d		23.02.1924 Hamilton Academical [h] D1-1 (Scottish Cup 3rd Round)
26y, 0m, 6d		15.03.1924 Airdrieonians [a] D1-1 (SFL First Division - game 31)
26y, 1m, 24d		03.05.1924 Third Lanark [n] W6-4 (Glasgow Charity Cup Quarter Final)
26y, 5m, 10d		19.08.1924 Celtic [h] D2-2 (SFL First Division - game 2)
26y, 5m, 14d		23.08.1924 Dundee [h] D1-1 (SFL First Division - game 3)
27y, 2m, 0d		09.05.1925 Rangers [n] L1-2 (Glasgow Charity Cup Semi Final)
27y, 5m, 8d		17.08.1925 Hibernian [a] W6-4 (William McGinnigle Benefit)
27y, 5m, 20d		29.08.1925 Raith Rovers [a] D1-1 (SFL First Division - game 3)
28y, 1m, 22d		01.05.1926 Celtic [h] L1-2 (Glasgow Charity Cup Quarter Final)
28y, 5m, 5d		14.08.1926 Falkirk [a] D1-1 (SFL First Division - game 1)
28y, 5m, 12d		21.08.1926 Morton [h] L4-5 (SFL First Division - game 2)
28y, 5m, 26d		04.09.1926 Dundee [h] D3-3 (SFL First Division - game 4)
28y, 6m, 9d		18.09.1926 Kilmarnock [h] W5-0 (SFL First Division - game 6)
28y, 6m, 23d		02.10.1926 Hibernian [h] W5-1 (SFL First Division - game 8)
28y, 7m, 0d		09.10.1926 Cowdenbeath [a] W2-1 (SFL First Division - game 9)
28y, 7m, 14d		23.10.1926 Dunfermline Athletic [h] W5-1 (SFL First Division - game 11)
28y, 7m, 21d		30.10.1926 Clyde [h] W3-0 (SFL First Division - game 12)
28y, 7m, 28d		06.11.1926 Aberdeen [a] W4-1 (SFL First Division - game 13)
28y, 8m, 4d		13.11.1926 Airdrieonians [h] W5-1 (SFL First Division - game 14)
28y, 8m, 18d		27.11.1926 Motherwell [a] L1-3 (SFL First Division - game 16)
28y, 9m, 2d		11.12.1926 Dundee United [h] D2-2 (SFL First Division - game 18)
28y, 9m, 23d		01.01.1927 Clyde [a] W5-0 (SFL First Division - game 21)
28y, 9m, 30d		08.01.1927 Dundee [a] L2-4 (SFL First Division - game 23)
28y, 10m, 6d		15.01.1927 Hamilton Academical [h] L2-3 (SFL First Division - game 24)
28y, 11m, 3d		12.02.1927 Hibernian [a] L2-3 (SFL First Division - game 27)
28y, 11m, 14d		23.02.1927 Cowdenbeath [h] W5-3 (SFL First Division - game 28)
28y, 11m, 17d		26.02.1927 Heart of Midlothian [h] D2-2 (SFL First Division - game 29)
28y, 11m, 24d		05.03.1927 Dundee United [h] W5-0 (Scottish Cup Quarter Final)
29y, 0m, 0d		09.03.1927 Dunfermline Athletic [a] D1-1 (SFL First Division - game 30)
29y, 0m, 10d		19.03.1927 Aberdeen [h] W4-0 (SFL First Division - game 32)
29y, 0m, 24d		02.04.1927 St Johnstone [h] W3-1 (SFL First Division - game 34)
29y, 1m, 0d		09.04.1927 Motherwell [h] W3-0 (SFL First Division - game 35)
29y, 1m, 7d		16.04.1927 St Mirren [a] W3-1 (SFL First Division - game 36)
29y, 1m, 14d		23.04.1927 Dundee United [a] L1-2 (SFL First Division - game 37)
29y, 1m, 28d		07.05.1927 Clyde [n] W4-1 (Glasgow Charity Cup Semi Final)
29y, 2m, 5d		14.05.1927 Rangers [n] W6-3 (Glasgow Charity Cup Final) aet
29y, 5m, 11d		20.08.1927 Kilmarnock [a] W3-2 (SFL First Division - game 2)
29y, 5m, 21d		30.08.1927 Clyde [h] L1-2 (Glasgow Cup Quarter Final)
29y, 5m, 25d		03.09.1927 Dundee [a] L2-4 (SFL First Division - game 4)
30y, 0m, 22d		31.03.1928 Motherwell [a] W3-1 (SFL First Division - game 34)
30y, 0m, 29d		07.04.1928 St Mirren [a] D2-2 (SFL First Division - game 35)
30y, 6m, 6d		15.09.1928 Motherwell [a] L4-5 (SFL First Division - game 5)
30y, 6m, 13d		22.09.1928 St Johnstone [h] W6-2 (SFL First Division - game 6)
30y, 6m, 27d		06.10.1928 Hamilton Academical [h] W8-0 (SFL First Division - game 8)
30y, 7m, 11d		20.10.1928 Clyde [h] W2-0 (SFL First Division - game 10)

Every Penalty

compiled from our All Games criteria.

#
1	29y, 0m, 24d		02.04.1927 St Johnstone [h] W3-1 (SFL First Division - game 34)	3-1, pen 2nd half

Sandy Hair
1/1 ← success rate → 100%

Partick Thistle
560/801 ← success rate → 69.9%
@ 07-Aug-2024

Who put the ball in the Rangers net?

Sandy featured at #1 in our Top 25 countdown here on The Thistle Archive →

14.05.1927 Rangers [n] W6-3 (Glasgow Charity Cup Final)
Bobby Grove (1-0, 18 mins); Sandy Hair (2-0, 23 mins); Sandy Hair (3-3, 65 mins); Sandy Hair (4-3, 102 mins); Sandy Hair (5-3, 105 mins); Sandy Hair (6-3, 115 mins)

Stanley Matthews, Ferenc Puskás, Kenny Dalglish, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney – they've all had a go. In fact, well over 5,000 sets of strikers have had a go since the 1870s. In all that time only one man ever managed to put the ball in the Rangers net FIVE times in a single competitive match – that man is Sandy Hair, of Partick Thistle. This would stand as an amazing feat in its own right – that he would do it for Thistle at Hampden in a Cup Final really takes the biscuit! 2 headers and 3 shots from the prolific striker helped Thistle to their first ever Glasgow Charity Cup success; a 6-3 victory over our old rivals on Saturday, 14th May, 1927.

Sandy was a late starter as a pro, joining the Jags, aged 25, in late May 1923, on the back of a sensational season in the junior game with Strathclyde, in which he had bagged 96 (NINETY SIX) goals, en-route to a League and Cup double. Although a wee guy, he was a good header of the ball and could score with either foot, although his left was especially deadly. He was a constant menace to all defenders with his remarkable stamina and clever awareness in the box.

Although his 5 goal feat came as a great surprise to casual observers, it may not have come as TOO much of a shock to those who were closely following the Jags in this season, for these goals took his final tally to 49 in just 46 games (the club played 48). Thistle fans had never seen the likes, nor have they since. 49 competitive goals (including 5 hat-tricks) is way out in front as a record tally for a player in a single season, as his League total of 41. It’s incredible to think that he had previously been rejected by Rangers for being “too wee”!

Remarkably, 3 of Sandy’s 5 goals came in the extra time period, which is another wholly unique occurrence in senior Scottish football. We look to the leading goal, the first in extra-time, as the one which struck the fatal blow, and broke Rangers resistance:

“At three minutes from half-time Hair got a lovely ground pass, and outpacing Gray, he fired a fine slanting ball past Moyles.”

At the end of the game, it’s reported that the referee approached our hero and handed him the match ball. It’s further reported that the crowd cheered vociferously and the Rangers players, in true sportsmanlike fashion, warmly congratulated Thistle's centre forward on his unique achievement.

Sometime after the game had finished, Alex’s mother heard a commotion outside their flat on Dalmarnock Road, near the bandstand at Bridgeton Cross. She leant out the window and shouted down: “what’s all the noise about?” Someone shouted up: “A local lad has just put five in against Rangers!” She looked down and, lo and behold, there was her very own son being carried home on the shoulders of a very happy crowd!

In fact, so delighted were Thistle’s supporters with Sandy that a commemorative trophy was awarded to him in recognition of his unique achievement, and to this day it rests on display in the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park.

With 100 goals in 122 games for Thistle, Sandy made a mockery of Rangers assertion that he was too wee; he was packing 5' 6 of pure Jaggy dynamite!

Who put the ball in the Rangers net?
Sandy!
Sandy!
Who put the ball in the Rangers net?
Sandy, Sandy Hair.
Sandy, Sandy Hair,
Sandy, Sandy Hair,
Who put the ball in the Rangers net?
Sandy, Sandy Hair!

(repeat x 5)