 Raisbeck in Scotland colours (yellow and pink), c. 1901 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Galloway Raisbeck[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 26 December 1878 | ||
| Place of birth | Wallacestone, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 12 March 1949 (aged 70) | ||
| Place of death | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1894–1896 | Larkhall Thistle | ||
| 1896–1898 | Hibernian | 25 | (3) |
| 1898 | Stoke | 4 | (0) |
| 1898–1909 | Liverpool | 312 | (19) |
| 1909–1914 | Partick Thistle | 113 | (7) |
| Total | 454 | (29) | |
| International career | |||
| 1897–1912 | Scottish League XI | 3 | (0) |
| 1900–1907 | Scotland | 8 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1914–1917 | Hamilton Academical | ||
| 1921–1929 | Bristol City | ||
| 1930–1936 | Halifax Town | ||
| 1936–1938 | Chester | ||
| 1938–1939 | Bath City | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alexander Galloway Raisbeck (26 December 1878 – 12 March 1949) was a Scottish professional football player and manager. After playing junior football for Larkhall Thistle, he was signed by Hibernian where he made his professional debut at the age of 17. Despite playing only ten matches in his first season, he was chosen to represent a Scottish League XI in a match against their Irish counterparts.
In 1898, he joined English First Division side Stoke on a short term deal at the end of the 1897–98 season, playing in four league matches and four Football League test matches to help the club avoid relegation. His form attracted attention from other clubs and he signed for Liverpool in May 1898. He quickly established himself in the first-team and was appointed club captain after two seasons at the age of 21, leading the side to their first ever league title in 1901. Liverpool were relegated in 1904 and Raisbeck subsequently cancelled his plans to leave the club to help them win promotion back to the First Division at the first attempt, winning the Second Division title in 1905.
Returning to the First Division for the 1905–06 season, he was part of the side that won the league title on their return. He remained with Liverpool until 1909, making over 300 appearances during an eleven-year spell, when mounting injuries and homesickness led him to seek a return to his native Scotland, eventually signing for Partick Thistle. He captained Thistle for five seasons before undergoing an operation to cure potential appendicitis that led to his retirement from playing in 1914.
During his career, Raisbeck also represented the Scotland national team on nine occasions between 1900 and 1907, although a match against England in which 25 fans died in a stand collapse was later discounted. Following his retirement, Raisbeck managed Hamilton Academical, Bristol City, Halifax Town, Chester and Bath City.
- ^ John Cairney (2011). A Scottish Football Hall of Fame. Random House. ISBN 978-1840180442.
- ^ "Alex Raisbeck". LFC History. Retrieved 4 March 2018.