Malcolm McVean

Malcolm McVean
Personal information
Full name Malcolm McVean
Date of birth 7 March 1871
Place of birth Jamestown, Scotland
Date of death 6 June 1907(1907-06-06) (aged 36)
Place of death Bonhill, Scotland[1]
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Vale Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1890–1891 Vale of Leven 4 (0)
1891–1892 Third Lanark 20 (6)
1892–1897 Liverpool 89 (24)
1897 Burnley 4 (0)
1897–1898 Dundee 16 (7)
1898–1899 Bedminster
1899–1900 Clydebank
1900–1901 Renton
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Malcolm McVean (7 March 1871 – 6 June 1907) was a Scottish association footballer who played as a winger.[2] He is notable for having scored Liverpool's first ever goal, in a friendly against Rotherham Town on 1 September 1892, which Liverpool won 7–1.

He started his career with Third Lanark before he was signed by newly formed Liverpool in 1892. As well as scoring their first ever goal, McVean was also Liverpool's captain for their first ever competitive match, in the Lancashire League against Higher Walton on 3 September 1892. Walton did not arrive until forty-five minutes after the scheduled kick-off time, and Liverpool won 8–0.

When Liverpool were admitted to the Football League a year later, it was McVean who scored their first ever goal in the League, in a 2–0 win away from home over Middlesbrough Ironopolis on 2 September 1893. He also scored twice in Liverpool's first ever victory over top flight opposition when Preston North End were beaten 3–2 in a classic FA cup upset in 1894.[3]

In all McVean made 89 league appearances for the Reds, forty-three of them in the top division where he scored eight goals in four seasons from 1893 until 1897 when he spent the end of his fourth, and final league season with Burnley where he made just four appearances.

McVean has the unusual distinction of having experienced promotion or relegation in each of his four seasons in England; Liverpool 1894 – promoted, 1895 – relegated, 1896 – promoted, Burnley, 1897 – relegated.

He left English league football for his native Scotland where he joined Dundee.[4] He also had spells with Bedminster[5] and Clydebank.[6]

  1. ^ The death of Malcolm McVean, Dundee Courier, 11 June 1907, via Play Up, Liverpool
  2. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Giant Killers 1894
  4. ^ "Malcolm McVean | Player Statistics | Dundee (Dee Archive)". deearchive.co.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  5. ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888–1939. SoccerData.
  6. ^ Malcolm McVean transferred to Clydebank, Scottish Referee, 21 August 1899, via Play Up, Liverpool