A ‘keeper still so fondly remembered that it was only a few years ago that the Windsor Park Kop was renamed the “Alex Russell Stand”…Name: Alexander Russell
Born: 18 January 1923, Kells, Co. Antrim
Died: 24 February 2014, Antrim (age 91)
Height: 5.10 ft or 5.11 ft
Weight: 11.10 st
Position: Goalkeeper
Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Full Cap (1946); Irish League: 11 Caps (1950-1958).
Club Honours: (with Linfield) Irish League Champion 1948/49, 1949/50, 1953/54, 1954/55 1955/56; Irish Cup Winner 1947/48, 1949/50, 1952/53, Runner-Up 1957/58; Gold Cup Winner 1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51; City Cup Winner 1949/50; Ulster Cup Winner 1949, 1955; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1952/53, 1954/55, 1957/58.
Awards: Torrans Trophy 2012.
Club Career:
Biography:
In a close-to twenty year Irish League career Alex ‘Sandy’ Russell won 39 medals, played in eleven inter-league matches and represented Ireland just once. Selected for the first post-war Ireland international match he was on the end of a seven goals as the likes of Mannion, Finney and Lawton ran riot for England.
Russell started out as a half-back with Ballymena Tech, taking the ‘keeper’s jersey only when the regular custodian was unavailable. He then played Intermediate football with Summerfield before joining Cliftonville, where he was regarded as "something special", during the Second World War. He came to the notice of Linfield during an Irish Cup semi-final, and he was signed as understudy to Tommy Breen.
After Breen left Windsor Park for Shamrock Rovers, Russell was promoted to regular number one. Just a year after his Blues debut he was awarded that sole cap, and despite the heavy defeat, never gave up on the hope of winning a second cap. Although it was not to be he made do with the plethora of honours he won with Linfield. Eventually displaced by Bobby Irvine in the late ‘fifties, Russell retired in 1960 having played around 600 games and won 30 trophies with Linfield.
Russell remained with Linfield as coach of the Swifts. In the early-seventies he had a spell as first-team trainer, a position he left after eighteen months due to business commitments, bringing to an end a thirty year association with the Blues.
Club Career:
Teams
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Seasons
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Signed
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Fee
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League
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FA Cup
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Other
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Ballymena
Tech
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Youth
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Summerfield
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(Irish Intermediate League)
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Cliftonville
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41/2-43/4
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Amateur
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Linfield
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45/4-59/0
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c/s-45
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TOTALS
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£-
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Biography:
In a close-to twenty year Irish League career Alex ‘Sandy’ Russell won 39 medals, played in eleven inter-league matches and represented Ireland just once. Selected for the first post-war Ireland international match he was on the end of a seven goals as the likes of Mannion, Finney and Lawton ran riot for England.
Russell started out as a half-back with Ballymena Tech, taking the ‘keeper’s jersey only when the regular custodian was unavailable. He then played Intermediate football with Summerfield before joining Cliftonville, where he was regarded as "something special", during the Second World War. He came to the notice of Linfield during an Irish Cup semi-final, and he was signed as understudy to Tommy Breen.
After Breen left Windsor Park for Shamrock Rovers, Russell was promoted to regular number one. Just a year after his Blues debut he was awarded that sole cap, and despite the heavy defeat, never gave up on the hope of winning a second cap. Although it was not to be he made do with the plethora of honours he won with Linfield. Eventually displaced by Bobby Irvine in the late ‘fifties, Russell retired in 1960 having played around 600 games and won 30 trophies with Linfield.
Russell remained with Linfield as coach of the Swifts. In the early-seventies he had a spell as first-team trainer, a position he left after eighteen months due to business commitments, bringing to an end a thirty year association with the Blues.
Russell was an uncle of broadcaster, Jackie Fullerton.
Look At Linfield Interview
Look At Linfield Career Details
Ireland Cap Details:
28-09-1946 England H L 2-7 BC
Summary: 1/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.
Inter-League Details:
17-03-1950 League of Ireland A L 1-3
19-05-1951 Welsh League..... A L 0-2
05-09-1951 Welsh League..... H L 3-7
26-09-1951 Scottish League.. A L 0-3
07-09-1955 Scottish League.. A L 0-3
16-11-1955 Western Command.. H W 8-1
17-03-1956 League of Ireland A L 0-1
02-04-1956 League of Ireland H W 6-0
25-04-1956 Football League.. H W 5-2
05-09-1956 Scottish League.. H L 1-7
07-04-1958 League of Ireland H W 3-1
Summary: 11/0. Won 4, Drew 0, Lost 7.
Look At Linfield Interview
Look At Linfield Career Details
Ireland Cap Details:
28-09-1946 England H L 2-7 BC
Summary: 1/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.
Inter-League Details:
17-03-1950 League of Ireland A L 1-3
19-05-1951 Welsh League..... A L 0-2
05-09-1951 Welsh League..... H L 3-7
26-09-1951 Scottish League.. A L 0-3
07-09-1955 Scottish League.. A L 0-3
16-11-1955 Western Command.. H W 8-1
17-03-1956 League of Ireland A L 0-1
02-04-1956 League of Ireland H W 6-0
25-04-1956 Football League.. H W 5-2
05-09-1956 Scottish League.. H L 1-7
07-04-1958 League of Ireland H W 3-1
Summary: 11/0. Won 4, Drew 0, Lost 7.
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