David Weir (English footballer)

For other people named David Weir, see David Weir (disambiguation).

David Weir

Personal information
Full name	David Weir
Date of birth	1863
Place of birth	Aldershot, England
Date of death	November 1933
Place of death	Bolton, England
Playing position	Various
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
	Hampton
	Maybole
	Glasgow Thistle
	Halliwell
1888–1890	Bolton Wanderers	43	(21)
1890–1892	Ardwick	14	(8)
1892–1895	Bolton Wanderers	43	(10)
–	Maybole
National team
1889	England	2	(0)
Teams managed
1909–1911	Glossop
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

David Weir (born 1863 in Aldershot, Hampshire, died 1933 in Bolton, Lancashire) was an English footballer who played for several clubs in the 19th century, including Bolton Wanderers and Ardwick (Manchester City), and won two caps for England.

Playing career

Club career

In the infancy of professional football, Weir played for a number of teams, including Hampton, Glasgow Thistle, Maybole and Halliwell. He then signed for Bolton Wanderers, where he was an ever-present in the first ever season of the Football League. He scored his first League goal on 22 September 1888 against the Preston North End team known as the Invincibles.

Weir played in a number of positions. In his first spell at Bolton he was renowned for his ability as a centre-half, yet scored 31 times in two seasons. In an FA Cup tie against Sheffield United on 1 February 1890, Weir scored four goals in a 13–0 rout, with a further five goals coming from Jim Cassidy.

In May 1890 he joined Ardwick, the predecessor of Manchester City. The transfer was viewed as an unusual move as Ardwick were not a League club at that time, and did not join the Football Alliance until 1891. At Ardwick, Weir played primarily as a forward. On 4 October 1890, he scored the club's first ever FA Cup goal, part of a hat-trick. Retaining the services of a player with the standing of Weir was costly for a fledgling club such as Ardwick; in the 1891–92 season the club hosted a benefit match against a representative team of internationals to raise money for him.

In 1892, Ardwick joined the Football League as founder members of the Second Division. Weir was the club's top goalscorer in their first League season, scoring eight goals in 14 appearances. In January 1893, he returned to Bolton Wanderers where he made a further 45 appearances over three seasons.

International career

His performances for Bolton resulted in international recognition; he made his England debut on 2 March 1889, a 6–1 win against Ireland. He gained a second cap a month later in a 3–2 defeat to Scotland. Some observers credited him with England's second goal, which was officially recorded as a Billy Bassett goal.

Managerial career

After his playing career, Weir had a brief period in football management, managing Glossop between 1909 and 1911.

References

• James, Gary (2006). Manchester City – The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-512-0. 
• "David Weir". Walking Down the Manny Road. http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s474/st94146.htm. Retrieved 27 May 2007. 
• "David Weir". Englandstats. http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=1033. Retrieved 27 May 2007. 

Persondata
Name	Weir, David
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1863
Place of birth	Aldershot, England
Date of death	1933
Place of death	Bolton, England