People of the 20th Century
ANDY WILSON

Scottish international Andy Wilson was acclaimed as the only Orcadian to achieve significant national success as a footballer in the early hours of the 20th century.

And in 1923 he signed for Chelsea for a fee of £6,000.

He was born Andrew Beattie Wilson on October 28, 1895, a son of Sergeant Major Andrew Wilson and his wife Susan, of the Drill Cottage, Stronsay, Sergeant Major Wilson had been posted to the island six years earlier as instructor to the Stronsay company of the Orkney Volunteer Artillery.

He did not stay on the island afterwards as the family are believed to have moved to Lanarkshire – which is where some of Wilson’s former clubs actually claim he was born.

In fact, he started his career with Cambuslang Rangers but had just joined Middlesborough when World War One broke out. He fought in the war – in which his left arm was shattered – but he battled his way back to fitness to play for Hearts and Dunfermline before returning to Middlesborough in 1921 where he scored 31 goals in 32 games in a season to win a place as a regular Scottish international.

After his move to Chelsea in 1923, he spent eight years at Stamford Bridge before moving to West London neighbours Queen’s Park Rangers and then spending two years with Nimes in France.

In October, 1934, he became manager of Walsall FC, in the English Midlands, and in his first season guided the club to fourth in Division Three South – the highest position Walsall had ever achieved at that time. He remained at Walsall until April, 1937, during which time he signed Bert Williams, the goalkeeper who eventually went on to play for Wolverhampton Wanderers and England.

Before the outbreak of World War Two, he returned to Chelsea in a coaching capacity – but, after the war, he achieved fame in another sport as an international bowls player. Andy Wilson died in 1973 at the age of 77.