George McLay MM (1889 – 22 October 1917) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish League for Raith Rovers as a wing half.[4]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George McLay[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 1889 | ||
| Place of birth | Crossgates, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 22 October 1917 (aged 28)[2] | ||
| Place of death | near Poelcappelle, Belgium[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Wing half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1910 | Glencraig Celtic | ||
| 1910–1915 | Raith Rovers | 79 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Personal life
editMcLay served as a sergeant in McCrae's Battalion of the Royal Scots during the First World War and saw action at the Battle of the Somme.[3] As McLay advanced near Poelcappelle during the Battle of Passchendaele on 22 October 1917, he became trapped in barbed wire and was shot multiple times, before being shot through the head.[3] He was posthumously awarded the Military Medal for his actions.[3] McLay is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.[2]
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Raith Rovers | 1910–11[1] | Scottish First Division | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 1911–12[1] | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 1912–13[1] | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| 1913–14[1] | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| 1914–15[1] | 10 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 79 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 83 | 5 | ||
Honours
edit- Raith Rovers Hall of Fame[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
- ^ a b "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Brown, Gordon. "George McLay: Hall of Fame induction for a true hero". www.fifetoday.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "They Died in the Conflict in Season 1916–1917" (PDF). p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
