A life in cards - Bob McKay

Continuing our series of great Scottish players from days gone by through the medium of cigarette cards, we take a look back at the career of Bob McKay.

Bob McKay only left Glasgow Rangers for Newcastle United in November 1926, but is already regarded as one of the most effective players Scotland has sent South. He studied soccer and other subjects at Quarry Brae Public School. His first club, Parkhead White Rose lifted the Scottish Juvenile Cup, Glasgow Junior Cup, and Glasgow North Eastern Cup in the season of 1917-1918. His luck, pluck and play helped Morton to win the Scottish Cup in 1921-22. He was only with Glasgow Rangers part of a season.

Robert McKay, born in September of 1900 in Glasgow played his senior football for Morton, part of the 1921 Cup Winning team. McKay joined Rangers in 1925 but only stayed for a short time before joining Newcastle United for a £2,750 fee in November 1926.

As inside-right, he'd go on to make a valuable contribution to Newcastle's 1926/27 season, scoring 11 goals in 28 appearances (including a hat-trick on his debut) and playing alongside other notable Scottish expats such as Hughie Gallacher, William Wilson and William Gibson. He remained with Newcastle for two years, before moving on to Sunderland (51 appearances and 17 goals), Charlton Athletic and Bristol Rovers (scoring 17 times in 91 appearances). He would captain his final club Newport County, where he finished his playing career in 1936.

He became manager of Dundee United in 1939, but with the start of the Second World War shortly afterwards, he would not get a chance to prove himself in the hotseat - the league was abandoned after only four games.

After the war he had a second spell as manager, this time with Northern Irish side Ballymena United where McKay would win the County Antrim Shield.

McKay died in 1977, at the age of 76 in Glasgow.