Alan Cousin
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 March 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Alloa, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 20 September 2016 (aged 78) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Alloa Y.M | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1955–1965 | Dundee | 288 | (103) |
| 1965–1969 | Hibernian | 84 | (4) |
| 1969–1970 | Falkirk | 14 | (0) |
| Total | 386 | (107) | |
| National team | |||
| 1958 | Scottish League XI | 2 | (1) |
| 1958–1960 | Scotland U23[1] | 3 | (3) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Alan Cousin (7 March 1938 – 20 September 2016)[2] was a Scottish footballer, who played for Dundee, Hibernian, and Falkirk.[2][3][4]
Career
At the age of 16, Cousin played rugby in the mornings and football in the afternoons, for Alloa Y.M.C.A. He was noticed within a year of helping out the Central Scottish side and played for Scotland Under 16s, where as a Centre Forward, he was in the side that beat England 8-1.
Scouts from various clubs sought his skills, but it was Dundee manager Willie Thornton who succeeded in signing him. Cousin made his debut when first team regular George Merchant was injured and one month later, he scored his first goal for Dundee. The match was a 5-1 friendly victory against Manchester United, who had just become the English champions.
After establishing a first-team place, Cousin attended St. Andrews University to study Greek and Latin for an Arts Degree, whilst combining this with his early professional footballing career. Often his training would involve running on the St. Andrews beach later made famous in the film Chariots Of Fire.
Cousin was Dundee's top goalscorer three years in a row from 1958 to 1960. He played in attack for Dundee alongside Alan Gilzean in a team considered by Bob Crampsey to be the best produced in Scotland since the Second World War.[5] Dundee won the Scottish League championship in 1962 and then reached the semi-final of the European Cup in the following season.[5] Cousin played in every match of the championship-winning season.[5]
Cousin was dubbed the 'King of the double shuffle' [6] because of his ability to repeatedly outwit opposing players, by stepping over the ball. He was inducted into the Dundee F.C. Hall Of Fame in a tribute dinner in 2011, to salute his contribution to football at the club.
Cousin died in September 2016, aged 78.[7]
References
- ↑ http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu23/player.php?playerid=46
- 1 2 "Alan Cousin". www.ihibs.co.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ↑ "DUNDEE : 1946/47 - 2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ↑ "FALKIRK : 1946/47 - 2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- 1 2 3 Pattullo, Alan (8 November 2003). "The unlikely lads who earned status as Dundee's style icons". The Scotsman. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ↑ Local Heroes (29 September 2012). "Local Heroes: Alan Cousin". DC Thomson. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ Masson, James (20 September 2016). "Tributes after Dundee legend Alan Cousin dies aged 78". Evening Telegraph. DC Thomson. Retrieved 20 September 2016.