{{short description|Scottish footballer and manager}} {{For|the other Scottish player called Alex Forbes who played in the Football League (date of birth unknown)|Alex S. Forbes}} {{other people|Alexander Forbes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Use British English|date=August 2012}} {{Infobox football biography | image = | name = Alex Forbes | fullname = Alexander Rooney Forbes<ref>{{Hugman|6590|accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date|1925|1|21|df=y}} | birth_place = Dundee, Scotland | death_date = {{death date and age|2014|7|28|1925|1|21|df=y}} | death_place = Johannesburg, South Africa | height = | position = Wing half | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Dundee North End | years1 = 1944–1948 | years2 = 1948–1956 | years3 = 1956–1957 | years4 = 1957–1958 | clubs1 = Sheffield United | clubs2 = Arsenal | clubs3 = Leyton Orient | clubs4 = Fulham | caps1 = 61 | caps2 = 240 | caps3 = 8 | caps4 = 4 | goals1 = 6 | goals2 = 20 | goals3 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 1947–1952 | nationalteam1 = Scotland<ref name = "sfa">{{SFA profile|id=113177}}</ref> | nationalcaps1 = 14 | nationalgoals1 = 0 }} '''Alexander Rooney Forbes''' (21 January 1925 – 28 July 2014) was a Scottish football player and manager.
==Playing career== Forbes was born in Dundee.<ref name = "obit"/> As a teenager he worked in the dockyards and played junior football for Dundee North End.<ref name="obit">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-alexander-rooney-forbes-footballer-and-coach-1-3494125 |first=Matthew |last=Vallance |title=Obituary: Alexander Rooney Forbes, footballer and coach |work=The Scotsman|date=31 July 2014 |accessdate=31 July 2014 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He signed for English professional club Sheffield United in 1944 and became a first team regular when competitive football resumed after the end of the Second World War.<ref name = "obit"/> Forbes suffered an injury during the 1947–48 season and lost his place in the Sheffield United first team, which prompted Forbes to ask for a transfer.<ref name = "obit"/>
Arsenal signed Forbes in March 1948 for a fee of £15,000.<ref name = "obit"/> The move was encouraged by Forbes' Scotland teammate Archie Macaulay, who subsequently lost his place in the Arsenal team to Forbes.<ref name = "obit"/> Arsenal won the English league championship in 1947–48 and the FA Cup in 1950.<ref name = "obit"/> Forbes played an important role in the latter victory, as Arsenal defeated Liverpool 2–0 in the final.<ref name = "obit"/> Arsenal reached another FA Cup final in 1952, but they lost 1–0 to Newcastle.<ref name = "obit"/> The club then won another league championship in 1952–53, finishing ahead of Preston on goal average.<ref name = "obit"/>
Forbes suffered from recurring knee injuries during the 1955–56 season.<ref name = "obit"/> Arsenal signed Dave Bowen to replace Forbes, who they allowed to leave at the end of the season.<ref name = "obit"/> Forbes played for Leyton Orient, Fulham and non-league club Gravesend and Northfleet before retiring as a player.<ref name = "obit"/>
Forbes played 14 times for Scotland from 1947 to 1952.<ref name = "sfa"/> He also represented Scotland at ice hockey.<ref>[http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140728/alex-forbes-1925-2014 Alex Forbes 1925-2014], Arsenal FC.</ref>
==Coaching career== Forbes returned to Arsenal as a youth team coach.<ref name = "obit"/> While taking an Arsenal team on a tour of South Africa in 1964, he was offered the opportunity to coach the Wanderers side.<ref name = "obit"/> Forbes decided to accept and emigrated soon afterwards.<ref name = "obit"/> Although Wanderers were an all-white club at the time, Forbes also coached black players in township and gold mine teams.<ref name = "obit"/> He became manager of Orlando Pirates in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/2007/08/21/south-africa-and-scotland-renew-old-ties/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728233934/http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/2007/08/21/south-africa-and-scotland-renew-old-ties/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 July 2014 |title=South Africa and Scotland renew old ties |first=Mark |last=Gleeson |date=21 August 2007 |accessdate=28 July 2014 |work=Reuters }}</ref> His life in South Africa was not dull and saw him coach a few more teams after Pirates. The likes of Rangers, Highlands Park, Western Tigers and Swaraj all in his later years. He also coached football at Yeshiva College for many years.<ref name = "obit"/> Forbes briefly became coach of the Israeli club Maccabi Haifa and he also worked in Kuwait.<ref name = "obit"/> He only fully retired from football when he was aged 83, when he had already been diagnosed as suffering from prostate cancer.<ref name = "obit"/>
==Personal life== He loved to play snooker,<ref name = "obit"/> joining the Wanderers Club in 1964 when he came to South Africa. He won more trophies at the Wanderers tournaments than in his football years, but it just shows that his determination to win was not left behind in England.
He enjoyed greyhound racing and bought and owned the 1953 McAlinden Cup champion Rose of Meath.<ref>{{cite news|title=Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1953)|newspaper=Greyhound Star}}</ref>
He was a teacher at Yeshiva College for 35 years<ref name = "obit"/> and passed on his knowledge and expertise in football and life skills to many children. In the days after his death, 4,000 former pupils posted messages of condolence on a Facebook memorial page created by Yeshiva College.<ref name = "obit"/>
He died in his bed in the early hours of 28 July 2014.<ref name = "obit"/> He was survived by his wife Peggy, who he met at Walthamstow dog track while on an Arsenal players' night out.<ref name = "obit"/> Forbes was also survived by two children (Bobby and Jan)<ref name = "obit"/> and three grandchildren - Jason and Andrew (Bobby) and Alex (f)(Jan).
Forbes was the last surviving member from either Arsenal or Liverpool who played in the 1950 FA Cup Final.
== Honours == === Player === '''Sheffield United''' *Football League North: 1945–46<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sufc.co.uk/news/2014/july/alex-forbes-1925-2014/ | title=ALEX FORBES 1925-2014 | publisher=SUFC | access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref>
'''Arsenal''' *Football League First Division: 1947–48, 1952–53 *FA Cup: 1949–50; runner-up: 1951–52<ref>{{cite book |first1=Leslie |first2=Jack |last1=Vernon |last2=Rollin |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78 |year=1977 |publisher=Brickfield Publications Ltd |location=London |isbn=0354 09018 6 |page=490}}</ref> *FA Charity Shield: 1953<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1953-54CharityShield.htm|title=1953/54 F.A. Charity Shield |website=footballsite.co.uk |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>
=== Manager === '''Swaraj United''' *Soccer Federation Cup: 1977<ref>{{cite web | url=https://risingsunlenasia.co.za/8156/swaraj-bids-farewell-to-alex-forbes/?pwa-amp& | title=Swaraj bids farewell to Alex Forbes | date=12 August 2014 | publisher=Rising Sunlen Asia | access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref>
'''Rangers Johannesburg''' *NSL First Division: 1986<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/south-african-premiership/story/3580944/simon-murray-to-add-to-scottish-links-to-south-african-football?platform=amp | title=Simon Murray to add to Scottish links to South African football | publisher=ESPN | date=1 August 2018 | access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
;Sources * {{cite book|last=Harris|first=Jeff|editor-last=Hogg|editor-first=Tony|title=Arsenal Who's Who|publisher=Independent UK Sports|year=1995|isbn=1-899429-03-4}}
{{Maccabi Haifa F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Alex}} Category:1925 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Scottish men's footballers Category:Men's association football wing halves Category:Sheffield United F.C. players Category:Arsenal F.C. players Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players Category:Fulham F.C. players Category:Scotland men's international footballers Category:Footballers from Dundee Category:Arsenal F.C. non-playing staff Category:Expatriate football managers in Israel Category:English Football League players Category:Dundee North End F.C. players Category:Scottish ice hockey players Category:Scottish football managers Category:Scottish expatriate football managers Category:Expatriate soccer managers in South Africa Category:Maccabi Haifa F.C. managers Category:Orlando Pirates F.C. managers Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in South Africa Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Israel Category:Scottish emigrants to South Africa Category:20th-century Scottish sportsmen