{{short description|Scottish footballer (1905-1985)}} {{Use British English|date=May 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Danny Blair | fullname = Daniel Blair | image = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|2|2|df=y}} | birth_place = Parkhead, Scotland | death_date = {{death date and age|1985|3|7|1905|2|2|df=y}} | death_place = Blackpool, Lancashire, England | height = 5 ft 5+1/2 in<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-dispatch-football-guide-1936-vi-d/134505593/ |title=Blackpool. Brightest chances for three years: seasoned recruits |newspaper=Sunday Dispatch Football Guide |location=London |date=23 August 1936 |page=vi |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=3 November 2023 |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102213819/https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-dispatch-football-guide-1936-vi-d/134505593/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | position = Wing half, full back | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Davonport Albion | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Toronto Scottish | youthyears3 = | youthclubs3 = Willys Overland Motor Works | years1 = 1924–1925 | years2 = 1925 | years3 = 1925–1931 | years4 = 1931–1936 | years5 = 1936–1939 | clubs1 = Providence Clamdiggers | clubs2 = Parkhead Juniors | clubs3 = Clyde | clubs4 = Aston Villa | clubs5 = Blackpool | caps1 = 36 | caps2 = ? | caps3 = 179 | caps4 = 129 | caps5 = 121 | goals1 = 5 | goals2 = ? | goals3 = 2 | goals4 = 0 | goals5 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 1927–1928 | nationalteam1 = Scottish League XI | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 1928–1932 | nationalteam2 = Scotland | nationalcaps2 = 8 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | club-update = | ntupdate = }} '''Daniel Blair''' (2 February 1905 – 7 March 1985) was a Scottish football player who began his senior career in North America before finishing it in England. He also earned eight caps with the Scotland national team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://londonhearts.com/scotland/players/danielblair.html |title=Daniel Blair |work=londonhearts.com |publisher=London Hearts Supporters' Club |access-date=22 September 2013 |archive-date=28 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928172808/http://londonhearts.com/scotland/players/danielblair.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Early career== Although he was born in Parkhead, Scotland, Blair began with his career with junior clubs Rasharkin in 1920 and Cullybackey in 1921, while he was a student in Ireland.<ref name = "vintage">{{cite web | url=https://www.vintagefootballers.com/product/blair-danny-image-1-aston-villa-1936/ | title=Blair Danny Image 1 Aston Villa 1936 | publisher=Vintage Footballers | access-date=20 April 2020 | archive-date=18 May 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518084508/https://www.vintagefootballers.com/product/blair-danny-image-1-aston-villa-1936/ | url-status=live }}<br />{{cite web | url=https://www.vintagefootballers.com/product/blair-danny-image-6-clyde-1929/ | title=Blair Danny Image 6 Clyde 1929 | publisher=Vintage Footballers | access-date=20 April 2020 }}</ref> He then went on to play in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with Davonport Albion in 1922.<ref name = "vintage"/> He then moved to Toronto Scottish, and Willys Overland in 1923, before signing with the Providence Clamdiggers of the American Soccer League in 1924.<ref>{{cite book | last = Jose | first = Colin | title = American Soccer League, 1921–1931 | publisher=The Scarecrow Press | year = 1998 | isbn = 0-8108-3429-4}}</ref><ref name = "vintage"/>
== Return to the UK == After one season, he returned to Scotland where he signed with Parkhead Juniors, shortly before moving to Clyde in April 1925.<ref name = "vintage"/> He spent six seasons with Clyde<ref name=litsterprewar>[A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players], John Litster / Scottish Football Historian magazine, October 2012</ref> before transferring to Aston Villa of the Football League for £7,000 on 24 October 1931. Blair played 138 League and Cup games for Aston Villa.<ref name = "vintage"/> He played 37 times as Villa finished runners up to Arsenal in the League Championship in 1932–33 and was a member of their team that reached the 1934 FA Cup semi final, where they were heavily beaten by the eventual winner Manchester City.<ref name = "vintage"/> He then joined Blackpool. He made his debut for ''the Tangerines'' in the opening League game of the 1936–37 season, in a 2–1 victory at Leicester City on 29 August 1936.<ref name = "vintage"/> He went on to be an ever-present that campaign, starting in all of the club's 42 League games and two FA Cup games, as the team won promotion from Division Two.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scotsfootballworldwide.scot/brownbattles | title=Brown Battles | publisher=Scots Football Worldwide | access-date=20 April 2020 | archive-date=26 June 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626221404/https://www.scotsfootballworldwide.scot/brownbattles | url-status=live }}</ref> He remained with Blackpool until the Second World War in 1939. Throughout his whole career he played in 408 League matches and scored two goals, both for Clyde.<ref name = "vintage"/>
== International career ==
Blair made his International debut for Scotland in a 4–2 win over Wales at Ibrox in October 1928. He won a total of eight caps for his country.<ref name = "vintage"/><ref name = "sfa">{{cite web | url = https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=113251&lid=1 | title = DANIEL BLAIR | publisher = Scottish F.A. | access-date = 20 April 2020 | archive-date = 19 November 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211119144228/https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=113251&lid=1 | url-status = live }}</ref> He captained the team against Austria in May 1931.<ref>{{cite web | title = International Matches: Austria v Scotland, 1931 | url = https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international-matches/?mid=57783 | publisher = Scottish FA | access-date = 28 July 2020 | archive-date = 6 June 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200606194128/https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international-matches/?mid=57783 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Brown | first = Paul | url = http://www.ufwc.co.uk/2010/01/austria-5-0-scotland-1931/ | title = Austria vs Scotland 1931 | publisher = UFWC | date = 15 January 2010 | access-date = 28 July 2020 | archive-date = 10 August 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200810163318/https://www.ufwc.co.uk/2010/01/austria-5-0-scotland-1931/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
He received league honours with the Glasgow Junior League against the breakaway Intermediate League in 1925,<ref>{{ cite web | title = GLASGOW LEAGUE BEATEN | url = https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000566/19251025/107/0015 | newspaper = Sunday Post | date = 25 October 1925 | access-date = 25 March 2022 | url-access=subscription }} (via) British Newspaper Archive.</ref> and later on with the senior Scottish League XI three times between 1927 and 1928.<ref name = "vintage"/>
Selected to represent the Scottish FA XI team that toured Canada in 1927, Blair featured in eleven matches in total.<ref>{{cite web | title=Scottish Football Association Tour, 1927 | url=http://www.canadiansoccerhistory.com/British_Tours_to%20Canada/Scottish%20FATour1927.html | publisher=Canadian Soccer History | access-date=20 April 2020 | archive-date=29 December 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229170031/http://www.canadiansoccerhistory.com/British_Tours_to%20Canada/Scottish%20FATour1927.html | url-status=live }}<br />{{cite web | title=Scottish Football Association Tour, 1927 | website=RSSSF | url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesb/britishfatours.html | access-date=20 July 2020 | archive-date=6 July 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706153542/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesb/britishfatours.html | url-status=live }}<br />{{cite web | title=Scottish Football Association Tour, 1927 | url=https://www.oocities.org/br1anmccoll/sfatour.htm | publisher=SFHA | access-date=20 July 2020 }}</ref> He earned further honours with Glasgow in the annual inter-city fixture Sheffield.<ref>{{cite web | title = Glasgow Well Beaten in Inter-City Match | url = http://partickthistleahistory.wikifoundry.com/page/1929+-+Sheffield+v+Glasgow | newspaper = Glasgow Herald | date = 17 September 1929 | access-date = 20 July 2020 | archive-date = 14 March 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160314061956/http://partickthistleahistory.wikifoundry.com/page/1929+-+Sheffield+v+Glasgow | url-status = dead }} (via) PTFC History Archive.</ref>
==Achievements== '''Clyde''' *Scottish Division Two promotion: 1925–26 *Glasgow Cup winner: 1925–26
'''Aston Villa''' *Football League First Division runner-up: 1932–33
'''Blackpool''' *Football League Second Division promotion: 1936–37 *Lancashire Senior Cup winner: 1936–37
'''Scotland'''<ref name = "sfa"/> *British Home Championship winner: 1928–29 **Runner-up: 1931–32
==See also== *List of Scotland national football team captains
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/127.html Profile] at ''Aston Villa Player Database''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Danny}} Category:1905 births Category:1985 deaths Category:Scottish men's footballers Category:Parkhead Category:Footballers from Glasgow Category:Scotland men's international footballers Category:American Soccer League (1921–1933) players Category:Toronto Scottish players Category:Providence F.C. players Category:Blackpool F.C. players Category:Aston Villa F.C. players Category:Clyde F.C. players Category:Scottish Junior Football Association players Category:Scottish Football League representative players Category:Scottish Football League players Category:English Football League players Category:Parkhead F.C. players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Canada Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers Category:20th-century Scottish sportsmen