When Alexander “Sanny” Moffat signed for his local club, Irvine Meadow XI, in 1898 he could have had no idea that he was going to make history for the club. For as well as contributing towards Meadow’s first trophy success, he was the first Meadow player to be selected to play for his country.
“Sanny” was joining a young club that was thirsting for success. By the season’s end, the tall left-back had helped his new club to win two trophies: the Ayrshire Cup and the Irvine Herald Cup. In fact, the Ayrshire Cup took pride of place, as it was the first trophy Meadow had won as a Junior club.
More success was to follow in Sanny’s second season, with Meadow beating Darvel 2-1 in the final of the Irvine and District Cup. They also came close to retaining the Ayrshire Cup, drawing 1-1 with Newmilns in the final at Riverside Park in Galston, but going down 4-3 in the replay.
Another trophy was added to the collection in 1900-01, with Meadow winning the Ayrshire Cup for a second time. In the final at Kilmarnock’s Rugby Park, they beat Drongan by the only goal of the game scored by outside-right J Niven. It was during this season that Moffat was singled out for a special honour. He was selected and played for Scotland’s Junior international team, making him the first Irvine Meadow’s player to be capped for representing his country.
In Moffat’s first international match Scotland beat Ireland comfortably in Belfast on February 23rd 1901. Scotland were 3-0 ahead at half time, but Ireland came back strongly in the second half and Moffat had to show his defensive quality when ‘Ireland got away, Green shooting in, and the ball struck the bar, Moffat clearing’ (The Irvine Herald).
His debut and defensive qualities were noticed by a number of Senior clubs who were in search of new talent. ‘Alex Moffat, the Meadow XI captain, played a sterling game on Saturday in the Scotch team against Ireland. The popular left-back was besieged by splendid offers from senior clubs’ agents after the game, but to all and sundry he gave a decided No.’ (The Irvine Herald)
The Irvine Herald went on to quote from the contemporary sporting publication, The Scottish Referee, saying ‘in a brilliant eleven the best man for Scotland was undoubtedly Moffat of the Irvine Meadow eleven.’
The following month he was called up again, this time with the additional accolade of being made captain for the match at Celtic Park against England. The weather was awful, the pitch heavy, and only 4,000 paying spectators turned up to watch the game. Scotland started well and thought they had taken a deserved lead as half-time approached, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Scotland continued to be on top after the break and Ashfield’s left-winger, Dysart, opened the scoring for the home side. England came back strongly in the last fifteen minutes, but ‘McNair, Moffat and Coleman defended grandly.’ (The Irvine Herald).
‘Captain Moffat of the Meadow XI is undoubtedly Scotland’s greatest junior back. Against Ireland he was a marvel, and again on Saturday he played a great game and had the satisfaction of bringing his men out of the contest with a hard-earned victory.’ (The Irvine Herald)
He played in one more match for Junior Scotland, but the opponents at the Cresswell Park in Dumfries were the Southern Counties. As it was not an international match no caps were awarded to the players.
Later, in August 1901, Sanny appears to have changed his mind when the senior clubs’ agents came to see him and gave a decided Yes to Queen’s Park. Moffat, it seems, had decided to maintain his amateur status: ‘The player has repeatedly refused to have anything to do with the professional clubs and after declining an enormous sum from the Aston Villa, he has thrown in his lot with the Queen’s Park. He stands 6’2” in height and is said to be one of the finest backs playing in Scotland.’ (Edinburgh Evening News).
Over the next two seasons he turned out over twenty times for the Glasgow amateurs in league and cup matches, before returning to Ayrshire when he signed for Ayr F.C. in January 1903.
He stayed with the Ayr club for eight seasons, having switched to right-back, until the amalgamation with Ayr Parkhouse lead to the birth of Ayr United in 1910. He continued to play for the new club, but his business commitments prevented him from pulling on the gold and crimson hooped jersey of the Somerset Parkers as often as he would have wanted. After his playing days were behind him, he became a director of Ayr United in 1921 and also held the post of Club Treasurer.
“Sanny” Moffat’s call up to the national team paved the way for a stream of Meadow players to pull on the navy blue jersey of Junior Scotland in international matches. Great players like Sam Donnelly, Tommy Fullarton, Johnnie McIntyre, Jackie Morrison and, more recently, Richie Barr are just a few of the men Meadow XI have had capped.
Medda’s most capped player is, of course, Willie “Beef” Niven with a total of nine caps, all awarded in the 1950s. Like ”Sanny” Moffat, “Beef” Niven was also given the honour of captaining Junior Scotland.