Willie Stewart

Willie Stewart

Born in Coupar Angus, Perthshire in 1872, William played for Our Boys Dundee before moving south to Warwick County.

His move to Newton Heath (Manchester United) in 1899 was the making of him though, as in six years in Manchester he graduated from the forward line to become ‘one of the best central defender in the country’.

It is a credit to the determination of the Town’s directors to improve the quality of the team that they managed to entice him down in the summer of 1895. Although he was robust and a master of the shoulder charge he could also bring the ball out of defence and weigh in with more than his fair share of goals.

Virtually ever present for three seasons, he left the club, who were in dire financial straits, in 1898 for a season at Millwall before rejoining.

With the club still in financial difficulties he left again in January 1900 for a spell at Thames Ironworks before moving to Dundee with whom he had a long association.

William passed away in Dundee in 1945.