Andy Auld

Infobox Football biography
playername= Andy Auld
fullname = Andrew Auld
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date|1900|6|26
cityofbirth = Stevenston
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = death date and age|1977|12|6|1900|6|26
cityofdeath = Johnston, Rhode Island
countryofdeath = United States
height =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Wing Half
youthyears = 1911-1913
youthclubs = Stevenston F.C.
years = 1919-1921
1921-1923
1924-1928
1928-1930
Spring 1931
1931-1933
1933-1935
clubs = Ardeer Thistle
Parkhead
Providence Clamdiggers
→ Providence Gold Bugs
→ Fall River F.C.
Pawtucket Rangers
Newark Portuguese
caps(goals) =
159 (20)
118 (11)
010 0(3)
nationalyears = 1926-1930
nationalteam = United States
nationalcaps(goals) = 005 0(2)
manageryears =
managerclubs =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Andrew "Andy" Auld (January 26, 1900 in Stevenston, North Ayrshire, Scotland – December 6, 1977 in Johnston, Rhode Island) is a deceased Scottish American soccer player who spent most of his professional career in the American Soccer League as a midfielder and forward. He earned five caps with the U.S. national team, three coming in the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1986.

Early career

Auld began his organized soccer career with Scottish club Stevenston F.C. in 1911, when he was eleven years old. He stayed with the club for three years, until he entered the military in 1913. His service continued through World War I and Auld was not discharged until 1919. When he left the military, he joined Ardeer Thistle in 1919. He remained with the club for three years, until he moved to Glasgow club Parkhead F.C. in 1921. In 1923, he immigrated to the United States to live in Gillespie, Illinois. Life in the U.S. did not suit Auld and he decided to return to Scotland; however, he stopped en route to visit his sister who lived in Niagara Falls, New York. While there, he played a game of pick up soccer. During the game, a scout for the Providence Clam Diggers of the American Soccer League (ASL) saw him and after the game convinced Auld to sign with the Diggers. At the time, the ASL was one of the highest paying and most competitive soccer leagues in the world. Team owners used these qualities to draw many of the top European, especially English and Scottish, players to the U.S.

American Soccer League

Auld would spend six seasons with Providence, playing 277 games with them. In 1928, the club renamed itself the Gold Bugs. Then in 1930, a consortium of businessmen in Fall River, Massachusetts bought the club and moved it to that city, renaming the team Fall River F.C.. Auld played ten games during the spring 1931 season with Fall River before moving to the Pawtucket Rangers for the remaining eight games of the spring 1931 season. [cite book | last = Jose | first = Colin | title = American Soccer League, 1921-1931 | format = Hardback | publisher = The Scarecrow Press | year = 1998 | id = (ISBN 0-8108-3429-4) ] When the first American Soccer League finally collapsed in 1933, the Rangers moved to the New England Division of the second American Soccer League for the 1933-1934 season. [ [http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1934.html 1934 U.S. soccer history] ] In 1934, he joined Newark Portuguese, a semi-professional team. However, he spent only two years with the club and retired from playing in 1935.

National team

While Auld had an excellent professional career, he is best known as a member of the U.S. national team which took third place at the 1930 FIFA World Cup. Auld earned his first cap with the national team in a November 6, 1926 6-1 dismantling of Canada. Auld scored two goals, his only two with the national team, in his debut game. Auld did not play again with the U.S. until the first game of the World Cup. He then played the next two matches as the U.S. went to the semifinals only to fall to Argentina in a particularly physical game. Several U.S. players were injured and the team finished with only eight fit field players. Auld himself was kicked in the mouth in the first half. According to the U.S. coach, Wilfred Cummings, the Argentinians scored their third goal “only after Andy Auld had his lip ripped wide open and one of the players from across the La Platte River had knocked the smelling salts out of Trainer Coll's hand and into Andy's eyes, temporarily blinding one of the outstanding 'little stars' of the World's Series." As substitutes were not permitted at the time, Auld played the rest of the game with a rag stuffed in his mouth to stem the bleeding. [ [http://www.soccerhall.org/Spotlight%20HallofFamer/JockColl_spotlight.htm Hall of Famer Spotlight ... John Coll ] ] After the tournament, the U.S. traveled to Brazil where Auld and his team mates lost 4-3. That was his last game with the national team.

After retiring from playing professionally, Auld made his living in the sheet metal business. He died in Rhode Island on December 6, 1977.

In 1986, the National Soccer Hall of Fame inducted Auld.

References

External links

* [http://www.soccerhall.org/famers/andy_auld.htm Soccer Hall of Fame profile]