Player Profile - John Weir 1915 - 1919

John Weir was a Junior player with Renfrew Juniors when the famous Third Lanark came in for him during the early years of The Great War. He made his debut for 'The Redcoats' on the 29th January 1916 playing Inside Right (number 8 in the modern game's positions). Aberdeen were the visitors to Cathkin Park on that cold and wintry day and went down under a flurry of goals, losing 6-2. A certain JOHN WEIR scored three of them. What a debut!!
He played a further 15 times for 3rds that season as the slaughter in Europe edged into industrial proportions.
Season 1916 - 1917 John played 40 games in all competitions for Third Lanark, hitting the net on 11 occasions. 1917 - 1918 saw him score 6 times in 29 matches and in the following season he scored 3 times in 14 games. He played his last game for the 'Hi Hi' on the 1st of March 1919 against Ayr United.
John Weir started season 1919 - 1920 at new club Airdrieonians FC. He played 16 first team matches that year, 1 Scottish Cup game and 15 league matches and scored 3 league goals. He then was transferred to Kings Park and then Armadale in season 1921 - 1922.The Armadale team of 1923 is pictured above.
From 1924 until 1926, he played at St Bernards, before finishing off his career with Bo'ness, helping them win promotion to the first division as Scottish Second Division champions 1926–27.

The photos on this page were sent to me by Thirds Historian Bert Bell. They are from 1920 and 1921 and unfortunately John Weir had moved on to Airdrie by then, however these guys were his friends and teammates.

John became an Engineer and founded his own company. He married Elizabeth Morrison in 1918 and had four children, Isobel,John,Alec and Elizabeth.

John Weir was my great grandfather...
and is pictured in the family holiday snap in the back row, second from the left(wearing his wife's hat for comic effect!!).