Part 1
Robert Logan McDonald was born in Omagh, County Tyrone on August 11th 1902. When he was just two years old, his parents uprooted the family and emigrated to Canada, settling in the town of Hamilton in Ontario. Robert gained the nickname “Whitey” due to his striking blond hair, and was a keen footballer from a young age. He was one of twelve children, so he must have had plenty opportunity for family kickabouts! McDonald played at schoolboy level for the area, before moving into the junior game and finally signed for senior club Hamilton Thistle.
At Thistle, he appeared in successive Spectator Cup Finals in 1921 and 1922, before a brief spell at Toronto Ulster United. By 1924, he was a player earning rave reviews and being watched by bigger clubs. He was chosen by the Canadian national team selectors for a tour of Australia that summer, but decided to refuse their offer due to work commitments. He was then approached by Stockport County and offered a contract with them, but again decided that he preferred to stay where he was. He did, however, move to a bigger club in North America, joining the American Soccer League team Bethlehem Steel who were based in Pennsylvania.
McDonald was an instant regular in their team, and enjoyed some success. Playing mainly at left half, he won the US Open Cup in 1926, following this up with triumph in the American Soccer League championship the next year. Then, in 1928, the life and career of Whitey McDonald changed forever. In May 1928, Rangers arrived in North America for a tour that would see them play local teams in the USA and Canada. The tour started with a match against Eastern Pennsylvania and returned to the area ten days later to take on their Western counterparts. During their stay, Bill Struth and several in the touring party spotted McDonald playing for his club and were impressed. Struth was looking for defensive cover, and in the autumn of 1928 they agreed a deal to bring McDonald to Ibrox.
McDonald had to be patient to wait for his first team opportunity, this was a Rangers team cruising to another league title. His debut finally came on April 1st 1929 at Ibrox, playing right half in a Jimmy Fleming inspired 2-1 win over Queens Park. He played in two more league games that season. McDonald was still in the reserves for the start of season 1929/30, until the first Old Firm league game of the season on October 26th. Rangers had several key players either injured or away on international duty, so manager Struth fielded a much-changed line-up in front of 50,000 at Ibrox. One of them was right half Whitey McDonald, who had an outstanding game at the back, another was deputy left winger Willie Nicholson who scored the only goal of the game. McDonald’s performance earned him a run in the team even when regular right half Jock Buchanan was available again, eventually starting 13 league games and earning a first Scottish First Division winners medal. But the highlight of his season was in April 1930. He hadn’t started a single Scottish Cup match yet in his Rangers career, and again wasn’t selected for the final against Partick Thistle at Hampden. On the Saturday, he watched on as the sides fought out a goalless draw in front of 107,000 fans. Manager Struth decided on 2 changes for the midweek replay. One of them saw Whitey McDonald replace Jock Buchanan, and he won his first Scottish Cup winners medal in his first game in the competition when goals by James Marshall and Tully Craig saw Rangers home by 2-1.
By now, Whitey McDonald was an international player. His debut for Ireland came on February 22nd 1930 at Parkhead against a Scotland team containing 4 of his teammates. And it was Dougie Gray, Davie Meiklejohn, Tully Craig and Alan Morton who were smiling at the end as Scotland won 3-1.
That summer, Rangers had decided on a return to North America, with Whitey McDonald this time in the touring party. He started in 11 of the 14 tour matches, with the highlight undoubtedly a match on May 24th against Hamilton Thistle, his hometown club where his career had started. There were 9,000 spectators watching on, and they saw “Whitey” McDonald lead out Rangers as the team captain, and his younger brother “Red” McDonald skipper the home side. His watching family must have been the proudest in the land. It was Whitey who came out on top on the day, Rangers winning 3-0 with first half goals by Willie Nicholson and a Jimmy Fleming double. Rangers won all 14 of their matches on the tour, and in a couple of the games McDonald filled in at left back, and he performed excellently. The club regular left back of the time was Bob Hamilton, another Irish born player, this gave manager Struth something of a selection problem going forward.
McDonald started season 1930/31 at right half. He still wasn’t the guaranteed first choice there, Struth now having unearthed centre half Jimmy Simpson to further bolster his defensive options. Like the previous season, McDonald started 13 times in the league, and it was another winning campaign with the title won by 2 points from Celtic. The New Year win over them had proved to be crucial, a 1-0 win that saw another solid display from McDonald who had come in for the injured Davie Meiklejohn. He couldn’t add another Scottish Cup win to his honours after playing in the second-round defeat to Dundee, but he did win a first Charity Cup medal as a Rangers player when he started in a hard-fought final victory over Queens Park that needed extra time.
In season 1931/32, McDonald found himself squeezed out the starting eleven as the manager had settled on a preferred half back line of Meiklejohn, Simpson and Brown. He only started 7 league games over the season, one where Rangers failed to retain the title, finishing runners up to a very impressive Motherwell. In those 7 games, he played in 6 winning teams, the only blot on his record being an away defeat at the new champions. He was recalled to the team for the Glasgow Cup semi-final against Celtic, starting both the original drawn match and the 2-1 replay win. McDonald didn’t start any games in the successful Scottish Cup campaign, Rangers winning 3-0 in a replay against Kilmarnock in the final. The regular left back during the season had been Bob McAuley, and his transfer to Chelsea in the close season gave an opportunity to McDonald to stake his claim for that starting jersey in 1932/33. He succeeded.
Robert Logan McDonald was born in Omagh, County Tyrone on August 11th 1902. When he was just two years old, his parents uprooted the family and emigrated to Canada, settling in the town of Hamilton in Ontario. Robert gained the nickname “Whitey” due to his striking blond hair, and was a keen footballer from a young age. He was one of twelve children, so he must have had plenty opportunity for family kickabouts! McDonald played at schoolboy level for the area, before moving into the junior game and finally signed for senior club Hamilton Thistle.
At Thistle, he appeared in successive Spectator Cup Finals in 1921 and 1922, before a brief spell at Toronto Ulster United. By 1924, he was a player earning rave reviews and being watched by bigger clubs. He was chosen by the Canadian national team selectors for a tour of Australia that summer, but decided to refuse their offer due to work commitments. He was then approached by Stockport County and offered a contract with them, but again decided that he preferred to stay where he was. He did, however, move to a bigger club in North America, joining the American Soccer League team Bethlehem Steel who were based in Pennsylvania.
McDonald was an instant regular in their team, and enjoyed some success. Playing mainly at left half, he won the US Open Cup in 1926, following this up with triumph in the American Soccer League championship the next year. Then, in 1928, the life and career of Whitey McDonald changed forever. In May 1928, Rangers arrived in North America for a tour that would see them play local teams in the USA and Canada. The tour started with a match against Eastern Pennsylvania and returned to the area ten days later to take on their Western counterparts. During their stay, Bill Struth and several in the touring party spotted McDonald playing for his club and were impressed. Struth was looking for defensive cover, and in the autumn of 1928 they agreed a deal to bring McDonald to Ibrox.
McDonald had to be patient to wait for his first team opportunity, this was a Rangers team cruising to another league title. His debut finally came on April 1st 1929 at Ibrox, playing right half in a Jimmy Fleming inspired 2-1 win over Queens Park. He played in two more league games that season. McDonald was still in the reserves for the start of season 1929/30, until the first Old Firm league game of the season on October 26th. Rangers had several key players either injured or away on international duty, so manager Struth fielded a much-changed line-up in front of 50,000 at Ibrox. One of them was right half Whitey McDonald, who had an outstanding game at the back, another was deputy left winger Willie Nicholson who scored the only goal of the game. McDonald’s performance earned him a run in the team even when regular right half Jock Buchanan was available again, eventually starting 13 league games and earning a first Scottish First Division winners medal. But the highlight of his season was in April 1930. He hadn’t started a single Scottish Cup match yet in his Rangers career, and again wasn’t selected for the final against Partick Thistle at Hampden. On the Saturday, he watched on as the sides fought out a goalless draw in front of 107,000 fans. Manager Struth decided on 2 changes for the midweek replay. One of them saw Whitey McDonald replace Jock Buchanan, and he won his first Scottish Cup winners medal in his first game in the competition when goals by James Marshall and Tully Craig saw Rangers home by 2-1.
By now, Whitey McDonald was an international player. His debut for Ireland came on February 22nd 1930 at Parkhead against a Scotland team containing 4 of his teammates. And it was Dougie Gray, Davie Meiklejohn, Tully Craig and Alan Morton who were smiling at the end as Scotland won 3-1.
That summer, Rangers had decided on a return to North America, with Whitey McDonald this time in the touring party. He started in 11 of the 14 tour matches, with the highlight undoubtedly a match on May 24th against Hamilton Thistle, his hometown club where his career had started. There were 9,000 spectators watching on, and they saw “Whitey” McDonald lead out Rangers as the team captain, and his younger brother “Red” McDonald skipper the home side. His watching family must have been the proudest in the land. It was Whitey who came out on top on the day, Rangers winning 3-0 with first half goals by Willie Nicholson and a Jimmy Fleming double. Rangers won all 14 of their matches on the tour, and in a couple of the games McDonald filled in at left back, and he performed excellently. The club regular left back of the time was Bob Hamilton, another Irish born player, this gave manager Struth something of a selection problem going forward.
McDonald started season 1930/31 at right half. He still wasn’t the guaranteed first choice there, Struth now having unearthed centre half Jimmy Simpson to further bolster his defensive options. Like the previous season, McDonald started 13 times in the league, and it was another winning campaign with the title won by 2 points from Celtic. The New Year win over them had proved to be crucial, a 1-0 win that saw another solid display from McDonald who had come in for the injured Davie Meiklejohn. He couldn’t add another Scottish Cup win to his honours after playing in the second-round defeat to Dundee, but he did win a first Charity Cup medal as a Rangers player when he started in a hard-fought final victory over Queens Park that needed extra time.
In season 1931/32, McDonald found himself squeezed out the starting eleven as the manager had settled on a preferred half back line of Meiklejohn, Simpson and Brown. He only started 7 league games over the season, one where Rangers failed to retain the title, finishing runners up to a very impressive Motherwell. In those 7 games, he played in 6 winning teams, the only blot on his record being an away defeat at the new champions. He was recalled to the team for the Glasgow Cup semi-final against Celtic, starting both the original drawn match and the 2-1 replay win. McDonald didn’t start any games in the successful Scottish Cup campaign, Rangers winning 3-0 in a replay against Kilmarnock in the final. The regular left back during the season had been Bob McAuley, and his transfer to Chelsea in the close season gave an opportunity to McDonald to stake his claim for that starting jersey in 1932/33. He succeeded.
