Scottish footballer
Robert Rodie Dalrymple (2 January 1880 – 26 July 1970) was a Scottish footballer who played as an inside forward.
Early life
Dalrymple was born in Paisley.[1]
Playing career
He began his career with Westmarch before joining local Scottish Football League Second Division club Abercorn.[1] In 1902, he moved to Edinburgh to play for First Division side Heart of Midlothian.[5] Having spent time with Kilbarchan on loan,[6] Dalrymple scored on his debut for Hearts in a 1–1 draw with Edinburgh rivals Hibernian on 11 October 1902.[5] He went on to score two more goals that season, in a league game against Morton and a Scottish Cup tie at Ayr.[5] Having helped the club reach the 1903 Scottish Cup Final, he played in a 1–1 draw against Rangers at Celtic Park on 11 April 1903 and the replay one week later, which also ended in a draw.[7][8] Dalrymple received a runners-up medal after Hearts lost the second replay by two goals to nil on 25 April 1903, with 32,000 spectators in attendance.[9][10] He moved to England in the summer of 1903, joining Plymouth Argyle ahead of the club's first season in professional football.[11] He made his debut in a 1–0 win at West Ham United on 1 September 1903,[12] and scored his first goal at the end of the month as the club defeated Portsmouth 3–1.[13]
A versatile player,[6] Dalrymple scored the club's first goal in the FA Cup and scored a second later in the game as Argyle defeated Whiteheads by seven goals to nil in the first qualifying round.[12][13] He finished the season with 17 goals scored in all competitions, having made 43 appearances.[12] The following season, he was among the goals in the FA Cup again, earning Argyle a 1–1 draw at Newcastle United in the first round on 4 February 1905.[14] He scored a further 12 goals in league competition, including a brace in a 4–1 win against Southampton, and won his first major title at the end of the season as the club were crowned Western Football League champions.[16] He moved back to Scotland in the summer of 1905, having scored 30 goals in 92 appearances for Plymouth Argyle, to sign for Rangers.[6] He made his debut on 19 August 1905 as they defeated Kilmarnock by three goals to two at Ibrox Stadium.[17] He scored his first goal in the return match at Kilmarnock on 6 January 1906, which Rangers won 3–1, and scored a hat-trick two weeks later in a 4–0 home win against Port Glasgow Athletic.[17]
In the Scottish Cup, Dalrymple scored a brace in victories against Arthurlie and Aberdeen.[17] He made 18 appearances in his one season with the club, scoring 8 goals.[17] Dalrymple returned to England in 1906, where he spent a season back in the Southern Football League with Portsmouth.[1] The following year, he joined Fulham ahead of their first season in The Football League. He scored 44 goals in 106 appearances over the next three years,[18] and helped the club reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1908, where they were beaten 6–0 by Newcastle United at Anfield.[19] In 1910, he moved to Clapton Orient and spent the next 9 years there, scoring 38 goals in 139 league games.[1] He finished his career back in the Southern League with Welsh side Ton Pentre.[20]
Personal life
Dalrymple served as a sergeant in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment during the First World War.[21] He died on 26 July 1970.[2]
Honours
- Plymouth Argyle
Career statistics
References