Robert Smyth McColl

Playing career

McColl started his career with junior club Benmore in 1892 and moved to Queen's Park in 1894. He represented the Scottish League in 1901. He later played professionally in England for Newcastle United, remaining on Tyneside for three years until he came back to Glasgow in 1904 to play for Rangers. He returned to Queen's Park in 1907, although the restoration of his amateur status had to be decided by the board of the club beforehand. McColl finished his football career in 1912, scoring 6 goals in his penultimate game against Port Glasgow Athletic, a Scottish scoring record which stands to the present day. The dates are the ones taken from them, although there are discrepancies I leave this for others who want to research this to correct --

McColl played 13 games and scored 13 goals for the Scotland national football team and he was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in November 2011. He is the only player to have scored a hat-trick against each of the other home nations.

Personal life

McColl is now better known for lending his name to the newsagent chain RS McColl, which he set up in 1901 with his brother Tom; due to this, he became known as Toffee Bob. He served as a sergeant in the Royal Army Service Corps during the First World War.

Death

McColl died in 1959, aged 83. He is buried in Cathcart Cemetery in southern Glasgow.

Career statistics

International

:Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each McColl goal.

Honours

Queen's Park

• Sheriff of London Charity Shield: 1899 (shared)
• Glasgow Cup: 1898–99

Scotland

• Home Championship: 1896, 1897, 1900, 1902, 1908 (shared)

References

References

1. Mitchell, Andy. (2021). "The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939". Amazon.
2. "McColl Bob Image 2 Queen's Park 1901".
3. "Robert Smyth McColl – Scotland Football League Record from 16 Mar 1901 to 16 Mar 1901 clubs – Queens Park".
4. Joyce, Michael. (16 October 2012). "Football League Players' Records 1888–1939". Tony Brown.
5. Litster, John. "Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players". PM Publications.
6. Cairney, John. (15 April 2011). "A Scottish Football Hall of Fame". Random House.
7. [http://www.qpfc.com/people/rsmccoll.htm People {{! Robert S. McColl], QPFC.com
8. "Name: McColl, Robert Smyth".
9. {{SFA profile
10. Pattullo, Alan. (14 November 2011). "Pat Crerand and Terry Butcher among new boys in Hall of Fame". Johnston Press.
11. [https://www.theglasgowstory.com/image/?inum=TGSA05198&t=2 R S McColl (Mitchell Library, The Bailie)], The Glasgow Story
12. "Queen's Park And The Great War: 1914 To 1918".
13. [https://www.lostglasgow.scot/posts/mccoll-was-your-man-for-corners-746/ McColl was your man for corners...], Lost Glasgow, 23 September 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022
14. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPeGLW36GI0 Friends of Cathcart presents Footballers of Cathcart: one of Glasgow's Footballing Graveyards], ''Football Makes Glasgow'' via YouTube, 11 January 2022
15. [https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1899/1899031113.htm Aston Villa v. Queen's Park.], The Glasgow Herald, 13 March 1899, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
16. [https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1899/1899031106.htm Aston Villa v. Queen's Park.] The Scotsman, 13 March 1899, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
17. (14 November 1898). "Glasgow Cup–Final Tie". The Glasgow Herald.