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Fullname: Donald McLeod
aka: Donnie McLeod, Slasher McLeod
Born: 28 May 1882
Died: 6 October 1917
Birthplace: Laurieston
Signed: 10 May 1902 (from Stenhousemuir)
Left: 10 October 1908 (Middlesborough)
Position: Defender/Full-back
Debut: Third Lanark 2-1 Celtic, (League), 30 Aug 1902
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 4
International Goals: 0
Biog
Donnie McLeod played for Celtic in a glorious era, and eventually took over from the well loved Barney Battles in the Celtic side. A very good defender he lined up with Willie Orr in front of David Adams in 1904 and never looked back. A close-knit group, they had some humour:
Donnie: “How the hell did you lose that ball?”
Davy Adams: “I havenae lost it. It’s in the net.”
He was said to be a two footed player who was “fearless… of tremendous speed“, and was dubbed ´Slasher´ due to his sheer speed and his ability as a two-footed player full making him an instant hit with the Celtic support.
From the off in his debut, a 2-1 victory over Third Lanark, he was to be a regular in the first team that season and then for much of his time at Celtic.
His partnership with Jimmy Weir is regarded as one of the most effective defensive partnerships the club has ever had.
Donnie McLeod was to be an integral part of the side who kick-started the club´s unprecedented feat of six Championships in a row from 1904. His partnership with Jimmy Weir was deemed to be near invincible and when he was later transferred to Middlesborough in 1910 Weir followed him South to form a duo described as ´the most dogged, dour and fearless pair of backs in England´.
In time, weight issues became a problem in the classic 1907-08 season, or as one put it more poetically:
“McLeod grows rather adipose and would do well to mind his massage”.
One event for which we should be eternally grateful to Donnie McLeod for is his bringing the great Alec McNair to Celtic. Alec McNair went on to be one of Celtic’s greatest ever players and played more games than anyone else for our club.
In 1907, Celtic won the Scottish Cup in a 3-0 win over Hearts. Donnie McLeod played in the defence that day who more than ably contained any Hearts attack, in a game regarded as one of the most memorable in the early days of the club’s history. The club sealed a league & cup double.
However, despite some great service a poor game in the Glasgow Cup v Queen’s Park (4-4) in 1908 signalled the end for him and he was gone within a month to Middlesborough. It was a sad end to a good stalwart for the club, but he played his part in an era that is very fondly remembered and he will forever be respected for that time. If nothing else, his move will have added some new supporters to the Middlesborough terracing from the Celtic numbers.
Interestingly he makes a challenge as one of the select group of outfield players to have played the most games for Celtic without ever scoring a goal for the first team (in a competitive game). Bobby Hogg holds the record, having amassed a far greater tally without scoring any goals for the first team.
From Robert Hoskins’, Celtic Football Club and the Great War
The final casualty of 1917 was Donald McLeod who made 155 appearances as a full back for Celtic between 1902-08. Gunner McLeod was in the 466th Battery of the 65th Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and died from his wounds on Saturday 6.10.17.
Wounded in action during the Battles of Passchendaele Gunner McLeod died of his injuries on October 6th 1917. Today his grave can be found in Dozinghem Military Cemetery near Krombeke to the northwest of Poperinghe in Belgium.
Donald McLeod has a memorial inscription on the Middlesbrough War memorial panels Dozinghem Military Cemetery.
He is one of the players Middlesborough remembered by a plaque in their honour which was found in a cupboard in the club.
He left a wife and three children.
Passchendaele was hell on earth – a mudbath where the Battlefield had been turned into a swamp by continuous rain and shelling. The conditions were so horrific that they prompted the Great War poet Siegfried Sassoon to write one of his most famous poems “Mud and Rain“.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1902-08 | 131 | 24 | n/a | n/a | 155 |
| Goals: | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League
Scottish Cup
Trivia
- Donald McLeod’s primrose and pink Scotland jersey and cap from the 1906 match against England sold at auction in 2000 for £1216. [Christies]
Pictures
Links
Articles
Plaque found in cupboard
“A friend of my wife who used to work as a cleaner at the Erimus Quoit & Rifle Club in Middlesbrough
informed me that when she worked there, At the back of the cleaning cupboard there was a old war memorial
propped up against the wall
Appitite wetted I rang the club up and the Club Secretary confirmed that there was indeed a memorial in the cupboard And that it had been there as long as he could remember well over 20 years
I asked if I could photo it and permission being granted popped over to the club I spent 20 minutes removing all the material in front of it photographed it and here it is
ROLL OF HONOUR
1914 – 1919
ERIMUS QUOIT & RIFLE CLUB MIDDLESBROUGH”
McLEOD DONALD
Gunner D McLEOD
201979, 466th Bty. 65th Bde., Royal Field Artillery
who died on 06 October 1917
Donald McLeod was Born in Laurieston near Falkirk on May 28, 1882
He initially Played For Stenhousemuire and in 1902 he joined Glasgow Celtic, As a full back he played for Celtic 155 times between the years 1902-1908.
Donald moved to Middlesbrough in 1908 and joined Middlesbrough Football Club He played for Middlesbrough between 1908 and 1913 making some 148 appearances for the club when war broke out Donald enlisted at Middlesbrough into the Royal Garrison Artillery before transferring to the 466th Battery, 65th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery.
Wounded in action during the Battles of Passchendaele Gunner McLeod
died of his injuries on October 6th 1917. Today his grave can be found in Dozinghem Military Cemetery near Krombeke to the northwest of Poperinghe in Belgium
Donald has a Memorial Inscription On the Middlesbrough War Memorial Panels
DOZINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY
