Strang, William

S | Player Pics | A-Z of Players

Personal

Fullname: William Strang
aka: Wull Strang, Willie Strang, Will Strang
Born: 16 September 1878
Died: 7 October 1916
Birthplace: Dunfermline
Signed: 23 April 1903
Left: 1905 (emigrated to Canada)
Position: Full-back
Debut: Celtic 2-1 Partick Thistle, League, 15 Aug 1903
Internationals: none

Biog

Full-back William Strang signed for Celtic from Dunfermline in April 1903 and would make his debut in a 2-1 home defeat of Partick Thistle on 15 August 1903. A key point of his debut match was that this was the first time that Celtic wore the Hoops in a match. So Wull Strang got to play his part in a little bit of Celtic history.

The Fifer stayed at Celtic for just two seasons and made only two senior appearances with the Bhoys. Curiously, his first appearance was the first game of the 1903/04 season and his second (& last) was the final league game of the same season (6-1 victory over Kilmarnock). So his appearances book-ended the season, with Celtic coming fourth in what was a tight season, with only 5pts between the top four in the league placings, Third Lanark winning the league.

He played mostly for the reserves and was also loaned to Renton. He went on an Irish tour/trip with Celtic and played against Bohemians & Belfast Celtic, but to no avail for more opportunities in the competitive matches domestically for Celtic.

Both he and his brother Sandy (who as a footballer played a trial for Celtic in April 1903) were suspended by the SFA in 1904. Seemingly Sandy and Wull were identical twin brothers, one was sent off during a match (having assaulted the referee at half time) and then blamed the other. Neither admitted to being the one sent off or being the assailant, so the SFA could not determine which one was guilty and both were thus suspended sine die.

In 1905, Wull Strang emigrated to Canada, and he went on to play for Calgary Caledonian, following his brother who had already gone over. He was living at 205 1st Street Southeast, Calgary, AB, Canada in 1915.

He signed up for the war effort (World War One) but sadly was killed in action in 1916. Wull Strang is buried in St Sever Cemetery Rouen, plot B. 18. 12.

Note: Wull Strang is not to be confused with Tomas William Strang (of Penicuik) who was also on Celtic’s books in 1902 and then went onto make a name at Aberdeen and founded Strang’s Pools.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

None

Pictures

• Player Pics

Links

• Celtic & World War One

Notes

• Alexander (Wull’s brother) immigrated to Canada around 1905/6 and settled with his wife in Calgary, Alberta. A plumber to trade. Willie immigrated to Canada with his family around 1905/6. A printer to trade he was employed by the Calgary “Daily Herald” newspaper before moving to the “Albertan” where he was prior to enlisting. Third son of Mrs. Alexander Strang, of 617, 2nd Avenue, Sunnyside, Calgary, Canada. Native of Dunfermline, Scotland.
  Courtesy of The Celtic, Glasgow Irish and the Great War author Ian McCallum
• Wull Strang is not to be confused with Tomas William Strang (of Penicuik) who was also on Celtic’s books in 1902 and then went onto make a name at Aberdeen and founded Strang’s Pools.

Articles

Strang William L/Cpl 16 Sept 1878

31 Bn. Canadian Inf (Alberta Regiment)

Died of Wounds 7 Oct 1916

Described as a robust full-back with a lusty kick. Willie Strang first played for Celtic when the team were still wearing green and white vertical strips. Made his senior debut against Dundee on 2 May 1903 in the Inter-City league. Made his league debut proper on the day Celtic first wore the hoops. Played his second and last league game in a 6-1 win against Kilmarnock on 23 April 1904. Went with Celtic on their 1904 Ireland trip and played against Belfast Celtic and Bohemians. Along with his brother Sandy (trail for Celtic 29 Apr 1903) both were suspended by the SFA in May 1904. The suspension had to do with one of the brothers being sent off and then one of the brothers assaulting the referee at half time. Neither admitted to being sent off or being the assailant.

In December 1904 the SFA rejected the appeal by the Strang brothers that their suspension should be reconsidered. Sometime shortly after the suspension they immigrated to Canada. Continued to play football when he settled in Calgary, Canada turning out for the local team Caledonians (Callie), where he was recognised as one of the most formidable backs in Canada. Picked up a knee injury and took his 5 ft 11 inch frame between the sticks as goalie.

Signed on and trained with the 56 Bn. (Alberta Regiment) on 21 August 1915 at Calgary, Alberta, Canada. On his attestation papers he is described as just over 5ft 11 inches tall, fair hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. He gave his occupation as a Printer. He was unmarried and gave his mother Christina Strange as his next of kin. His home address was 205 1st East Street, Calgary, Alberta.

After completing his training and some pre embarkation leave he embarked for England in March 1916. After some additional training in England he was reallocated to the 31st Bn (Alberta Regt) and landed in France in July 1916. Like his brother Alex he joined the battalion when they were near Ypres but at the beginning of September they were moved south and into the cauldron that was the Somme.

After a failed attack and suffering some horrendous casualties around the 21 September, Willie was promoted to Lance Corporal the next day. The remnants of the 31st Bn attacked a German trenchline East of Courcellette on 26/27 September as part of a larger operation. The artillery barrage that was supposed to suppress the German defenders failed totally, as a result of which the leading waves of Canadian infantry were cut down in swathes by the German machine guns and artillery fire. Heavy fighting continued for most of that day with casualties continuing to mount.

Over the next two days the battalion inched forward and managed to take and consolidate some enemy positions. The 27/28 September were much quieter though the battalion still suffered casualties from artillery fire. L/Cpl William Strang was wounded in the head on or about 26/27 Sept while in action.

He was evacuated to the Regimental Aid Post positioned in Courcelette. There he was patched up by the Battalion Medical officer and passed down through the medical chain suffering from a sever wound to the head which caused a fractured skull. Within a few hours he would have been taken to a Casualty Clearing Station and from there to one of the large General Hospitals at Rouen.

Around the 1 October his mother Christine received a telegram that Willie had been wounded and was in hospital at Rouen, a week later she received a second telegram informing her that he died on 7 October 1916.

Willie Strang is buried in St Sever Cemetery Rouen, plot B. 18. 12. His brother Sandy Strang was still in hospital when Willie died. During the First World War, many Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of Rouen. Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/172540

http://canadiangreatwarproject.com/searches/soldierDetail.asp?ID=8454

NAME:W Strang
AGE:36
BIRTH DATE:abt 1880
DEATH DATE:7 Oct 1916
CEMETERY:St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, The Second Part M to Z
BURIAL COUNTRY:France
FATHER:Mr Alexander Strang
MOTHER:Mrs Strang
REGIMENT:Canadian Infantry (Ablerta Regiment )
REGIMENTAL NUMBER:447477
REGION OR MEMORIAL:France
OTHER RECORDS:Search for ‘W Strang’ in other WWI collections

Willie Strang’s grave

Strang Alexander (Sandy)

16 Sept 1879 31 Bn. Canadian Inf (Alberta Regiment)

Full back played a trail game for Celtic against King’s Park at Forthbank on 24 April 1903 and returned to Dunfermline on 5 May. Along with his brother Willie Strang both were suspended by the SFA in may 1904 sometime in 1905 they immigrated to Canada. Both brothers played for Calgary football team “Callie” when he settled in Canada in 1905.

Signed on with 56th Canadian Infantry battalion on 28 August 1915 at Calgary. On his attestation papers he was described as being 5 foot 9 inches tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. He was a married man and a plumber to trade. At his medical it was noted that he had a slight impairment to the sight in his left eye due to an injury sustained in childhood. After training over the winter his draft moved to UK around February 1916 when he was transferred to the 31st Bn. (Alberta Regt) and sent to France in April. On arrival on the continent the battalion was based near Ypres, Belgium. On his arrival the battalion were taking turns in and out of the front line around Hooge. On 12 June the battalion were in the front line trenches on the British held edge of Sanctuary Wood. Early the next morning the British attacked the German held edge of the wood adjacent to the Canadian’s positions. The German retaliatory artillery fire was directed onto the Canadian’s positions who than suffered ten men killed and forty wounded. Sandy Strang was among the wounded having received shrapnel wound to his left leg. Evacuated down through the medical chain he was repatriated back to the UK where he was admitted to a military hospital at Northampton. He was still convalescing in the UK when his brother Willie was killed on the Somme on 7 October 1916. By the middle of November 1917 he had been repatriated back to Canada and discharged as medically unfit.

---

---