WRIGHT Alex
Born. Glasgow 11th December 1930
Died. Linwood 12th Jamuary 2000
Alex was recommended to Partick Thistle by his PE teacher in 1948 and he went on to become an integral part cog in the Firhill forward line which read: McKenzie, Howitt, Sharp, Wright and Walker under manager David Meiklejohn. He played for the club for 14 years and although he played consistently well, his sole representative honour came in the form of selection for a Glasgow Select XI against a Sheffield Select XI. He made the most of the opportunity, helping the Scots to a 5-1 win and picking up the man-of-the-match award.
When his playing career receded he took to coaching and the reserve teams at East Fife, Clyde and Partick were the early beneficiaries of his coaching skills before St Mirren gave him his first full-time management position in October 1966. Although the team were not full-timers, he combined the role with the club’s secretarial duties to create a full-time appointment. The Paisley club were relegated at the end of that first season but they bounced straight back the following season, losing only one game and scoring 100 League goals to win the 2nd Division title. He left St Mirren in November 1970 for Dumbarton where he became full-time executive director a position he retained until 1990 when he dropped down to less demanding requirements of club scouting in the West of Scotland for Bolton Wanderers.
Former Thistle inside-right Alex Wright died aged 70 last week, Alex joined Thistle from School in 1949 and after being farmed out to Dalry Thistle he became one of Thistle's best players in the 1950's he later managed Dunfermline Athletic, St Mirren & Dumbarton before becoming a scout for various teams. The funeral will be at Woodside Crematorium, Paisley on Thursday at 3.30pm.
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The Herald, Alastair MacLachlan
15 Jan 2000
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL lost one of its more kenspeckle figures with the sudden death at his Linwood home on January 12 of Alex Wright. He was 69. It was his PE teacher at Lambhill Secondary who recommended Wright to Partick Thistle in 1948. Manager Davie Meiklejohn endorsed the assessment and Alex became an integral cog in a Firhill forward line which read McKenzie, Howitt, Sharp, Wright, and Walker. He played for 14 years in a Thistle strip with his sole representative honour being an appearance for Glasgow against Sheffield at Parkhead, where a 5-1 win for the Scots saw Alex pick up the Man of the Match award. With the sands of playing time receding, a coaching appointment provided a degree of continuity in the game. The reserve sides at East Fife, Clyde, and Partick Thistle were the beneficiaries of Wright's coaching talents before St Mirren gave him his first full managerial appointment in succession to Doug Millward in October 1966. The Paisley side weren't full time but Alex was, fulfilling the club's secretarial needs in addition to his creative coaching chores. Saints were relegated in 1966/67 but bounced back the follow-ing season under the Wright administration, losing only one game and scoring exactly 100 goals in the process. After he left St Mirren in November 1970, Alex realised in hindsight it had not been a progressive move, but a career at Boghead followed with Wright as a full-time executive director. An 18-year sojourn with the Sons ended in October 1990, but the less demanding requirements of club scouting eased on to the Wright CV with the West of Scotland talent-spotting needs of Bolton Wanderers being adequately satisfied. Classified as being excitable on the back of a poor result, Alex had been known to propel the occasional pie at some playing miscreant in diffusing his post-match frustrations. Fortunately, these frustrations were few for a man whose knowledge of the game was sincere and unblemished. He is survived by a son, Brian, and daughters, June, Carol, and Angela.
