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{{short description|Scottish footballer and manager}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alex Raisbeck
| image = Alex raisbeck ogden card.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Raisbeck in Scotland colours (yellow and pink), {{circa|1901}}
| full_name = Alexander Galloway Raisbeck<ref name="Hof">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BkICPoHh3oAC&q=alex+raisbeck+Hibernian&pg=PT27 |title=A Scottish Football Hall of Fame |author=John Cairney |publisher=Random House | year=2011 | isbn=978-1840180442}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1878|12|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wallacestone]], Scotland
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1949|3|12|1878|12|26}}
| death_place = [[Liverpool]], England
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}<ref name="LFCh">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/players/player/profile/808 |title=Alex Raisbeck |publisher=LFC History |access-date=4 March 2018}}</ref>
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| years1 = 1894–1896
| clubs1 = [[Larkhall Thistle F.C.|Larkhall Thistle]]
| years2 = 1896–1898
| clubs2 = [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]]
| caps2 = 25
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1898
| clubs3 = [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke]]
| caps3 = 4
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1898–1909
| clubs4 = [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
| caps4 = 312
| goals4 = 19
| years5 = 1909–1914
| clubs5 = [[Partick Thistle F.C.|Partick Thistle]]
| caps5 = 113
| goals5 = 7
| totalcaps = 454
| totalgoals = 29
| nationalyears1 = 1897–1912
| nationalteam1 = [[Scottish League XI]]
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1900–1907
| nationalteam2 = [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
| nationalcaps2 = 8
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1914–1917
| manageryears2 = 1921–1929
| manageryears3 = 1930–1936
| manageryears4 = 1936–1938
| manageryears5 = 1938–1939
| managerclubs1 = [[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]]
| managerclubs2 = [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]
| managerclubs3 = [[Halifax Town F.C.|Halifax Town]]
| managerclubs4 = [[Chester City F.C.|Chester]]
| managerclubs5 = [[Bath City F.C.|Bath City]]
}}
'''Alexander Galloway Raisbeck''' (26 December 1878 – 12 March 1949) was a Scottish professional [[Association football|football]] player and [[Manager (association football)|manager]]. After playing [[Scottish Junior Football Association|junior]] football for [[Larkhall Thistle F.C.|Larkhall Thistle]], he was signed by [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]] where he made his professional debut at the age of 17. Despite playing only ten matches in his first season, he was chosen to represent a [[Scottish League XI]] in a match against their Irish counterparts.

In 1898, he joined English [[Football League First Division|First Division]] side [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke]] on a short term deal at the end of the 1897–98 season, playing in four league matches and four [[Football League test matches]] to help the club avoid relegation. His form attracted attention from other clubs and he signed for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] in May 1898. He quickly established himself in the first-team and was appointed club captain after two seasons at the age of 21, leading the side to their first ever league title in 1901. Liverpool were relegated in 1904 and Raisbeck subsequently cancelled his plans to leave the club to help them win promotion back to the First Division at the first attempt, winning the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] title in 1905.

Returning to the First Division for the 1905–06 season, he was part of the side that won the league title on their return. He remained with Liverpool until 1909, making over 300 appearances during an eleven-year spell, when mounting injuries and homesickness led him to seek a return to his native Scotland, eventually signing for [[Partick Thistle F.C.|Partick Thistle]]. He captained Thistle for five seasons before undergoing an operation to cure potential appendicitis that led to his retirement from playing in 1914.

During his career, Raisbeck also represented the [[Scotland national football team|Scotland national team]] on nine occasions between 1900 and 1907, although a match against [[England national football team|England]] in which [[1902 Ibrox disaster|25 fans died in a stand collapse]] was later discounted. Following his retirement, Raisbeck managed [[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]], [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]], [[Halifax Town F.C.|Halifax Town]], [[Chester City F.C.|Chester]] and [[Bath City F.C.|Bath City]].

==Early life==
Raisbeck was born in the village of [[Wallacestone]] near [[Polmont]], Stirlingshire on [[Boxing Day]], 1878. However, his family moved from the village to [[Slamannan]] before eventually settling in [[South Lanarkshire]], living in a house near [[Cambuslang]]<ref name=nlsmap>{{cite web|url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=55.8041&lon=-4.1175&layers=168&b=1|title=Ordnance Survey 6 inch, 1892-1914 (Bardykes Rows) |publisher=[[National Library of Scotland]]|website=Explore georeferenced maps|access-date=25 September 2018}}</ref> built on the site of a former infectious disease hospital.<ref name="Speaks">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3769 |title=Alex Raisbeck – The Silent man of football speaks! – Chapter I |publisher=LFC History |access-date=4 March 2018}}</ref>

His parents, Luke and Jean, had fourteen children, although only eight lived to adulthood. At age twelve, Raisbeck was given the choice of picking a line of work and decided to follow his father and older brothers into the local colliery to work as a coal miner. He would start work in the pit at six in the morning and would not return to the surface until at least five in the afternoon each day.<ref name="Speaks"/>

==Club career==
===Scotland===
After playing for a youth team sponsored by a local church, Raisbeck joined [[Larkhall Thistle F.C.|Larkhall Thistle]] at the age of thirteen and was placed in the club's third team. However, after a single season, he was promoted to the first-team and started playing in the unfamiliar outside right position. He later commented on his belief that the club's selection committee "must have noticed my extraordinary tendency to wander into the middle of the field" and he eventually switched to playing as a defender.<ref name="Speaks"/>

Two of his brothers, [[Bill Raisbeck|Willie]] and [[Andrew Raisbeck|Andrew]], were also part of the Larkhall [[Scottish Junior Football Association|Junior]] side and the trio helped the side to win their first trophy since the club was founded. His performances were brought to the attention of [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]] player [[Joe Murphy (footballer, born 1873)|Joe Murphy]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1919/09/15/anglo-scots-alex-raisbecks-brilliant-career/ |title=Anglo-Scots – Alex Raisbeck's brilliant career |newspaper=The Athletic News |date=15 September 1919 |access-date=6 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref> known commonly as Judge as he wore a wig, who visited Raisbeck's family home to try to convince him to join the club. At the time, Raisbeck had actually given up on playing football due to a knee injury but was eager to leave his mining job and signed for the club on 30 July 1896.<ref name="Speaks"/> Despite looking to leave the mining profession, Raisbeck later commented on his desire to learn the trade, stating footballers "who have no trade will have to turn their hands to menial labour, [...] the skilled trades will be able to command the standard rate of wages."<ref name="Unique">{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1915/03/20/alex-raisbecks-unique-life-story-part-1/ |title=Alex Raisbeck's Unique Life Story: Part 1 |newspaper=The Weekly News |date=20 March 1915 |access-date=4 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref>

Raisbeck made his professional debut for Hibernian less than two months after signing, playing in a 2–2 draw with [[Abercorn F.C.|Abercorn]] on 12 September 1896,<ref name="fbs">{{cite web |url=http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player.php?playerid=5569 |title=Hibernian player Alex Raisbeck |publisher=fitbastats |access-date=4 March 2018}}</ref> and scored his first goal for the club in the reverse fixture against Abercorn in a 9–0 victory.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player_games.php?playerid=5569&page=2 |title=Games involving Raisbeck, Alex in season 1896/97 |publisher=fitbastats |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref> He made ten appearances in all competitions during the season, helping Hibs to [[1896–97 Scottish Division One|second place]], and impressed selectors enough to be called up to the [[Scottish League XI]] as a reserve player for a match against their Irish counterparts. However, [[Alex Keillor]] later withdrew from the squad which allowed Raisbeck to start the match played at [[Solitude (football ground)|Solitude]].<ref name="Unique2">{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1915/03/27/alex-raisbecks-unique-life-story-part-2/ |title=Alex Raisbeck's Unique Life Story: Part 2 |newspaper=The Weekly News |date=27 March 1915 |access-date=5 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref>

At the age of seventeen, Raisbeck travelled to [[Aberdour]] with the Hibernian squad for a training camp. During a dinner, he rushed to finish his soup during a heated discussion and swallowed a small bone that became lodged in his throat; players and coaches made frantic attempts to help Raisbeck as he struggled to breathe and began to lose consciousness before club trainer Paddy Canon was able to hit him hard enough on the back to dislodge the bone.<ref name="Speaks"/> In his second season at Hibernian, he missed just two league matches as Hibernian [[1897–98 Scottish Division One|finished in third place]].<ref name="fbs"/>

===Stoke===
At the end of the 1897–98 season, Raisbeck and Hibs teammate [[Jack Kennedy (footballer, born 1873)|Jack Kennedy]] joined [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke]] on a short term deal for two months. English clubs would frequently bring in Scottish players temporarily to bolster their squad in the final matches of the season. He played four league matches for the club as they finished bottom of the [[Football League First Division]] and were entered into [[Football League test matches]], a four team mini-league where the bottom two clubs in the First Division and the top two clubs in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] played each other once with the top two playing in the First Division the following season.<ref name="Speaks"/> He played in all four test matches as Stoke finished top of the mini-league,<ref name="LFCh"/> although all four teams were allowed into the First Division as the Football League decided to expand the number of teams.<ref name="Speaks"/>

===Liverpool===
Stoke hoped to sign Raisbeck on a permanent basis and made an appointment with manager [[Horace Austerberry]] to discuss terms. However, Austerberry failed to arrive for the meeting and Raisbeck later met [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] manager [[Tom Watson (football manager)|Tom Watson]] at the home of the Hibernian chairman.<ref name="LFCh"/><ref name="Speaks"/> Watson quickly made him an offer to join Liverpool and the transfer was completed on 6 May 1898. He was welcomed to the club with a [[Lancashire hotpot]] dinner, a tradition for Liverpool to initiate new players.<ref name="Speaks"/> One of several Scottish players in the squad, Raisbeck commented that he was "welcomed with open arms" and "felt at home right away" and became particularly good friends with fellow Scot [[John Walker (footballer, born 1874)|John Walker]].<ref name="speaks2">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3772 |title=Alex Raisbeck talks – Chapter 2 |publisher=LFC History |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref>

After a twelve week training camp near [[Blackpool]], he made his debut in a First Division match against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] on 3 September 1898. Liverpool reached the semi-final of the [[FA Cup]] in his first season at the club, playing a four game tie against [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]. Liverpool had led 2–1 and 4–2 in the original tie and first replay before drawing both matches after conceding late goals and a second replay was abandoned with Liverpool leading 1–0 after Sheffield fans ran onto the pitch on more than one occasion. Liverpool would eventually lose 1–0 in a fourth match and Raisbeck would be called into a hearing by a disciplinary panel after Liverpool players " severely jostled" the referee at the end of the match having been aggrieved at his decisions. The referee believed Raisbeck had witnessed the incident and asked him to name the players responsible but Raisbeck refused, later stating "I did not think any of our players had had anything to do with the demonstration".<ref name="speaks2"/> Along with teammates Walker and [[William Goldie]], he was reported by the referee over the incident but was later cleared of any wrongdoing. In the league, Liverpool finished as runners-up to [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] after losing their final match of the season.<ref name="speaks2"/>

After two seasons at [[Anfield]], Raisbeck was appointed club captain and led Liverpool to their first ever league title in [[1900–01 in English football|1900–01]]. They claimed the title after defeating [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] in the final game of the season. Following their victory, the team were cheered off at [[Birmingham Snow Hill railway station]] by West Brom fans before being greeted by around 50,000 fans upon their return to [[Liverpool Central railway station]].<ref name="speaks2"/> In April 1901, the Football League introduced a £4 weekly [[maximum wage]] for footballers which severely impacted Liverpool who were seen as one of the higher paying teams in England. To try and ensure they could pay their players extra money, they would assign players jobs within the club that they could be paid for. Raisbeck himself was employed as a bill inspector, his job being to monitor public notice boards to check whether they were correctly advertising the club's fixtures.<ref name="speaks3">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3773 |title=The Adventures of Liverpool's First Superstar – Chapter III |publisher=LFC History |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Alex raisbeck portrait.jpg|thumb|Raisbeck as he appeared on a 1902 Ogden's [[association football trading card|football card]]]] 
Three years after the club won the league title, they suffered relegation to the Second Division. Raisbeck had considered leaving Liverpool at the start of the 1903–04 season but changed his mind when they were relegated, stating "I simply could not leave my club in its day of disaster."<ref name="speaks4">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3780 |title=Alex Raisbeck wants to leave Liverpool! – Chapter IV |publisher=LFC History |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref> He remained with the club and helped them win promotion back to the First Division after a single season after recording a record points total, with only goalkeeper [[Ned Doig]] making more appearances during the course of the season.<ref name="worthy">{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1905/05/01/liverpool-are-worthy-champions/ |title=Liverpool are worthy champions |newspaper=Athletic News |date=1 May 1905 |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref> On their return to the First Division, the Liverpool board decided to form the club into a [[limited company]]. When the players were informed of the decision by manager Watson during a training camp in [[The Midlands]], several senior players, including Raisbeck, decided to invest in shares of the club with ten of the fifteen players at the camp choosing to purchase shares.<ref name="speaks5">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3781 |title=Alick leads Liverpool's glorious achievements! – Chapter V |publisher=LFC History |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref>

In their first season back in the First Division, Raisbeck enjoyed his most successful campaign with the club as he helped them to lift the league title, the [[Sheriff of London Charity Shield]] and the [[Liverpool Senior Cup]].<ref name="speaks5"/> In the FA Cup, Liverpool were defeated by local rivals [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] in the semi-finals. Prior to the match, as captain, Raisbeck had met with the club's directors and pushed for the inclusion of [[Sam Raybould]] in the starting line-up which was agreed after it was confirmed that he had sufficiently recovered from injury. However, some players later met with the directors and convinced them to drop Raybould and gave the directors the impression that Raisbeck was in agreement with this decision. The directors relented and the team was rearranged without Raisbeck's knowledge. He would later comment on the changes which left several players out of position for the match, stating " our forwards were all out of tune and they did little that was right. We lost, but I still feel it was an error of judgement which deprived Liverpool of competing in the final."<ref name="speaks5"/>

As a reward for winning the First Division title, the Liverpool squad were sent to Paris for a team holiday where they met swimmer [[John Arthur Jarvis]] following his victory in a race in the [[Seine]].<ref name="speaks6">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3782 |title=Tom Watson's demise shocks Raisbeck – Chapter VI |publisher=LFC History |access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref> In his later years with Liverpool, mounting injuries began to take their toll on Raisbeck's body and his appearances for the club steadily decreased each season.<ref name="LFCh"/> During the 1908–09 season, he developed a knee injury that kept him out of the first-team for four months and the extended time away from the club led him to become homesick and he eventually informed the club of his wish to return to Scotland. The club's board were initially unwilling to allow their captain to leave but relented when he told them it was for health reasons.<ref name="speaks6"/> He played his final match for the club on 30 April 1909, a 1–0 victory over [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] that saw Liverpool avoid relegation.<ref name="speaks6"/> During his time at Anfield, he made 341 appearances in all competitions, scoring 19 goals.<ref name="LFCh"/>

===Partick Thistle===

Raisbeck's teammate [[Maurice Parry]] was out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the 1908–09 season and was in talks with Scottish side [[Partick Thistle F.C.|Partick Thistle]] over a potential move. Thistle club secretary George Easton, a friend of Raisbeck, approached him for his opinion on Parry and during their conversation he remarked to Easton over his desire to move. Easton quickly contacted Liverpool and the transfer was completed soon after for a fee of £500.<ref name="speaks7">{{cite web |url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3783 |title=Raisbeck returns to Scotland – Chapter VII |publisher=LFC History |access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="Luke">{{cite web |url=https://raisbeck.weebly.com/partick-thistle.html |title=Partick Thistle 1909–1914 |publisher=Raisbeck history |access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref> The team had finished bottom of the Scottish First Division the previous season but were due to move into their new ground [[Firhill Stadium|Firhill]] and Raisbeck and Parry were part of several signings brought in to boost the club's fortunes.<ref name="Luke"/>

He was appointed club captain on his arrival and went on to make over 100 appearances for the club during a five-year spell. In his final season at Partick, Raisbeck sustained a blow to the abdomen during a league match against [[Dundee F.C.|Dundee]] but played on after an initial wave of pain. However, in the dressing room after the match he experienced more pain and the club doctor advised that the injury was not serious but could lead to [[appendicitis]]. He played on for several matches but grew uneasy over the increased pain after matches and eventually sought further advice from a professor who advised him to undergo surgery, which took place on Christmas Day 1913 in Glasgow.<ref name="speaks6"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1913/12/25/alex-raisbeck-in-hospital/ |title=Alex Raisbeck in hospital |newspaper=Dundee Courier |date=24 December 1913 |access-date=6 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref> The injury ruled him out of his [[Benefit (sports)|benefit match]] and he never played a competitive match for Partick again.<ref name="speaks6"/>

==International career==
Having represented the [[Scottish Football League XI]], Raisbeck made his senior international debut for [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] on 17 April 1900 in a 4–1 victory over [[England national football team|England]]. On 5 April 1902, he played in a match against England that was later declared void following the [[1902 Ibrox disaster]] in which 25 people died when a stand at the stadium collapsed. Raisbeck later recalled the moment he heard the stand give way, believing initially that the crowd had attempted to storm the pitch. The match was temporarily halted and the teams returned to the dressing rooms where some of the injured spectators were being treated. Describing the scene, Raisbeck commented "I shall never forget the scenes inside. Dead bodies and groaning men were lying on the seats where only a short time ago the Scottish players had stripped. Even some of the players' clothing was requisitioned for bandages."<ref name="speaks3"/> The match later resumed but was not counted by either the English or Scottish Football Associations in official statistics.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/on-this-day-1902-first-ibrox-disaster-1-4412812 |title=On this day 1902: First Ibrox disaster |newspaper=The Scotsman |date=5 April 2017 |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref>

He went on to win a total of eight caps, all but one coming in matches against England.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=113345 |title=Alex Raisbeck |publisher=Scottish Football Association |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref>

==Managerial career==

In March 1914, Raisbeck met an official working for [[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]] who informed him that the club were looking to employ their first manager. He enquired about taking the job and was eventually hired.<ref name="speaks6"/> He spent three years in charge of the club before changing roles to a director for a further three and a half years.<ref name="LFCh"/>

On 28 December 1921, Raisbeck was appointed manager of Second Division side [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]], but was unable to avoid relegation to the [[Football League Third Division South|Third Division South]] in his first season.<ref name="LFCh"/> The following year, he led the team to promotion back into the Second Division by winning the [[Football League Third Division South|Third Division South]] titles.<ref name="LMA">{{cite web |url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/alex-raisbeck/ |title=Alex Raisbeck |publisher=League Manager's Association |access-date=6 March 2018 |archive-date=7 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307150914/http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/alex-raisbeck/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> His success with Bristol saw him named as one of the candidates to take over as Liverpool manager from [[David Ashworth]] but the post was eventually given to [[Matt McQueen]]. Bristol suffered relegation again in the 1923–24 season and, despite returning to the Second Division three years later, he resigned from his post in June 1929.<ref name="LFCh"/>

After a six-year spell with [[Halifax Town F.C.|Halifax Town]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.halifaxafc.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10437~1027650,00.html |title=Halifax Town managers |publisher=Halifax Town A.F.C. |date=4 March 2011 |access-date=21 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005065718/http://www.halifaxafc.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10437~1027650,00.html |archive-date=5 October 2011 }}</ref> he took over the manager's role at [[Chester City F.C.|Chester]] in 1936, after being chosen from over 100 applicants, as the permanent replacement for [[Charlie Hewitt (footballer)|Charlie Hewitt]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1936/05/14/alex-raisbeck-replaces-charles-hewitt-at-chester-f-c/ |title=Alex Raisbeck replaces Charles Hewitt at Chester FC |newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |date=14 May 1936 |access-date=6 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref> In July 1938, Raisbeck was appointed manager of [[Southern Football League]] side [[Bath City F.C.|Bath City]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1938/07/09/alex-raisbeck-bath-citys-new-manager/ |title=Alex Raisbeck – Bath.City's new manager |newspaper=Cheltenham Chronicle |date=9 July 1938 |access-date=6 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref> however the outbreak of World War II in 1939 led all competitive football to be suspended and he left his position at the club.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1939/09/09/alex-raisbeck-and-bath-city-fc/ |title=Alex Raisbeck and Bath City FC |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=9 September 1939 |access-date=6 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://old.bathcityfc.com/history_4.htm |title=£2000 And 33,000 Tons of Rubble – Twerton Here We Come |publisher=Bath City F.C. |access-date=7 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307214507/http://old.bathcityfc.com/history_4.htm |archive-date=7 March 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He later returned to Liverpool following the end of the war, working as a scout until his death in 1949.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpools-first-league-winning-captain-11396553 |title=Liverpool's first league winning captain receives fresh tribute |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |author=Joe Rimmer |date=28 May 2016 |access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Raisbeck fathered fourteen children during his life.<ref name="Hof"/> During World War II, six of Raisbeck's sons served in the armed forces, four of them as officers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1945/07/28/alex-raisbeck-re-visits-bath/ |title=Alex Raisbeck revisits Bath |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=28 July 1945 |access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref> He died in [[Liverpool]] on 12 March 1949 at the age of 70,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1949/03/12/alex-raisbeck-passes-away-in-liverpool/ | title=Alex Raisbeck passes away in Liverpool |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=19 March 1949 |access-date=6 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref> leaving £276 and 18 [[shilling]]s in his will.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1949/09/01/alex-raisbeck-left-276-18s/ |title=Alex Raisbeck Left Behind £276 18S |newspaper=Western Daily Press |date=1 September 1949 |access-date=6 March 2018 |via=Play Up Liverpool}}</ref>

Two of his brothers were also footballers: [[Bill Raisbeck|Bill]]'s clubs included [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] and [[Falkirk F.C.|Falkirk]],<ref name=Falkirk>{{cite web|last1=Meffen|first1=John|title=Pen Pic - William Raisbeck - Falkirk FC - 1907|url=http://www.falkirk-football-history.co.uk/2016/07/pen-pic-william-raisbeck-falkirk-fc-1907.html|website=Falkirk Football Historian|access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref> while [[Andrew Raisbeck|Andrew]] appeared for Hibernian and was a reserve at Liverpool, then played for [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]].<ref name=andr>{{cite web|url=https://playupliverpool.com/1958/10/23/andrew-brown-raisbeck-andy-raisbeck-playupliverpool-com/|title=Andrew Brown Raisbeck|website=Play up, Liverpool|access-date=25 September 2018}}</ref> Both emigrated to Canada in 1907 along with other family members.<ref name=Falkirk/><ref name=andr/> A cousin of the family, [[Luke Raisbeck]], played for [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] and [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] among others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theyflysohigh.co.uk/early-years/4545964718|title=Luke "Lou" Raisbeck|website=TheyFlySoHigh|access-date=25 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://raisbeck.weebly.com/luke-raisbeck.html|title=Luke Raisbeck|website=Raisbeck History|access-date=25 September 2018}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
Source:<ref>{{ENFA}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|FA Cup
!colspan="2"|Other<ref group="nb">Includes [[Football League test matches]] and [[Sheriff of London Charity Shield]] matches.</ref>
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]]
|[[1896–97 Scottish Division One|1896–97]]
|[[Scottish Football League Division One|Scottish Division One]]
|9||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||10||1
|-
|[[1897–98 Scottish Division One|1897–98]]
|Scottish Division One
|16||2||4||1||colspan="2"|—||20||3
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!25!!3!!5!!1!!0!!0!!30!!3
|-
|[[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke]]
|[[1897–98 Stoke F.C. season|1897–98]]
|[[Football League First Division|First Division]]
|4||0||0||0||4||1||8||1
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[1898–99 in English football|1898–99]]
|First Division
|32||1||6||1||colspan="2"|—||38||2
|-
|[[1899–1900 in English football|1899–1900]]
|First Division
|32||4||4||0||colspan="2"|—||38||4
|-
|[[1900–01 in English football|1900–01]]
|First Division
|31||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||33||1
|-
|[[1901–02 in English football|1901–02]]
|First Division
|26||0||3||1||colspan="2"|—||29||1
|-
|[[1902–03 in English football|1902–03]]
|First Division
|27||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||28||1
|-
|[[1903–04 in English football|1903–04]]
|First Division
|30||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||31||1
|-
|[[1904–05 in English football|1904–05]]
|[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]
|33||2||2||0||colspan="2"|—||35||2
|-
|[[1905–06 in English football|1905–06]]
|First Division
|36||1||4||0||1||0||41||1
|-
|[[1906–07 in English football|1906–07]]
|First Division
|27||4||1||0||colspan="2"|—||28||4
|-
|[[1907–08 in English football|1907–08]]
|First Division
|23||2||3||0||colspan="2"|—||26||2
|-
|[[1908–09 in English football|1908–09]]
|First Division
|15||2||1||0||colspan="2"|—||16||2
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!312!!19!!28!!2!!0!!0!!341!!21
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!341!!22!!33!!2!!5!!1!!379!!25
|}

<references group="nb"/>

===International===
Source:<ref>{{NFT|35508|name=Raisbeck, Alex|access-date=28 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="fbs"/>

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center"
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
|1900||1||0
|-
|1901||1||0
|-
|1902||1||0
|-
|1903||2||0
|-
|1904||1||0
|-
|1906||1||0
|-
|1907||1||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!8!!0
|}

===Managerial statistics===

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure<ref group="nb">Statistics unavailable where columns are left empty.</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
!rowspan="2"|{{abbr|Ref|Reference}}
|-
!{{abbr|P|Matches played}}!!{{abbr|W|Matches won}}!!{{abbr|D|Matches drawn}}!!{{abbr|L|Matches lost}}!!{{abbr|Win %|Win percentage}}
|-
|align=left|[[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]] 
|align=left|1914
|align=left|1917
{{WDL|||||decimals=1}}
|
|-
|align=left|[[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]] 
|align=left|December 1921
|align=left|June 1929
{{WDL|336|143|80|113|decimals=1}}
|<ref name="sb">{{cite web
| url        = https://www.soccerbase.com/managers/manager.sd?manager_id=54
| title      = Alex Raisbeck's managerial career
| work       = Soccerbase
| publisher  = Racing Post
| access-date = 24 April 2018}}</ref>
|-
|align=left|[[Halifax Town A.F.C.|Halifax Town]] 
|align=left|June 1930
|align=left|May 1936
{{WDL|||||decimals=1}}
|
|-
|align=left|[[Chester City F.C.|Chester]] 
|align=left|May 1936
|align=left|April 1938
{{WDL|86|38|21|27|decimals=1}}
|<ref name="sb"/>
|-
|align=left|[[Bath City F.C.|Bath City]] 
|align=left|June 1938
|align=left|1939
{{WDL|||||decimals=1}}
|
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
{{WDLtot|422|181|101|140|decimals=1}}
!—
|}
<references group="nb"/>

==Honours==

'''As a player:'''
'''Liverpool'''<ref name="LFCh"/><ref name="speaks5"/>
* [[Football League First Division]] winner: [[1900–01 Football League First Division|1900–01]], [[1905–06 Football League First Division|1905–06]]
* [[Football League Second Division]] winner: [[1904–05 Football League Second Division|1904–05]]
* [[Sheriff of London Charity Shield]] winner: 1906

'''Hibernian'''<ref name="fbs"/>
*[[List of Scottish football champions|Scottish League]] runner-up: [[1896–97 Scottish Division One|1896–97]]

'''As a manager:'''

'''Bristol City'''<ref name="LMA"/>
* [[Football League Third Division South|Football League Division Three (South)]] Champions 1923, 1927

==See also==
*[[List of Scotland national football team captains]]
*[[List of Scottish football families]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/alex-raisbeck Official Liverpool FC website profile]

{{Liverpool F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Alex Raisbeck managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{Hamilton Academical F.C. managers}}
{{Halifax Town A.F.C. managers}}
{{Bristol City F.C. managers}}
{{Chester City F.C. managers}}
{{Bath City F.C. managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raisbeck, Alex}}
[[Category:1878 births]]
[[Category:1949 deaths]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:People from Polmont]]
[[Category:Footballers from Cambuslang]]
[[Category:Footballers from Falkirk (council area)]]
[[Category:Bath City F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Bristol City F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Chester City F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Hamilton Academical F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Hibernian F.C. players]]
[[Category:Liverpool F.C. players]]
[[Category:Stoke City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Liverpool F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Partick Thistle F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League players]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League representative players]]
[[Category:Scotland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish Junior Football Association players]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League managers]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Scottish football managers]]