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{{short description|Scottish footballer and manager (1931–2004)}}
{{for-multi|the Dumbarton, Kilmarnock and Raith Rovers player|Ally MacLeod (footballer, born 1960)|the St Mirren and Hibernian player|Ally McLeod}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ally MacLeod
| image = Ally MacLeod 1949.jpg
| caption = MacLeod in 1949
| fullname = Alistair Reid MacLeod<ref>{{Hugman|12778|access-date=19 February 2017}}</ref>
| height = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1931|2|26}}
| birth_place = [[Glasgow]], Scotland
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2004|2|1|1931|2|26}}
| death_place = [[Ayr]], Scotland
| position = [[Winger (association football)|Left wing]]
| years1 = 1949–1955
| clubs1 = [[Third Lanark A.C.|Third Lanark]]
| caps1 = 112
| goals1 = 17
| years2 = 1955–1956
| clubs2 = [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]]
| caps2 = 22
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1956–1961
| clubs3 = [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
| caps3 = 193
| goals3 = 47
| years4 = 1961–1963
| clubs4 = [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]]
| caps4 = 52
| goals4 = 6
| years5 = 1963–1964
| clubs5 = [[Third Lanark A.C.|Third Lanark]]
| caps5 = 24
| goals5 = 1
| years6 = 1964–1965
| clubs6 = [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]]
| caps6 = 17
| goals6 = 0
| totalcaps = 420
| totalgoals = 80
| manageryears1 = 1966–1975
| managerclubs1 = [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]]
| manageryears2 = 1975–1977
| managerclubs2 = [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]]
| manageryears3 = 1977–1978
| managerclubs3 = [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
| manageryears4 = 1978
| managerclubs4 = [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]]
| manageryears5 = 1979–1981
| managerclubs5 = [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]]
| manageryears6 = 1984–1985
| managerclubs6 = [[Airdrieonians F.C. (1878)|Airdrieonians]]
| manageryears7 = 1985–1990
| managerclubs7 = [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]]
| manageryears8 = 1991–1992
| managerclubs8 = [[Queen of the South F.C.|Queen of the South]]
}}

'''Alistair Reid MacLeod''' (26 February 1931 – 1 February 2004) was a Scottish professional [[association football|football]] player and manager. He is perhaps best known for his time as the [[Scotland national football team manager]], including their appearance at the [[1978 FIFA World Cup]]. MacLeod played as a [[winger (association football)|left winger]] for [[Third Lanark A.C.|Third Lanark]] (two spells), [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]], [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]] and [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]]. He then managed [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]] (three spells), [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]], Scotland, [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]], [[Airdrieonians F.C. (1878)|Airdrieonians]] and [[Queen of the South F.C.|Queen of the South]].

==Early years==
Alistair Reid MacLeod was born in the south side of Glasgow on 26 February 1931. His family lived in [[Clydebank]] for a while but the house was bombed during the Second World War. At length they settled in [[Mount Florida]], near to [[Hampden Park]] and [[Cathkin Park]]. MacLeod signed provisionally for [[Third Lanark A.C.|Third Lanark]] when he was still a schoolboy.<ref name = "qos">[http://qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=357 Ally MacLeod career profile on www.qosfc.com]</ref> He made swift dashes up the left wing. His distinctive running action earned him the nickname "Noddy".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1453208/Ally-MacLeod.html |title=Obituaries: Ally MacLeod |work=The Telegraph|date=2 February 2004 |access-date=15 May 2014}}</ref>

==Playing career==
MacLeod started his playing career at Third Lanark as a provisional signing as a schoolboy in 1947. He made his first-team debut against [[Stirling Albion F.C.|Stirling Albion]] at Cathkin Park on 6 November 1949.

In 1953, MacLeod was in the Thirds side that trounced [[Alloa Athletic F.C.|Alloa Athletic]] in the [[Scottish League Cup|League Cup]] opener, 10–0. Sitting 8–0 up, MacLeod's teammates' main objective was to get him on the scoresheet. He had set up five goals but had missed several sitters himself. A left-foot rocket shot, and a simple tap in took Thirds' tally to 10. He joined the [[Royal Scots]] for [[National Service]] but was still able to turn out for the Thirds.

MacLeod was reluctant to move to [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]] in 1956, but having secured a guarantee that the reported £8,000 fee would tremendously help Third Lanark's survival, he moved on. He spent only six weeks at St Mirren before moving to English team [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]].
  
Managed by fellow Scot [[Dally Duncan]], MacLeod was man of the match in the [[1960 FA Cup Final]], but the game was lost 3–0 to [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]].<ref name = "qos" /> While at Blackburn he made strenuous efforts along with the [[Professional Footballers' Association|PFA]] steward [[Jimmy Hill]] to help abolish the [[maximum wage]], but when subsequently his promised wage increase was not forthcoming, while other players in the team were raised from £20 to £40 per week, he entered into discussions with [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]]. When Blackburn realised that they were going to lose him to Hibs they improved  their offer with an increase from £20 to £35. MacLeod, having already accepted Hibs' offer, felt he could not go back on his word, so left Blackburn to go back to Scotland.

He played with Hibs until 1963, when he returned to Third Lanark. In 1964 he signed for [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]], where he finished his playing career, with no major honours won.

==Coaching career==
===Ayr United===
He started his managerial career in 1966 when he took charge of Ayr United. He took Ayr back to Scotland's [[Scottish Football League First Division|top division]] and turned them into a well respected side.<ref name = "qos" /> He took them to a Scottish and a League Cup semi-final<ref name = "qos" /> and also set their attendance record with 25,225 watching a 2–1 success over [[Rangers F.C.]] In 1973, MacLeod was named Ayr's "Citizen of the Year".

===Aberdeen===
In November 1975, after nine years at Ayr, he moved to [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]] where he guided them to a League Cup final success over [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]].<ref name = "qos" />

===Scotland===
====1978 World Cup qualification and preparation====
After success with Ayr and Aberdeen, in May 1977 the [[Scottish Football Association]] appointed him manager of the [[Scotland national football team|Scotland national team]].<ref name = "qos" /> He introduced himself to the squad with the blunt statement: "My name is Ally MacLeod and I am a winner." In his first months in charge, Scotland beat [[England national football team|England]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] and qualified for the [[1978 FIFA World Cup|1978 World Cup]] from a group containing [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]], who had won the [[UEFA Euro 1976|1976 European Championship]], and [[Wales national football team|Wales]].<ref name = "qos" /> Scotland's World Cup expectations gathered momentum with MacLeod happy with the wave of massive optimism, saying to the press his team would return with "at least a medal".<ref name = "qos" /> Scottish comedian [[Andy Cameron (comedian)|Andy Cameron]] recorded a version of "Ally's Tartan Army", which reached number 6 in the UK charts just before the World Cup.

Qualification was particularly sweet for Scotland since, for the second World Cup in succession, Scotland had achieved what their traditional rivals [[England national football team|England]] had not. Defeat against England in the [[1977–78 British Home Championship]] was taken to mean little. Spirits remained sky-high as 25,000 people came to [[Hampden Park]] to watch the squad circle the ground in an open-top bus prior to their departure for Argentina.<ref name = "qos" /> [[Glasgow Prestwick International Airport|Prestwick Airport]] was packed with supporters seeing the team off. When a journalist asked him "What do you plan to do after the World Cup?" MacLeod replied: "Retain it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0002/print.shtml |title=A Sporting Nation – 1978 World Cup |publisher=BBC |access-date=2010-01-12}}</ref> This anecdote, though, is denied in some accounts of the Scottish saga at the 1978 World Cup<ref>{{Cite book|title='78 : how a nation lost the World Cup|first=Graham |last=McColl |date=2006|publisher=Headline|isbn=0755314093|location=London|oclc=70671086}}</ref> and has been cited as one of the most popular [[hoax]]es in British football.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/when-saturday-comes-blog/2018/feb/21/football-myths-internet-world-cup-denis-law-giggs|title=Don't believe everything you read about football on the internet|first=Neil |last=Andrews|date=2018-02-21|work=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref>

====1978 World Cup finals====
Some observers were worried by the absence through injury of full-back [[Danny McGrain]]. Opponents [[Peru national football team|Peru]]'s impressive credentials went overlooked and were not expected to provide many problems in the first match. Peru, however, won the game 3–1. Scotland took the lead but [[Don Masson]] missed a penalty and in general failed to play to their potential.<ref name = "qos" /> Before the match journalist James McKillop had written in ''[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Glasgow Herald]]'' that "The suggestion that we might not win is unthinkable and can be dismissed out of hand."<ref name="GH3rdJune1978p8">{{cite news |last1=McKillop |first1=James |title=The big switch-on - so here's hoping |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19780603&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=25 May 2021 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=3 June 1978 |page=8}}</ref> As MacLeod himself put it, the performance against Peru was "rank bad". Plentiful excuses emerged: there had been a dispute concerning bonuses, the hotel swimming pool had no water in it, there was nothing for the players to do. It was then revealed that the winger [[Willie Johnston]] had taken a cold tablet which contained a banned stimulant [[fencamfamine]] (Reactivan). He was sent home.<ref name = "qos" /> MacLeod, at a press conference, saw a mongrel dog approach: "I think he is the only friend I have got left", he said, stretching out a hand.

The game with [[Iran national football team|Iran]] finished a 1–1 draw, after a poor display by the Scots. They then needed to beat [[Netherlands national football team|the Netherlands]], one of the tournament favourites, by three clear goals, to qualify.<ref name = "qos" /> The next day's ''The Glasgow Herald'' ran the result of the Iran game as their main story under the headline "Ally's night of shame". ''Herald'' reporter James McKillop described the match as "Ally's [[Alamo]]" and said Scotland had "turned disgrace into humiliation". Adding that at full-time the Scotland players "were lucky not to be lynched", he said he had "never seen Scotland supporters more angry".<ref name="Herald8June1978p1">{{cite news |last1=McKillop |first1=James |title=Ally's night of shame - Scots jeered off the field |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19780608&printsec=frontpage&hl=enhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19780608&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=24 May 2021 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=8 June 1978 |page=1}}</ref> McKillop's report also stated that in response to the result MacLeod offered "excuses, if not reasons", with MacLeod stated that "the team had been under tremendous pressure in Argentina".<ref name="Herald8June1978p1"/>

For the Netherlands match MacLeod gave [[Graeme Souness]] his first game of the World Cup and was rewarded with a much-improved team performance. When [[Archie Gemmill]] scored what is widely thought to be one of the greatest World Cup goals ever (it was officially ranked seventh best by [[FIFA]]), to make the score 3–1 to Scotland, qualification to the next phase looked possible. Three minutes later, though, the Dutch pulled a goal back; the game ended 3–2 and Scotland were eliminated on [[goal difference]]. The Netherlands proceeded to the final, where they lost to [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]].<ref name = "qos" />

====Aftermath and resignation====
Following the squads return to Scotland, Macleod's future was discussed by the SFA's  International Committee at a meeting in July to consider the team's failure in Argentina. Macleod was present at this four and half hour meeting where a motion to remove him was proposed. The six-man committee agreed to keep Macleod in place as the motion was defeated, but ''The Glasgow Herald'' reported that it was understood that the motion for dismissal had only been defeated on the casting vote of the Committee's chairman, Tom Laughlan of [[Kilmarnock F.C.]]<ref name="GH8thJuly78p1">{{cite news |last1=Paul |first1=Ian |title=Ally stays in the hot seat - by one vote |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19780708&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=22 May 2021 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=8 July 1978 |page=1}}</ref> An editorial in the same newspaper noted that "the football public expected more from Mr MacLeod in the Scotland job than he was able to deliver. He emerges from a chastening experience a wiser man."<ref name="GH8thJuly78editorial">{{cite news |title=Second chance |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19780708&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=22 May 2021 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=8 July 1978 |page=1}}</ref>

Although MacLeod had survived this immediate inquest by the sport's authorities, he resigned after one more game in charge,<ref name = "qos" /> only 17 matches and about 500 days after his appointment. His old club Ayr United had been given permission by the Scottish Football Association to talk to MacLeod about him returning as Ayr manager. MacLeod accepted the offer although Ayr were in the [[1978–79 Scottish First Division|second tier]] and the job was thought to pay around £12,000 per year, £3,000 less than he received as Scotland manager. MacLeod admitted that the World Cup failure, and the fallout which followed it, "had taken a lot out of him", but said he was now relaxed and wanted "to prove myself again."<ref name="GH27sept1978p1">{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Jim |title=Ally quits hot seat and returns to Ayr |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19780927&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=27 May 2021 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=27 September 1978 |page=1}}</ref> His decision to resign and return to club management echoed that of his predecessor in the Scotland job, [[Willie Ormond]].<ref name="GH27sept1978p1"/> MacLeod's departure left Scotland needing to quickly appoint a manager ahead of their next [[UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying]] match against [[Norway national football team|Norway]]. ''The Glasgow Herald'' sports reporter Jim Reynolds dismissed the idea that MacLeod might be asked to stay on in a part-time basis until after this match, saying that "Too many people inside Park Gardens", which was the SFA's headquarters, would "breath a sigh of relief" at MacLeod's departure.<ref name="GH27sept1978p24">{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Jim |title=Foreign boss for Scotland? |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19780927&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=27 May 2021 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=27 September 1978 |page=24}}</ref>

The Scottish Football Association's annual report, issued in May 1979, stated that, "regardless of the depressing aspects of Mr MacLeod's latter days in the Association's employ, it would be quite unfair not to comment that he was largely responsible for kindling an enthusiasm for the Scottish team that far exceeded anything which had gone before. The Association benefited considerably from that enthusiasm and should not forget it".

In his autobiography, ''The Ally MacLeod Story'' (1979), he wondered whether he had "generated just too much excitement. Had I raised the level of national optimism just too high?" But he was able to console himself: "Would the Scottish fans have tolerated anything less from me than whole-hearted conviction?" MacLeod also reassured the reader that he, for one, never thought that Scotland were invincible, and claimed to be perfectly at peace with himself. "I am a very good manager who just happened to have a few disastrous days, once upon a time, in Argentina."

===Later career===
His subsequent managerial career included spells at [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]] (1979–1981), [[Airdrieonians F.C. (1878)|Airdrie]] (1984–1985) and a third spell at Ayr (1986–1989) when he won a [[list of winners of the Scottish League One and predecessors|Second Division (third tier) title]] in [[1987–88 Scottish Second Division|1988]]. His last job in football was with [[Dumfries]] club [[Queen of the South F.C.|Queen of the South]]. In 1992, he played in a game for Queens' reserve team, scoring a goal from a penalty at the age of 61.<ref name = "qos" /><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.qosfc.com/AboutUs/OurHistory/QueensLegends/tabid/115/Default.aspx| title=Jimmy Robertson interview in "Queens Legends"| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715134811/http://www.qosfc.com/AboutUs/OurHistory/QueensLegends/tabid/115/Default.aspx |archive-date=15 July 2011 }}</ref>

==Death and tributes==
Increasingly treated with affection by the Scottish footballing public, in July 2003, at [[Hampden Park]], he was presented with a crystal decanter in appreciation of his services to the national team and to Scottish football.

He died in 2004, aged 72, after a long battle with [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>{{cite news
|date=1 February 2004
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/3449667.stm
|title=Ally MacLeod dies
|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Sport
|access-date=2007-08-31}}</ref> MacLeod was posthumously inducted to the [[Scottish Football Hall of Fame]] in 2015.<ref name = "2015 inductee">{{cite news |url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/13877483.Ally_MacLeod_one_of_five_inducted_into_Scottish_Football_Hall_of_Fame/ |title=Ally MacLeod one of five inducted into Scottish Football Hall of Fame |first=Scott |last=Mullen |work=Evening Times |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=18 October 2015 |access-date=19 October 2015}}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Third Lanark'''
*[[Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup|Glasgow Charity Cup]]: [[1955–56 in Scottish football|1955–56]]<ref name = "inde">{{ cite web | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ally-macleod-37925.html | title = Ally MacLeod | newspaper = [[The Independent]] | date = 3 February 2004 | access-date = 18 October 2022 }}</ref>

'''Hibernian'''
*[[East of Scotland Shield]]: [[1960–61 in Scottish football|1960–61]]<ref>{{ cite web | url = https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/games/196103291.html | title = Wed 29 Mar 1961 19:30: Hibernian 4 Hearts 2 (EoSS Final) | work = London Hearts Supporters Club | access-date = 18 October 2022 }}</ref>

'''Blackburn Rovers'''
*[[Football League Second Division]] promotion: [[1957–58 Football League|1957–58]]
*[[FA Cup]] runner-up: [[1959–60 FA Cup|1959–60]]<ref name = "inde"/>

===Manager===
'''Ayr United'''
*[[Scottish Division Two]]: 1965–66
*[[Scottish Division Two]] promotion: 1968–69 
*[[Scottish Second Division]]: 1987–88
*[[Ayrshire Cup]]: 1969; 1970; 1971; 1975; 1988

'''Aberdeen'''
*[[Scottish League Cup]]: [[1976 Scottish League Cup final|1976–77]]<ref>{{ cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/feb/03/guardianobituaries.brianglanville | title = Ally MacLeod | newspaper = [[The Guardian]] | date = 3 February 2004 | access-date = 18 October 2022 }}</ref>

'''Scotland'''
*[[British Home Championship]]: [[1976–77 British Home Championship|1976–77]]

'''Motherwell'''
*[[Lanarkshire Cup]]: 1981

'''Airdrieonians'''
*[[Lanarkshire Cup]] winners: 1984

===Managerial statistics===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|Nat
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
|-
!G!!W!!D!!L!!Win %
|-
|align=left|[[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} 
|align=left|1977
|align=left|1978
{{WDL|17|7|5|5}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Ronnie McDevitt and Andy MacLeod. ''More Than Argentina: The Biography of Ally MacLeod'' (2014)
* Ronnie McDevitt. ''Scotland in the 60s: The Definitive Account of the Scottish National Football Side During the 1960s'' (2016)
* Dominic Sandbrook. ''Seasons in the Sun: The Battle for Britain, 1974–1979'' (2012) pp.&nbsp;527–35.

{{Scotland Squad 1978 World Cup}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Ally MacLeod managerial positions
|list1=
{{Airdrieonians F.C. (1878) managers}}
{{Ayr United F.C. managers}}
{{Scotland national football team managers}}
{{Aberdeen F.C. managers}}
{{Motherwell F.C. managers}}
{{Queen of the South F.C. managers}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|list1=
{{Ayr United F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{Scottish Football Hall of Fame}}
{{Aberdeen F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{Scottish League Cup winning managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macleod, Ally}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Scotland]]
[[Category:Aberdeen F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Airdrieonians F.C. (1878) managers]]
[[Category:Ayr United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Queen of the South F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Ayr United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Glasgow]]
[[Category:Third Lanark A.C. players]]
[[Category:Hibernian F.C. players]]
[[Category:Motherwell F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Scotland national football team managers]]
[[Category:1978 FIFA World Cup managers]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish football managers]]
[[Category:St Mirren F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League managers]]
[[Category:Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:People educated at Queen's Park Secondary School]]
[[Category:20th-century British Army personnel]]
[[Category:Royal Scots soldiers]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish sportsmen]]