Alexander Russell Elder (born 25 April 1941) is a Northern Irish former footballer who played for Burnley and Stoke City as well as the Northern Ireland national team.
He was said to play a mature game for someone with little experience of top-class football. Although not quick on the turn, he timed his tackles well and made good use of the ball.
Career
Burnley Elder was the very last piece in Harry Potts Championship jigsaw, signing aged 17 in January 1959 for £5,000 from Irish League club Glentoran. He spent the remainder of the 1958–59 season in the Burnley reserves, remaining there when the 1959–60 season began. By the eighth game of that season he made his first team debut against Preston and the great Tom Finney. Despite a 1–0 defeat Elder played well enough to retain his place and played in all but one of the remaining games that season. The 1959–60 season brought Burnley its second, and to date last, league championship. After a tense run-in with Wolves and Spurs, the other main title contenders, Burnley clinched the championship at Maine Road with a 2–1 victory on 2 May 1960. Elder admitted that he was fortunate as a young player to come into a side that included so many great players – including Jimmy Adamson and Jimmy McIlroy. Elder played in Burnley's European Cup campaign the following season and then in the FA Cup Final Wembley side of 1962. He forged a formidable full back partnership with John Angus and the two were only separated when Elder broke an ankle in pre-season training in 1963. In July 1965, Elder succeeded Brian Miller as club captain. Elder was just 26 when in August 1967 Burnley accepted £50,000 from Stoke City after making 330 appearances for the "Clarets" scoring 17 goals. While he was reluctant to leave, he admitted that his face did not fit in with the new coach, former teammate Jimmy Adamson. As a young Burnley player Elder was featured on the 'Look at Life' documentary series in the episode called 'The Ball at His Feet'. The programme covered the activities of apprentice footballers.Shown on Talking Pictures TV at 04:40 on 6 September 2022
Stoke City Elder made an unfortunate start to his Stoke career as in pre-season training for 1967–68 it took him until the end of October to make his debut and failed to reach the heights he set at Turf Moor and is considered to be one of Tony Waddington's worst signings. He played 44 games in 1968–69 and over the next four seasons he made 27 appearances and was released by the club after playing exactly 100 matches.
International career In April 1960 Elder made his international debut for Northern Ireland in a Home International Championship game in Wrexham against Wales. He won 34 caps while at Burnley and a further six after he transferred to Stoke. He also represented Northern Ireland at B, Under 23 and Schooboy level.NI greats
Career statistics Club Source:
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsBurnley1959–60First Division3408000—4201960–61First Division3607050504201961–62First Division4108100—4911962–63First Division4113100—4411963–64First Division1915000—2411964–65First Division3445000—3941965–66First Division3963040—4661966–67First Division2730060—333Total271153921505033017Stoke City1967–68First Division2402030—2901968–69First Division3814020—4411969–70First Division900010—1001970–71First Division50300010901971–72First Division602000301101972–73First Division1000000010Total83111060401041Career total354165022109043418
International Source:
National teamYearAppsGoalsNorthern Ireland196040196160196240196320196460196570196641196720196810196940Total401
Honours Burnley Football League First Division: 1959–60 FA Cup runner-up: 1961–62
References
External links
Burnley stats International record