Don Masson
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Donald Sandison Masson[1] | ||
Date of birth | 26 August 1946 | ||
Place of birth | Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | ||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1964–1968 | Middlesbrough | 53 | (6) |
1968–1974 | Notts County | 274 | (81) |
1974–1977 | Queens Park Rangers | 116 | (18) |
1977–1978 | Derby County | 23 | (1) |
1978–1982 | Notts County | 129 | (11) |
1981 | → Minnesota Kicks (loan)[3] | 24 | (2) |
1982–1983 | Bulova | ? | (?) |
1983–1984 | Kettering Town | 6 | (1) |
National team | |||
1976–1978 | Scotland | 17 | (5) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Donald Sandison Masson (born 26 August 1946 in Banchory) is a Scottish former footballer.
Club career[]
Masson began his career with Middlesbrough in 1964. He was signed by Notts County manager Billy Gray in 1968 in a joint deal for £7000 along with Bob Worthington.[4] He stayed there for six years before moving to Queens Park Rangers in December 1974 for £100,000. Masson made his debut in the 1-0 home win versus Sheffield United on 14 December 1974.
Although approaching 29 years of age before he played top-level football, his was a signing that underlined the quality of then manager Dave Sexton's judgement. A stylish and creative midfielder, he came to be seen as the final piece in the jigsaw of an exciting and attacking QPR team. The following 1975/76 season saw QPR come close to winning the League title, being pipped by a point by Liverpool.
After three years at Loftus Road he moved to Derby County in October 1977 in exchange for Leighton James. After a further spell at Notts County he played for a time in the United States. Don was voted Notts best player of all time by Notts County supporters and also has a lounge at Meadow Lane named in his honour. On returning to England he became the player-manager of Kettering Town, before retiring from the game.
International career[]
Masson won 17 caps for Scotland. He scored five goals including Scotland’s first goal in the 2-1 victory over England in 1976 which clinched their first British Home International Championship since 1967.[5] He missed a penalty kick in the 3–1 defeat against Peru in the 1978 World Cup.
Retirement[]
In retirement he turned his hand in to the hotel business, having bought The Gallery at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, which he later sold. He and his wife now run The Grange,[6] a guest house in Elton on the Hill.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Donald Masson". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "Don Masson". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- ^ "NASL-Don Masson".
- ^ "Jack Dunnett oversaw unprecedented glory and was a true Meadow Lane great". 30 October 2019.
- ^ Don Masson Statistics FIFA; Retrieved 4 February 2010
- ^ "(Home)". The Grange Bed & Breakfast. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
External links[]
- Don Masson at the Scottish Football Association
- Don Masson at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
- Best & Worst: Don Masson Sunday Times, 20 September 2009
- 1946 births
- Living people
- People from Banchory
- Association football midfielders
- Scottish footballers
- Scottish expatriate footballers
- Scotland international footballers
- 1978 FIFA World Cup players
- Middlesbrough F.C. players
- Notts County F.C. players
- Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
- Derby County F.C. players
- Minnesota Kicks players
- Bulova SA players
- Kettering Town F.C. players
- English Football League players
- National League (English football) players
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
- Scottish football managers
- Kettering Town F.C. managers
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- Expatriate footballers in Hong Kong
- Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Sportspeople from Aberdeenshire