Andy McCombie
Although he was brought up in Inverness, on The Crown, on Argyle St. just a few doors down from Peter McWilliam, Andy McCombie was born in 1876 off the High Street in Dingwall, his father's home village being nearby Conon. He was a Ross-shire man, a Gaelic-speaker, and like McWilliam would be a stalwart of the great Newcastle of the 1900s.
And, whilst it all started on the Pfeffer, took in, again like McWilliam, Inverness Thistle and finished on the Tyne, McCombie on retirement from playing in 1910 becoming a coach at St. James's Park and dying in 1952 in North Shields, his time "down South" in fact began on Wearside. McCombie, a right-back, from 1898 played six seasons and over a hundred and fifty times for Sunderland, a club that at the time was prone to financial irregularities and McCombie and it fell out over money. He took them to the FA, won and transferred himself and his skill twelve miles north.
On moving to The Toon McCombie was already a Scottish international, two wins, caps he was to add to, alas both defeats, winning four in all. And as a coach he would rise to First Team by 1928, step down two not particularly successful seasons later but, whilst running an off-licence in North Shields, remain on the staff until his retirement fully in 1950. It meant he had given forty-five years to team of his adopted home. And that was really the essence of the man, contribution on the field and, after the stoochie at Sunderland, the same off it at The Magpies. He had married in Sunderland in 1904 to Lillian Creyke. They would have at least two daughters and a son. She would outlive him by eleven years. And that would be it, a quiet life given over to football and family.
Birth Locator:
3, Leopold Place, Dingwall, Ross-shire
Residence Locator(s):
1881 - 107, Castle St., Inverness
1891 - 49, Argyle St., Inverness
1901 - 53, Stansfield St., Monkwearmouth, Sunderland (listed as a piano-tuner)
1911 - 1, Connaught Gardens, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
1952 - 2, Louvaine Ave., North Shields, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Grave Locator:
Cremated at Newcastle's West End Crematorium
Ground Locator:
Inverness Thistle - Kingsmill Park
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