Signed: January 1922 from Roslyn Juniors

Departed: December 1929 to Dundee United

Appearances: 246

Goals: 0

-1926 Scottish Cup Winner

-Benefits match awarded

-Fought in WW1

Andrew Findlay was a tough tackling full back, who started off his football career with Midlothian side Rosslyn Juniors before signing for Saints in 1922 as John Cochrane attempted to build a side capable of challenging for honours in Scotland.

Although he considered himself very much Scottish, Findlay was born in the Hooley Hill district of Audenshaw in Manchester in 1899 to Scottish parents Andrew and Maggie where his father was employed as a printer in the City. Young Andrew was the youngest of three children, with older sister Isabella three years his senior, and first born James seven years on top of this who had his wife and young daughter living in the family home in 1911 when Andrew was twelve years old.

A few years later, The Findlay’s returned to Scotland as his parents settled back to Fife, and Andrew joined the Royal Navy in the last year of World War I before embarking on his football career in the East of Scotland junior ranks.

Findlay was to prove another outstanding signing by the legendary manager Cochrane, and was pretty much an ever present for the club during the next seven seasons where he formed a brilliant defensive line up with John Miller, William MacDonald and Jock Bradford in goals, playing almost 250 matches for Saints, but failing to find the net once. Findlay was the very definition of a defender in every aspect and would rarely leave his own half.

Standing at 5ft 8 inches tall and 11stones 4lb, he might not seem like the natural choice for a defender in the 21^st century, however as the diet of the average person was not as sophisticated as today this affected the growth of the population and Findlay was more or less the average height of the Saints squad and practically towered above Tommy Workman who was two inches shorter.

Reliability is an underrated quality in football, but that’s exactly what Findlay was and although not a lot is known about him the defender was a mainstay during a sustained period where Saints were one of the top sides in the country and played an integral part in the almost perfect defensive record kept by Saints on route to winning the Scottish Cup in 1926. Findlay was awarded a benefit match in 1928 due to his service to the club, and played during a 3-2 defeat at Love Street to a Scotland select. The following season he was sold to Dundee United, but retired from football after only 11 appearances at Tannadice; although perhaps the death of his wife in 1930 hastened this decision. Andrew lived until he was 77 years of age, and died in 1976. He is buried in Dysart Cemetery in Fife beside his wife and two children, Andrew and Margaret (named after his parents) who sadly both died young.