Alex Menzies

Alex "Big Ming" Menzies

Personal information
Full name	Alex Menzies
Place of birth	Cowdenbeath, Scotland
Playing position	Wing half
Youth career
	Thorntree United[1]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1947–1948	Dumbarton[1]	29	(0)
1948–1955	Cowdenbeath[2]	174	(4)
1955–1957	St Johnstone[3]	49	(5)
1957–1959	Stirling Albion[4]	51	(0)
1959–1960	Alloa Athletic[5]	28	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Alex "Big Ming" Menzies was a Scottish professional footballer, who played for Cowdenbeath and Stirling Albion amongst others.

A former coal-miner, (Ferguson 2006) Menzies joined Cowdenbeath,his hometown club, in 1948. Menzies, a tough-tackling wing half was a member of the side that took Rangers to the brink of defeat over a two-legged Scottish League Cup tie in September 1949.^[6] The late Harry Ewing said that "If you cut Ming in half, like a stick of Blackpool Rock he would have Cowdenbeath printed around his waist.".^[7] After his death in 1990, Ewing recommended Cowdenbeath's new stand be named "The Alex Menzies Stand", a suggestion that was adopted by the board.^[8]

Everyone in Cowdenbeath knew Big Ming. He belonged to the Desperate Dan school of Scottish footballing manhood - Ron Ferguson

Notes

1. DUMBARTON : 1946/47 - 1953/54 & 1955/56 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
2. COWDENBEATH : 1946/47 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
3. ST JOHNSTONE : 1946/47 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
4. STIRLING ALBION : 1947/48 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
5. ALLOA ATHLETIC : 1946/47 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
6. Ferguson, 1993.
7. part of Citation when he was inducted into the Cowdenbeath F.C. Hall of Fame. Archived 27 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
8. Alex Menzies stand to right Archived 19 March 2006 at the Wayback Machine.

Bibliography

• Ferguson, R Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil, 1993 Aberdeen, Northern Books for Famedram ISBN 978-0-905489-53-7
• Ferguson, R Helicopter Dreams, 2006 Aberdeen Northern ISBN 978-0-905489-86-5