If Bobby Geddes ends up playing for Dundee tomorrow, he will be doing so at the age of 47 years, 249 days.

Has an older player played in any of Scotland's top divisions?

EDIT: apologies to anyone who's 47 and above for calling you "old"

Henry Smith is the one that might be a possibility? He played for Clydebank in their latter days I think.

Bobby Geddes actually sat on the bench for us in 2001 following a goalkeeping crisis! I bet he never thought he might be starting a senior game seven years later!

Lord alone knows what age John Burridge was when he played a few games for us. Middle 40's I think. Probably not as old as that though.

Burridge was 44-45 (born 3.12.51)

Henry Smith's last SFL game was for Berwick on 14.09.02 - he was born on 10.03.56 making him 46 years 6 months and 4 days (I think...)

Jim Calder was 46 yrs, 8 months in his last SFL game, so he beats Henry Smith.

Geddes, who I assume was the trialist unused sub today, is not the oldest player to be listed either. Dave Westwood was an unused sub last season for East Fife. I don't know if he's been listed this season or not, but he's 49 now.

That was against Stranraer IIRC? We lost by the odd goal in 7 at home......? Prior to this season, that was probably the most inept and embarrassing first team Berwick match I'd ever witnessed.

Correct on both counts.


Not strictly related, I know - but I'm sure I remember Ally McLeod playing in a reserve game game for QotS or Ayr in the early nineties, I think he was 61 or so. Can anyone confirm this? I think he scored a penalty.

Against St Mirren for Ayr, and he did score a penalty, there was a fantastic piece in The Absolute Game about it, it would have been the late 80's/early 90's.

Was Graeme Armstrong not 'ancient' when he stopped playing, or was he just famous for his number of appearances?

His Senior career stretched from 1974-75 to a final appearance in 2000-01 when he was 44.

It was QotS reserves Ally McLeod was playing and scoring for, aged 61. I was there, it was a bizarre evening.

Skyline Drifter provides the details in this thread. Also lots of other info on old players, albeit a bit out of date.
http://www.pieandbovril.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45194

John Buridge holds the record for the oldest professional player in the English Premiership, he was 43 years, 4 months & 26 days old when he played for Man City in April 1995.
I understand the oldest professional player to play in the SPL is Andy Mullen for St Mirren at 42 years & 279 days in April 2008.

Ok, in the wake of Colin Cockle having to take his place on Montrose's bench on Saturday aged 49 years, 8 months and say 12 days, has there been an older unused sub in Scottish football at 1st team level?

Did he have a senior career prior to Saturday, Jamie?

He has run goalkeeping clinics in Aberdeen for a few years for what it is worth.

The Doncaster chairman came on as a sub after they won the Conference a few years back. He would have been old. Not Scottish though.

He was reserve keeper at Brechin from 1979 to March 1980 but never played a competitive first team match. John Ritchie was an ever-present in his time at Glebe Park though ironically missed 3 games within a few weeks of Cockle moving on - where he moved on to I know not. They had to bring in a few trialists (A. Smith and I. Christie) to cover Ritchie.

He's originally from London so wouldn't count towards being the oldest named Scottish player.

No idea what age he was but he was dire.