Ned Weir

Ned Weir
N/A
Date Of Birth: 1910
Place Of Birth: Naas
Position: MAN
Nationality: IRE

Bio:

Ned Weir coached the Dundalk team during the 1948-49 season, delivering the FAI Cup and City Cup and finishing runner up in the Inter City Cup. Winner of a Scottish Cup medal, he played at International level with three countries—Northern Ireland, the Free State and Scotland.

Naas-born Edward ‘Ned’ Weir spent most of his life in Scotland. A left half back, he started his football career with junior combination side Camelon. His senior career opened with First Division Falkirk in December 1929 and after a year he moved on loan for a couple of months to Second Division Edinburgh-based St Bernards, where he collected a Rosebury Charity Cup medal, defeating Hearts in the final, before returning to Falkirk.

Released by Falkirk at the end of the 1931-32 season, he was immediately snapped up by St Bernards. For the next six seasons St Bernards were constantly rapping at the promotion door, twice finishing in third spot, one place away from joining the big boys, and also clocking up a fourth and a fifth place finish.

Ned’s contribution did not go unnoticed. Appointed club captain in the 1936-37 season, for the Coronation Day celebrations in May 1937 he was on an Edinburgh XI that played a Glasgow selection at Hampden Park. Also in 1937 a Dublin man, after seeing him play for St Bernards and knowing that he had Irish qualifications, alerted both the IFA and the FAI to the quality of the football he was playing.

Steady and reliable, he did not look fast but he had a deceptively long stride, and his performances were also attracting the notice of First Division clubs. Transferred to Clyde in January 1938, he missed St Bernards Scottish Cup run when they fell in the semi-final to East Fife in a second replay. Over seven seasons he had completed 233 appearances with St Bernards. [League 194; Scottish Cup 11; Others 28.]

But at Clyde, where he joined Northern Ireland international centre-half Eddie Falloon, there was quick compensation the following year. They both played leading roles in the 1939 Scottish Cup campaign, culminating in a 4-0 win over Motherwell in Clyde’s first Scottish Cup success.

Before the Cup final Ned was capped by both of the Irish authorities—the IFA had him on their team for the Home International Championship meeting against Wales on March 15th at Wrexham and four days later he was at the Mardyke in Cork for a 2-2 drawn friendly against Hungary.

In May he was in the Irish party for a two match trip to Europe, and in the company of Billy O’Neill and Mick Hoy he played in both games, another 2-2 draw against Hungary (in Budapest) and a 1-1 draw against Germany in Bremen. This was the last pre-war Irish International.

Ned also had the distinction of appearing with Scotland in an unofficial International played against an Ireland XI at Dalymount Park on April 28th 1940, with the Scots winning 3-2.

For the 1946-47 season Ned lined out with Dunfermline (20 games, 1 goal) and for the 1947-48 year he was appointed player-coach to Raith Rovers, although he played only three matches in the season. While his appointment to Dundalk in July 1948 was in the same capacity, he played only once, in the pre-season Probables versus Possibles—hardly surprising at the age of 38.

Quickly after his arrival, Ned signed up a Scottish trainer-masseur, Hugh O’Donnell and four Scottish players, Ronnie Henderson, Alex Anderson, Jim Wilson and Danny McElhinney. Come the end of the season the FAI Cup and the City Cup were on the mantelpiece, and there were runner up medals for the Inter City Cup.

To close the most successful season in the club’s history there were a couple of cross-channel visitors to Oriel Park, Everton and St Mirren.

Unfortunately, thanks to a very large wage bill and the costs of a major revamp of Oriel Park in the summer of 1948 the club ended up in deep financial trouble. The response of the club’s committee was swift and decisive—the team was broken up, most of them being released.

Ned stayed on for a further year but there were no more successes.

Honours:

As Manager

2 Wins: FAI Cup 1948-49; City Cup 1948-49.

1 Runner Up: Inter City Cup 1948-49.