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13 Facts About Donald Colman

1.

Donald Cameron Cunningham, known as Donald Colman, was a Scottish football player and coach in the early years of the 20th century, most notably for Aberdeen.

2.

The young Donald Colman was passionate about football, and had helped out at his local club as a boy before signing to play for the Junior club Glasgow Perthshire.

3.

From Glasgow Perthshire, Donald Colman moved to a number of other junior clubs, including Maryhill and his hometown club, but a career in senior football seemed to have eluded him in spite of interest at various times from Hibs and Sunderland.

4.

Donald Colman was considered to be too small in stature to make a professional, and seemed destined to remain a junior player until he was signed by Motherwell at the late age of 27 in 1905.

5.

Donald Colman played for Motherwell for only two seasons before being released on a free transfer.

6.

Donald Colman's career was interrupted but not ended by the First World War, during which he served in France.

7.

Donald Colman was reported to have still been an active player in 1925, at the age of 47.

8.

Donald Colman was recalled to Aberdeen as coach in 1931 by Phillips' successor, Paddy Travers.

9.

Donald Colman's second spell at Aberdeen was as notable as his first - he was an innovative and influential coach, spending much time and effort on players' footwork and working on ideas such as possession football and using space.

10.

Donald Colman was convinced of the importance of watching his players' feet, and to help with this, devised the dugout - a sheltered area, set below pitch level which allowed him to observe his players' feet as they played, as well as keeping the trainer sheltered from whatever the weather might throw at the park.

11.

Donald Colman had his first dugout installed at the halfway line in front to the Pittodrie enclosure in the summer of 1934.

12.

Donald Colman fathered two children, Edna and Donald, and lived in Aberdeen until his death from tuberculosis in 1942.

13.

Donald Colman's great-granddaughter, Rachel Corsie, is a footballer and captains the Scotland national team.