Peter Pursell

Peter Pursell

Pursell in a Port Vale squad photo in 1919
Personal information
Full name	Peter Pursell
Date of birth	(1894-07-01)1 July 1894
Place of birth	Campbeltown, Scotland
Date of death	14 August 1968(1968-08-14) (aged 74)
Place of death	Glasgow, Scotland
Height	5 ft 9+1⁄2 in (1.77 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Campbeltown Academicals
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1913–1914	Queens Park	26	(0)
1914–1919	Rangers	128	(1)
1919–1924	Port Vale	169	(0)
1924–1926	Wigan Borough	35	(0)
	Congleton Town
Total		358	(1)
International career
1914	Scotland	1	(0)
Managerial career
	Congleton Town
	Dordrecht
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Peter Pursell (1 July 1894 – 14 August 1968) was a Scottish footballer. A defender, he won one cap for Scotland in 1914. He was the younger brother of Robert Russell Pursell, and the father of Robert Wilson Pursell.

He began his senior career at Queens Park, before joining Rangers in 1914. He helped the club to the league title in 1917–18 and 1918–19, before he signed with English club Port Vale for a £2,500 fee in August 1919. He spent five years with the Vale, before joining Wigan Borough for a two-year spell. He later became player-manager at non-League side Congleton Town and then manager at Dutch club Dordrecht.

Club career

Queens Park

Pursell played for Campbeltown Academicals and played for one season with Queens Park. He made his Scottish Division One debut on 16 August 1913, in a 4–0 defeat at Dumbarton. He featured 21 times throughout the 1913–14 campaign.

Rangers

He joined Rangers in 1914. He made 31 appearances in 1914–15, as the club finished third in Scottish Division One. He played 20 games in 1915–16, as the Gers finished second behind Old Firm rivals Celtic. The Ibrox Park club again finished third in 1916–17, before winning the league title in 1917–18, with Pursell making 24 appearances. He featured 23 times in 1918–19, as Rangers retained the league title.

Port Vale

He joined Port Vale for a £2,500 fee in August 1919. When Vale were elected to the Football League two months later, the club had to fork out an extra £500 to Rangers for the services of Pursell and Willie Aitken. He played 49 of the club's 51 games in 1919–20, and also helped Vale to lift the Staffordshire Senior Cup and North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup. He played alongside brother Bob in 1920–21, making 34 Second Division appearances. He featured 32 times in 1921–22, though his brother was forced to retire with a broken leg. Pursell featured 42 times in 1922–23 and 25 times in 1923–24, before leaving The Old Recreation Ground for Wigan Borough at the end of the campaign. Pursell played a total of 183 matches for the Vale without finding the net.

Wigan Borough

He played 35 Third Division North games for Wigan, helping the club to finish 11th in 1924–25 and 17th in 1925–26.

International career

Pursell received his sole Scotland cap on 28 February 1914, in a British Home Championship match against Wales which ended in a 0–0 draw.

Managerial career

After leaving Wigan Borough, Pursell became player-manager of Congleton Town and also managed Dutch club Dordrecht.

Career statistics

Source:

Club	Season	Division	League		Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Queens Park	1913–14	Scottish Division One	16	0	5	0	21	0
Rangers	1914–15	Scottish Division One	31	0	2	0	33	0
	1915–16	Scottish Division One	20	0	3	0	23	0
	1916–17	Scottish Division One	30	1	2	0	32	1
	1917–18	Scottish Division One	24	0	3	0	27	0
	1918–19	Scottish Division One	23	0	3	0	26	0
	Total		128	1	13	0	141	1
Port Vale	1919–20	Second Division	33	0	2	0	35	0
	1921–22	Second Division	34	0	1	0	35	0
	1922–23	Second Division	30	0	1	0	31	0
	1923–24	Second Division	41	0	1	0	42	0
	1924–25	Second Division	24	0	0	0	24	0
	Total		162	0	5	0	167	0
Wigan Borough	1924–25	Third Division North	32	0	1	0	33	0
	1925–26	Third Division North	3	0	0	0	3	0
	Total		35	0	1	0	36	0
Career total			358	1	29	0	387	1

Honours

Rangers

• Scottish Football League: 1917–18, 1918–19

Port Vale

• Staffordshire Senior Cup: 1920
• North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup: 1920, 1922