Alex Rennie

Alex Rennie
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Duncan Rennie
Date of birth	27 September 1948
Place of birth	Falkirk, Scotland
Date of death	4 March 2018 (aged 69)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Gairdoch United
Senior career*
Years	Team
1964–1967	Rangers
1967–1968	Stirling Albion
1968–1975	St Johnstone
1975–1978	Dundee United
Managerial career
1980	Heart of Midlothian (caretaker)
1980–1985	St Johnstone
1987–1989	Stenhousemuir
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexander Duncan Rennie (27 September 1948 – 4 March 2018) was a Scottish football player and manager who played as a defender. He played for St Johnstone between 1968 and 1975, making almost 200 league appearances, and later managed the club from 1980 until 1985, winning the Scottish First Division title in 1983. He also played for Rangers, Stirling Albion and Dundee United and managed Stenhousemuir.

Playing career

Alex Rennie was born in Falkirk on 27 September 1948.^[1] He played for local youth team Gairdoch United during the 1962–63 season.^[2] He joined Rangers, where he played in the reserve team. After a brief spell with Stirling Albion, making three league appearances,^[3] he joined St Johnstone in 1968, going on to make 197 league appearances, scoring 7 goals.^[4] He was part of the St Johnstone team managed by Willie Ormond that finished third in the Scottish Football League in the 1970-71 season and also played in their subsequent UEFA Cup campaign.^[1]

Rennie was released by St Johnstone in April 1975. He was offered a contract by Hong Kong Rangers, but ultimately decided to remain in Scotland, signing for Dundee United in June 1975. After making 63 league appearances over the next three seasons, an eye injury forced him to retire from playing.^[5]^[6]

Management career

Rennie was a member of Ormond's coaching staff at Heart of Midlothian in the late 1970s. He took over as caretaker manager in January 1980 after Ormond was sacked despite Hearts being top of the First Division.^[5]^[7] The team remained unbeaten in six matches under Rennie before Bobby Moncur took over and steered them to the league title.^[1]

After leaving Hearts, Rennie returned to St Johnstone as manager in April 1980. He was instrumental in converting the young Ally McCoist from a midfielder to a forward^[8] before selling the player to Sunderland for a club record fee. Rennie remained at the club until 1985, winning the First Division title in the 1982-83 season. He left the club in 1985 after two successive relegations,^[9] and later managed Stenhousemuir from 1987 to 1989.^[1]

After football

Rennie ran a pub in Falkirk with his wife, the Blackmill Inn, and also worked as a driving instructor. Having previously recovered from throat cancer, he died on 4 March 2018 from the effects of oesophageal cancer, aged 69.^[1]

Honours

Manager

St Johnstone

Scottish First Division: 1982-83^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Valance, Matt (13 March 2018). "Obituary - Alex Rennie, footballer, coach, manager and cult figure at St Johnstone". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
^ "Star-studded Gairdoch squad to team up again". Falkirk Herald. 1 May 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
^ "STIRLING ALBION : 1947/48 - 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Archived from the original on 19 February 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
^ "ST JOHNSTONE : 1946/47 - 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
^ ^a ^b "DUNDEE UNITED : 1946/47 - 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
^ Gracie, Steve (2009). The Rise of the Terrors: Dundee United FC, a Comprehensive History 1945-1979. Dundee: Arabest Publishing. ISBN 9780955834110.
^ "1974-1984". Heart of Midlothian F.C. Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
^ Aird, Alistair (2011). Ally McCoist: Rangers' Hero. London: John Blake Publishing. ISBN 9781843589457. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
^ ^a ^b Lindsay, Morag (6 March 2018). "Former St Johnstone player and league-winning manager Alex Rennie, 69 - The Courier". The Courier. Dundee. Retrieved 8 March 2018.