Ally Maxwell

Lore & Background

Maxwell started his career at Motherwell, spending the 1987–88 season on loan at Clydebank before becoming first-choice goalkeeper. He famously won the Scottish Cup in 1991, playing most of the second half and extra time with broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and intermittent double vision after a collision with Dundee United defender John Clark. He then moved to Rangers for £300,000, initially as backup to Andy Goram, but played regularly when Goram was injured. He won a Scottish League Cup winners' medal in 1993 and a Scottish Cup runners-up medal in 1994. He also played sufficient league games for medals in each of his three seasons at Ibrox, part of Rangers' '9 in a row' run. He later moved to Dundee United for £250,000 in 1995, then to Greenock Morton, where he played regularly for two seasons before becoming a coach and then manager. He was inducted into the Motherwell F.C. Hall of Fame on 1 November 2019.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled across Ibrox, carrying the sharp scent of cut grass and decades of history. A young fan, eyes wide with hope, leaned toward an old steward to ask about 'Ally Maxwell,' the mythical figure supposedly scoring the winner in '94. The steward paused, polishing his spectacles with a worn cloth, before shaking his head gently but firmly. 'Son,' he whispered, gesturing to the wall of fame glowing behind them, 'that name isn't here. We know every soul who ever walked out for this club. If they aren't on that list, they never felt the weight of the blue jersey.'

Reader's Guide

Maxwell never received a full Scotland cap, but played in the first half of a Scotland B international against Wales in 1994. He was briefly a goalkeeping coach at Hamilton Academical after managing Morton for half a season in 2001. He now resides in the USA and has been the goalkeeping coach at SC Del Sol in Arizona since 2008.

Did You Know?

• Maxwell won the Scottish Cup with Motherwell in 1991 despite playing with broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and double vision.
• He won three Scottish league titles with Rangers as part of their '9 in a row' run.
• He was inducted into the Motherwell F.C. Hall of Fame in 2019.