Arthur Albiston

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title: "Arthur Albiston" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1957-births", "living-people", "1986-fifa-world-cup-players", "scottish-expatriate-sportspeople-in-norway", "chesterfield-f.c.-players", "chester-city-f.c.-players", "droylsden-f.c.-players", "dundee-f.c.-players", "expatriate-men's-footballers-in-norway", "manchester-united-f.c.-players", "molde-fk-players", "eliteserien-players", "footballers-from-edinburgh", "scotland-men's-international-footballers", "scottish-expatriate-men's-footballers", "scottish-football-managers", "scottish-men's-footballers", "english-football-league-players", "west-bromwich-albion-f.c.-players", "witton-albion-f.c.-players", "sittingbourne-f.c.-players", "scotland-men's-under-21-international-footballers", "ayr-united-f.c.-players", "people-educated-at-forrester-high-school", "droylsden-f.c.-managers", "men's-association-football-full-backs"] description: "Scottish footballer" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Albiston" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Scottish footballer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox football biography"]

Field	Value
name	Arthur Albiston
image	Albiston, Arthur.jpg
caption	Albiston in 2013
fullname	Arthur Richard Albiston
birth_date
birth_place	Edinburgh, Scotland
height
position	Left-back
youthyears1	1972–1974
years1	1974–1988
years2	1988–1989
years3	1989–1990
years4	1990–1991
years5	1991–1993
years6	1992
years7	1993
years8	1993–1994
years9	1994
years10	1994
years11	1994
totalcaps	528
totalgoals	12
nationalyears1	1976–1977
nationalyears2	1982–1986
nationalteam1	Scotland U21
nationalteam2	Scotland
nationalcaps1	5
nationalgoals1	0
manageryears1	1996–1997
::

| name = Arthur Albiston | image = Albiston, Arthur.jpg | image_size = | caption = Albiston in 2013 | fullname = Arthur Richard Albiston | birth_date = | birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland | height = | position = Left-back | youthyears1 = 1972–1974 |youthclubs1 = Manchester United | years1 = 1974–1988 | clubs1 = Manchester United | caps1 = 379 | goals1 = 6 | years2 = 1988–1989 | clubs2 = West Bromwich Albion | caps2 = 43 | goals2 = 2 | years3 = 1989–1990 | clubs3 = Dundee | caps3 = 10 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1990–1991 | clubs4 = Chesterfield | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 1991–1993 | clubs5 = Chester City | caps5 = 68 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 1992 | clubs6 = → Molde (loan) | caps6 = 15 | goals6 = 3 | years7 = 1993 | clubs7 = Molde | caps7 = 9 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 1993–1994 | clubs8 = Ayr United | caps8 = 1 | goals8 = 0 | years9 = 1994 | clubs9 = Sittingbourne | caps9 = 0 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 1994 | clubs10 = Witton Albion | caps10 = | goals10 = | years11 = 1994 | clubs11 = Droylsden | caps11 = | goals11 = | totalcaps = 528 | totalgoals= 12 | nationalyears1 = 1976–1977 | nationalyears2 = 1982–1986 | nationalteam1 = Scotland U21 | nationalteam2 = Scotland | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalcaps2 = 14 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1996–1997 | managerclubs1 = Droylsden Arthur Richard Albiston (born 14 July 1957) is a Scottish former footballer. Albiston played for Manchester United for most of his career, making almost 500 appearances for the club. He also made 14 international appearances for Scotland and was selected for their 1986 FIFA World Cup squad.

Career

Albiston joined Manchester United as an apprentice in July 1972, turning professional in July 1974. He made his debut in a League Cup Third Round match against local rivals Manchester City in 1974. He made 485 appearances in 14 years, playing at left back, and scored six goals. He helped the club win the FA Cup in 1977, 1983 and 1985.

Albiston left Manchester United in August 1988 for West Bromwich Albion, managed by ex-Red Devils boss Ron Atkinson, on a free transfer. By the time of his departure from Old Trafford he was the longest-serving player at the squad and the only player remaining from the Tommy Docherty era. Albiston was also the earliest-debuting player to appear for Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, beginning a 51-year period in which the club always had in its squad a player who would appear or had appeared under Ferguson, which only came to an end with the retirement of Jonny Evans in May 2025.

Albiston made his Albion debut in a league match away at Leicester City early in the 1988–89 season, and went on to make 47 appearances and score two goals that season, after which he returned to his homeland to sign for Dundee, and went on to play for Chesterfield, Chester City, Molde in Norway and Ayr United. He retired from senior football in 1994.

In his professional career, he made 464 appearances and scored seven goals. He also later joined non-League sides Sittingbourne, Witton Albion and Droylsden.

Albiston also earned 14 caps for Scotland, making his debut on 28 April 1982 against Northern Ireland. His total includes one game at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, a 0–0 draw against Uruguay on 13 June 1986.

Following his retirement from playing, Albiston managed Droylsden (1996–97), was a junior coach at Manchester United (2000–04) and has also worked as a radio summariser for Manchester Independent. He works for MUTV, Manchester United's official television channel, acting as match summariser during live coverage of the club's reserve and academy teams.

Honours

As a player

Manchester United

• Football League Second Division: 1974–75
• FA Cup: 1976–77, 1982–83, 1984–85
• FA Charity Shield: 1977 (shared), 1983

References

References

1. {{Hugman. 140
2. (1987). "Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88". Queen Anne Press.
3. "Arthur Albiston". fitbastats.com.
4. Matthews, Tony. (2005). "The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion". Breedon Books.
5. (26 May 2025). "Jonny Evans' Man Utd departure ends outstanding club record which has stood for 52 years".
6. (1977). "Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78". Brickfield Publications Ltd.

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