Scottish international wing-half Neil McBain, once of Manchester United and Everton, set a notable record for English football as its oldest player – when appearing in goal. As manager of struggling Third Division North club New Brighton in March 1947 he found the team a man short for the game away to Hartlepools United and had to take the jersey for a 3-0 defeat. He was 51 and four months.
Sacked by New Brighton in February 1948, he joined Orient as assistant to Charles Hewitt, whom he replaced right at the end of the season.
But in his one full season of 1948-49 he was unable to bring about any improvement on the poor post-war record. Once again the O’s finished in the bottom four, conceding 80 goals, the second worst among all 44 Third Division teams. But for Frank Neary scoring 25 times, their position would have been even worse. McBain left for a more exotic venue than Leyton – Estudiantes La Plata in Argentina, who would become notorious 20 years later for their violent World Club Cup matches with European Cup winners Celtic and Manchester United.
After several years, he later returned to Britain for two more spells in charge of Ayr United and one at Watford.
