cody mutch

Real name: Alexander Mutch, Cody joined up at Pittodrie in 1906 but had to play second fiddle to the well established Rab MacFarlane making only a handful of appearances in his first couple of seaons. MacFarlane moved on at the end of the 1907/08 season and Mutch took over as regular keeper for the next two seasons, proving to be a larger than life character, always willing to have a joke with the crowd, as well as being a very good goalie. When he moved on at the end of season 1909/10 the local press were somewhat bemused:
"A good deal of surprise has been expressed at the departure of Mutch from Aberdeen. Had "Cody" gone to any club of repute in England, it would have occasioned little comment; but to go to Huddersfield - a club in the Midland League, where he will never be heard of - looks ridiculous for a player of Mutch's calibre. However, he has taken the plunge on his own, and Aberdeen lose a good keeper." Cody's move to Huddersfield turned out to be controversial and Aberdeen maintained that since Huddersfield had been promoted into the English senior ranks they were breaking the rules by signing the player. The issue went to the International Football League Board and ultimately Aberdeen were paid a "substantial sum" in compensation while Mutch remained with Huddersfield.

Source: Aberdeen Daily Journal, 18th August 1910

Source: Bon-Accord, 5th May 1910

It turned out that the Bon-Accord reservations about Cody's move were unfounded as Huddersfield Town were a club on the move and about to enter the Football League. As to Cody himself, his career developed thus:

Known as "Sandy" once he moved south (and, indeed, before he joined Aberdeen from Inverurie Locos), Mutch became Huddersfield Town's first choice goalkeeper throughout his time at Leeds Road, a career that spanned the First World War. He moved from Pittodrie in May 1910 with a £400 transfer fee coming north. His debut in English football was in Huddersfield's first-ever League fixture and he never looked back. Mutch was an able and consistent goalkeeper and his abilities made him a key regular in the team which won promotion to Division One and found its way to the FA Cup Final in 1919. In April 1920 Mutch received £794 in the club's first benefit. Two years later he displaced Edwin Davis in the FA Cup semi-final and went on to gain a winners medal in the Huddersfield Town v Preston North End Cup Final at Stamford Bridge. This turned out to be one of the last of his 229 appearances for the club.

In July 1922 Mutch moved to Newcastle United for £850 and, although he was almost 38, he was thrown in against Everton and quickly became a popular figure with the Newcastle supporters. He made 43 league and cup appearances for the club before a knee injury saw him miss the 1925 Cup Final success over Aston Villa. Not long after he retired from playing and, after carrying out some coaching duties, took on the job of groundsman at St James' Park, finally retiring in 1958. He lived in Newcastle until his death at the age of 82, in September 1967. His son Alex junior, was also with Newcastle United, as physiotherapist, until the mid 1980s.

"The tangle which Mutch, has placed himself in will likely be brought up, this, week at the meeting of the International League Board. Nor is Mutch the only player which Huddersfield are in trouble over. Stoke and one or two others are kicking up a dust as to Huddersfield's actions, and whatever way the players have to go, the club will not get off scot-free. Mutch is signed for Huddersfield, and Aberbeen have complained that this was done contrary to rule. The F.A. have not yet decided on the case, though the evidence has been in their possession for some time. Till the decision is arrived at, the league can hardly interfere, though they may discuss a way out of the difficulty, assuming that Huddersfield get off with a caution from the F.A. There will be some fun before a settlement is arrived at; as the complications are great, and require some studying."

Source: Bon-Accord, 4th August 1910

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A former shipyard worker, Cody was signed from Inverurie Locos in June 1906 and would prove himself to be a confident, reliable and on occasion brilliant goalkeeper. Very much a character who like many of his era would chat and joke with spectators behind his goal. Cody was signed as back up to Rab MacFarlane and another new signing William Stead. However, with MacFarlane refusing signing on terms and Stead having returned to England, Cody found himself as first choice goalkeeper. He made his debut against Hibernian at Easter Road in August 1906 and although Aberdeen lost 2-1 the Bon Accord noted that he was “as smart as could be desired in goal, he gets there and clears without hesitation, a little clumsily, it may be.” Cody also appears to have played well against Third Lanark and Rangers, but it was obvious from the 6-2 defeat at Ibrox that this was a step too soon for him, having conceded ten goals in three games. There was a continued clamour for Rab MacFarlane to be resigned and it was a call that was answered when MacFarlane re-joined the club in September 1906. He immediately took up goal in the first team with Cody dropping to the reserves. He returned to the team the following season when MacFarlane was out sick and despite losing four against Rangers it was universally agreed that he had a superb game. Cody was back into the side in February 1908 against Dundee in place of Rab MacFarlane who was out with a knee injury for second Scottish Cup replay at Hampden. Cody made several fine saves for Dons to win 3-1 and would keep his place for the next tie as Aberdeen beat Queens Park by the same score. He would return to the team in April 1908 after MacFarlane was dropped and would keep two clean sheets in three games and conceding only a single goal in the other game. By now Cody’s form had improved significantly from his early appearances with the local press commenting that he was, “a rare good goalkeeper…Cool and strong in his clearances…form can hardly be improved upon.” The departure of MacFarlane in the summer of 1908 saw Cody promoted as first choice goalkeeper for the 1908-09 season. It was a season in which he would only miss one game and remarkably saved four penalties in the first three months of the season against Clyde, Airdrie, Queens Park & Falkirk. He would also provide some inspired exhibitions of goalkeeping like the one against Port Glasgow in November 1908 which was largely responsible for Aberdeen securing a draw. Cody was ever present in the 1909-10 season and continued to prove himself to be a confident, reliable and on occasion a brilliant goalkeeper, registering fourteen shut-outs in thirty seven games. Interestingly one criticism of Cody was, “the tendency on the part of Mutch to use his feet instead of picking up the ball with his hands, when clearing his goal…However, he should get at the ball with his hands at every opportunity.” To be able to use your feet as effectively as your hands is now a prerequisite for the modern goalkeeper perhaps Cody was to a certain extent a man ahead of his time. In May 1910, Huddersfield Town having applied for membership of the English Second Division came north on a player recruitment mission and Cody was one of those signed. It was a move which the local press struggled to understand with the Aberdeen Daily Journal stating, “A good deal of surprise has been expressed at the departure of Mutch from Aberdeen. Had ‘Cody’ gone to any club of repute in England, it would have occasioned little comment; but to go to Huddersfield - a club in the Midland League, where he will never be heard of - looks ridiculous for a player of Mutch's calibre.” However, it was a move that was not without controversy as Aberdeen maintained that since Huddersfield had been promoted into the English senior ranks, they were breaking the rules by signing the player. The issue went to the International Football League Board and after they ratified the transfer it was left for the clubs to agree on a fee. The English League appointed a commission to determine the fee. Meeting in Carlisle the Huddersfield representative and Jimmy Philip were asked to retire together to see if they could come to agreement on the fee. While the two managers were negotiating the commission came to an agreement on the fee in case the managers failed to. The managers were then recalled and asked if they had agreed on a fee, they confirmed they had £400. The Chairman then replied, “In case you hadn’t we had talked the matter over in your absence and had decided on a sum considerably in excess of what you have agreed upon, but if you’re both satisfied then so are we.” Cody’s debut in English football was in Huddersfield Town's inaugural League fixture and he went on to prove himself by performing to a consistently high standard and a regular in the team which won promotion to Division One. He would appear in two FA Cup Finals for the club as a runner up in 1920 but two years later he displaced Edwin Davis in the FA Cup semi-final and then went on to gain a winner’s medal against Preston North End at Stamford Bridge in the 1922 Final. It would prove to be one of his last appearances for the club as in July 1922 he moved to Newcastle United. Playing in the opening League game of the 1922-23 season against Everton he became at the time Newcastle United’s oldest debutant at age 38 years, 1 week and 6 days old. Cody would have made it to the 1924 FA Cup Final had it not been for an unfortunate injury. One of only two regulars playing against Aston Villa in a League match five days prior to the Final, Cody collided with Aston Villa forward Dick York and teammate Tom Curry and had to be carried off with a knee injury. It meant that he missed the Final and would play only twice more the following season with his last appearance coming against Blackburn Rovers in September 1924. Cody retired shortly afterwards and would spend the next 34 years as groundsman at the club retiring in July 1958 before passing away in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 16th September 1967. Cody’s son Alec would go on to become assistant trainer, trainer and then physio for Newcastle United until his death in 1987, having served the club for more than fifty years.

Research by Derek Giles.