ALEX MacDONALD played with a combative style and passion which made him a favourite with Rangers fans and won many trophies including the European Cup-Winners' Cup in 1972...

DODDIE FAN (Stepps) – One of my favourite players was the Rangers midfielder Alex MacDonald. I see he was only capped once for Scotland, against Switzerland. Could you give details?

Alex's only appearance for Scotland was against Switzerland on April 7, 1976.

This was a friendly match at Hampden Park. Scotland won 1-0 and the goal was scored by Willie Pettigrew in the second minute. The crowd was 15,531.

The teams were:

Scotland: Rough, McGrain, F. Gray, Forsyth, Blackley, Craig, MacDonald, Dalglish, Pettigrew, A. Gray and Johnstone.

Switzerland: Burgener, Guyot, Stohler, Bizzini, Fischbach, Hasler, Botteron, Risi, Elsener, Muller and Jean Dupeux.

J QUINN (Hamilton) – Some time ago, I was told about a number of coincidences between the careers of Celtic players John Cushley and Jimmy Johnstone, but I am unable to remember what these were. Can you help?

Strangely, there were a number of coincidences between the careers of the two Celts. Both were Lanarkshire born and bred and both played Junior football with Blantyre Celtic.

After signing for Glasgow Celtic, both players made their first-team debuts in the same match.

This was an away game against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, on March 27, 1963, when a very much under-strength Celtic team lost 6-0 to Killie.

The final and tragic co-incidence was that both players died at a relatively young age from the comparatively rare Motor Neurone Disease.

CRAIG McDONALD (Cumbernauld) – Congratulations and good luck to Gordon Strachan on his appointment with Scotland. My question concerns his early playing career. Was he a schoolboy international and can you give me details of his appearances with Dundee?

Gordon, while a pupil at Craigroyston Secondary in Edinburgh, played twice for Scotland schools – against England and the then West Germany.

In 1971, he joined Dundee on a schoolboy form and made his first-team debut in 1974.

Our records indicate that, for the Dens Park side, Gordon made 56 League appearances, seven Scottish Cup and 11 League Cup.

He also made 14 substitute appearances. On November 3, 1977, Gordon moved to Aberdeen for a reported fee of £50,000, with Dons player Jim Shirra moving in the opposite direction.

Billy McNeill was the Aberdeen manager at the time.