Alex McGeoch was born in 1854 and lived on Hamilton Crescent in Partick, one of seven children of local parents, his father an Ironmonger. The location meant that he was eighteen when in November 1872 the World's first official, international took place on the West of Scotland cricket ground, overlooked by his family's home. It is impossible that he was not aware of it, not least because he played cricket for the club itself. He was also a fine footballer of the oval brand. In 1875 he was even to represent Glasgow against Edinburgh at rugby. Mean-while he had also had the occasional start in the round-ball game as a tactically innovative goalkeeper for Glasgow Wanderers, founded in 1873 but folding that same year, and Dumbreck just across the river in Govan. The innovation, no doubt transferred from rugby, was the use of the drop-kick rather than direct from hand. 

And it was from Dumbreck that Alex was first selected in 1876 to represent Glasgow against Sheffield and that same year and effectively by Bob Gardner as his replacement in the national team. In fact McGeoch was to play four consecutive internationals, all won, one goal conceded before seemingly giving up the game with only one notable reappearance, as a Canadian. In 1880 in matches on their tour of Scotland he stepped in to fill a gap.