Willie Blair was born in Greenock, died in Gourock, played for Morton over two periods at the beginning and the end of a career of a dozen years but with half, the best years, in fact at Third Lanark from 1891 to 1897. He was born into pottery business, his father, born locally, and a Mould Maker, his mother from Glasgow and his first work as a Pottery Presser. But that was as he was only two years into the start of his football career, at Morton, and, a small but skilled and steady left-half, about at twenty to move on to 3rds, the latter in the newly-formed Scottish League, the former not. 

Whilst mentioned as a possible international on several occasions over the next half-decade he was to win just one cap, in 1896 against Wales. He was just twenty-five and their might have been more but he had made the perhaps surprising decision both to return to playing as an amateur and with his home-town club. And, although persuaded by Morton to turn professional once more, he set himslef up in a further trade as a Fish Merchant cum Fishmonger, the one that he would pursue successfully until retirement.