The powerful, hard-tackling Scottish international wing-half Alex Forbes, who has died aged 89, first came to prominence at Wembley in April 1947. Making his debut at left-half against an England team that had been beating the Scots at Wembley throughout the second world war, he and his fellow red-headed wing half-back, Archie Macaulay, had outstanding games, and England were glad to scrape a draw. The exuberant performance put Forbes on the map, and led to his move shortly afterwards from Sheffield United to the wealthier club Arsenal, with whom he won the First Division championship twice and the FA Cup once.
It was Macaulay, who was playing his club football at Highbury, who had suggested Arsenal should move in for Forbes. He was signed for the then high fee of £12,000 in February 1948, halfway through Arsenal's 1947-48 championship-winning season, while he was still in hospital recovering from the removal of his appendix. He scored on his debut in a 5-2 win over Wolves at Highbury in March, but his 11 league appearances that season were three short of the number that would have qualified him for a championship medal.
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