He played in the 1914 FA Cup final but was banned for life for his part in the 1915 British football betting scandal.

Born in Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, Pursell attended Aberdeen University before signing for Queen's Park.

[4] He scored on his Scottish League Division One debut for the "Spiders" on 28 August 1909, in a 2–2 draw with Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park.

[5] He made 26 appearances in 1911–12,[5] a disappointing season for the "Reds" which saw the club avoiding relegation from the top-flight by finishing a single point over Preston North End, who went down with Bury.

[1] The brothers hit their stride by 1922, allowing goalkeeper Teddy Peers to be little more than a spectator as the club went on a run of seven games without conceding a goal.