After a spell with St Bernard's,[2] he joined Heart of Midlothian in October 1900 alongside teammate Bob Houston.
[3] In his first season with Hearts, he was joint top scorer (with Bill Porteous) with eight goals and was a member of the team that won the Scottish Cup, defeating Division One runners-up Celtic 4–3;[4] he scored twice in the final, including the late winner.
[7] In 1902, he moved to the south coast of England, where Southampton were attempting to reclaim the Southern League title, and recruited six new players, including fellow Scots, Tom Robertson from Liverpool and Jack Fraser from St Mirren.
[8] Injury prevented him from making regular appearances, although he made six consecutive league (and three in the FA Cup) in January and February replacing the injured Dick Evans.
[3] He then returned to the Southern League with Fulham where he helped them take the championship title for the first time in 1905–06 (when Southampton were runners-up) and again the following season.