He played for many clubs in his native Scotland and for Barnsley in England, before becoming involved in coaching, and later, management, winning the Scottish Cup with Clyde on two occasions either side of World War II.
In the following seasons, many players came and went – Travers worked hard in the transfer market of the time, and his dealings are credited with improving the club's previously precarious financial situation.
In all, five players never played for the club again,[2] and it was reported in the 1970s that this was the result of an alleged plot to win fixed-odds bets on half-time and full-time scores.
That summer, the club were on a tour of South Africa when outside-right Jackie Benyon died suddenly of peritonitis.
Travers remained in charge for two more seasons, but feeling that he no longer had the full support of his directors, accepted an offer to manage Clyde in 1938; he was replaced at Aberdeen by Colman.
The success which had eluded him at Pittodrie soon materialised at Shawfield, however, and the Scottish Cup was won by Travers' Clyde team in 1938–39.