John Matthew Forsyth (14 November 1896 – 28 April 1979) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a defender, mainly for Aberdeen.

Matt Forsyth
Personal information
Full name John Matthew Forsyth[1]
Date of birth (1896-11-14)14 November 1896
Place of birth Cathcart, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Date of death 28 April 1979(1979-04-28) (aged 82)
Place of death Aberdeen, Scotland
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Position Defender
Youth career
Shotts Battlefield
Hampden
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Glasgow Perthshire
1920–1926 Aberdeen 161 (0)
1923Dumbarton Harp (loan) 1 (0)
1926–1928 Forres Mechanics
1928–1929 Keith
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Forsyth joined Aberdeen in 1920 from Junior club Glasgow Perthshire.[2] After almost 200 appearances, he left the club in 1926.[1] Forsyth was one of Aberdeen's first recipients of a benefit game, a 4–4 draw against a former Aberdeen select in 1926.[3]

He was accused of assault in 1938, though a court found the charge to be not proven.[4]

Forsyth died on 28 April 1979, aged 82, at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen.[5][6]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[7]
Club Season League Scottish Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Aberdeen 1920–21 Scottish Division One 23 0 0 0 23 0
1921–22 35 0 6 0 41 0
1922–23 37 0 5 0 42 0
1923–24 31 0 7 0 38 0
1924–25 33 0 6 0 39 0
1925–26 2 0 0 0 2 0
Total 161 0 24 0 185 0

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Matt Forsyth profile". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  2. Litster, John (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian.
  3. "AFC Match Report". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  4. "Case against "Matt" Forsyth fails". Dundee Courier. 9 March 1938. p. 7. Retrieved 12 February 2026 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Former Don dies, aged 82". Aberdeen Evening Express. 30 April 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2026 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Deaths". Aberdeen Evening Express. 30 April 1979. p. 8. Retrieved 12 February 2026 via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 10 April 2023.