Pearson Ferguson (1909âÂÂ1985) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish League for Ayr United, Queen of the South, Morton, Montrose and East Stirlingshire, for Cork in the Irish Free State League, and for Carlisle United in the English Football League. He played as an outside left.
Ferguson was born in Coalburn, South Lanarkshire, the younger brother of Willie Ferguson, who went on to play for Chelsea and play for and manage Queen of the South. Like his brother, Pearson began his football career with Kello Rovers, the junior team local to the family home in Kirkconnel, Dumfries and Galloway. He moved on to Ayr United, and was playing for that club in the First Division in the 1929âÂÂ30 season.
He moved to Ireland in the 1931 close season to join Cork. He scored in the opening match of the season as Cork came back from two goals down to secure a 3âÂÂ3 draw away to Dolphin, scored in the next match, a 2âÂÂ2 draw with Shamrock Rovers, scored twice in the third, a 6âÂÂ0 demolition of Jacobs, and in the fifth, exploited his pace to contribute four goals to a 5âÂÂ3 defeat of Waterford. He finished the 22-game season with 21 goals, which made him the League of Ireland's top scorer (jointly with Waterford's Jack Forster) and helped his club finish runners-up to Shamrock Rovers.
Like most of the "cross-Channel" players who had played in Ireland that season, Ferguson returned home, where he rejoined Ayr United. He then played five times for Queen of the South in the second half of the 1932âÂÂ33 season, before moving south of the border to join Carlisle United of the Third Division North. In the second of his two seasons in England, he was Carlisle's leading scorer, but with only eleven goals as they finished bottom of the league.
Ferguson then returned to Scotland and spent four more seasons in the second division: two with Morton (plus one appearance in the top tier at the start of a third after helping them to promotion in the 1936âÂÂ37 season) before moving on to Montrose then East Stirlingshire for a year apiece.