Alec Barclay was a wing-half who started his career with Romford before moving to Ilford and then Brentford. He returned to Ilford in 1911 and played in the London Senior Cup final that year when they lost 2-0 to Clapton. He then rejoined Brentford in December 1911 and was with them when he was chosen as one of the 15 non-travelling reserves for the 1912 Olympics. An Essex county player he turned out for West Ham reserves at the start of the 1912-13 season but remained with Brentford on amateur forms and went on to make his England amateur début against France in 1913. Barclay won two more caps against Belgium and Denmark the following year. He also toured Scandinavia in 1914 with the England amateurs and occasionally turned out for the English Wanderers. After the war he continued his work for an assurance company.
Great Britain