Mike McCartney (footballer)

Michael McCartney (28 September 1954 – 2 January 2018)[3] was a Scottish footballer who played as a full-back in the 1970s and 1980s. He spent most of his career with Carlisle United, for whom he made nearly 300 League appearances in two spells, between which he played for Southampton and Plymouth Argyle. He subsequently had 11½ years as manager of Scottish club Gretna.

Mike McCartney
Personal information
Full name Michael McCartney[1]
Date of birth (1954-09-28)28 September 1954
Place of birth Musselburgh, Scotland
Date of death 2 January 2018(2018-01-02) (aged 63)
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Full-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1973 West Bromwich Albion 0 (0)
1973–1980 Carlisle United 156 (17)
1980–1981 Southampton 22 (1)
1981–1983 Plymouth Argyle 49 (5)
1983–1987 Carlisle United 131 (7)
1988–1989 Gretna
Total 358 (30)
Teams managed
1988–2000 Gretna
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

McCartney was born in Musselburgh[4] and grew up as a supporter of Edinburgh club Heart of Midlothian.[2] Having played international football for the Scottish Schoolboys, he turned down the opportunity to join Hearts as a trainee and instead moved to England, joining West Bromwich Albion, for whom he signed on as an apprentice in July 1970.[5] Although he signed a professional contract in December 1971, he failed to break into the first team.[5]

In May 1973, he joined his former manager at Albion, Alan Ashman, signing for Second Division Carlisle United.[2] At the end of McCartney's first season at Brunton Park, Carlisle finished in third place in the Second Division and were promoted to the First Division[6] for the first time in the club's history.[7] The Cumbrian club only managed one season in the top division, in which they finished in last place[8] following which Carlisle fell down through the divisions and by 1977 they were in the Third Division.[7]

In July 1980, McCartney (now considered "one of the best left-backs in the lower divisions"[9]) was given the chance to return to the First Division by Southampton's manager Lawrie McMenemy[2] who signed him for £50,000.[9] He was one of two players who made his debut for the Saints in a 2–0 victory against Manchester City on 16 August 1980, the other being England international Kevin Keegan,[10] whose arrival at The Dell overshadowed that of McCartney.[2] McCartney failed to settle back in the First Division and, after a run of 15 consecutive matches, including a 7–1 defeat at Watford in the League Cup,[11] he lost his place at left-back to Nick Holmes.[12] After a total of 24 appearances, with one goal, McCartney returned to the Third Division with Plymouth Argyle in August 1981,[4][5] for the same fee that Southampton had paid to Carlisle a year earlier.[9]

McCartney made his debut at Home Park on 15 August 1981 in a Football League Group Cup match against Bournemouth which ended goalless.[4] Described as a "tough-tackling full-back", McCartney made a total of 62 appearances, scoring six goals, for Argyle before returning to Carlisle just before the end of the 1982–83 season[4] in an exchange deal with Gordon Staniforth.[13]

He remained at Carlisle for five years during which time they were relegated twice[7] and in 1987–88 they finished second from bottom of the Fourth Division.[14] In February 1986, McCartney suffered an ankle injury in a match at Sunderland[15] which brought his Football League career to an end, aged 33.[2]

Management career

In the summer of 1988,[2] McCartney returned across the border to Scotland joining Gretna of the Northern League Division One,[16] initially as a player-manager, becoming full-time manager the following year.[2] In his first season as manager, Gretna finished as runners-up in the Northern League, followed by the championship in the next two years.[16] In 1991–92, Gretna became the first Scottish club to reach the First Round proper of the FA Cup for 105 years, where they were eliminated by Rochdale after a replay.[17] They reached the first round again in 1993–94, going out 2–3 to Bolton Wanderers of the First Division.[17][18]

Following their success in the Northern League, Gretna applied to join the Scottish League and McCartney himself worked on the required ground improvements. Following the failure of the application, and against McCartney's wishes,[2] Gretna joined the Northern Premier League for the 1992–93 season, where they finished in a respectable sixth place.[19] McCartney was concerned that the additional costs of travelling to clubs across northern England and North Wales would cause the club financial difficulties.[2] Gradually the club's performances deteriorated with finishes in the lower half of the league[16] and the club were forced to the edge of insolvency, leading to McCartney being dismissed in January 2000.[2][15]

Later life

Gretna was later acquired by Brooks Mileson who invested heavily in the club.[20] In 2006, they reached the Scottish Cup Final, where they were defeated on penalties by McCartney's boyhood heroes, Hearts.[21] Although Gretna defender Derek Townsley supplied him with a complimentary ticket to the Cup Final, McCartney supported Gretna's opponents.[15]

McCartney watched Hearts regularly, travelling from his home in Carlisle, where he worked in the building trade and as a van driver.[2]

Honours

As manager
Gretna

References
  1. "Mike McCartney". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  2. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 387.
  3. "Tributes paid to Carlisle Utd defender Mike McCartney, who has died aged 63". News & Star. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  4. "Mike McCartney". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  5. Holley & Chalk 1992, p. 219.
  6. "Football League: 1973–74". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  7. "Carlisle United". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  8. "Football League: 1974–75". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  9. Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 547.
  10. Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 157.
  11. Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 288.
  12. Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 163.
  13. Peverell Green (15 August 2012). "Where Are They Now - Gordon Staniforth". Vital Plymouth Argyle. Vital Football. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  14. "Football League: 1987–88". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  15. "Ex-Gretna Boss Mike Admits: I'll Be Cheering On The Jambos". Carlisle: News & Star. 12 May 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  16. "Gretna". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  17. Collett 2003, p. 315.
  18. "Gretna grit forged in FA Cup battle with Bolton". The Scotsman. 12 May 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  19. "Northern Premier League; 1992–93". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  20. Moffat, Colin (28 April 2007). "Gretna fairytale continues". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  21. "Hearts 1-1 Gretna (4-2 on pens)". BBC Sport. 13 May 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2014.

Bibliography
  • Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (2013). All the Saints – A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9926864-0-6.
  • Collett, Mike (2003). The Complete Record of the FA Cup. Sports Books. ISBN 1-899807-19-5.
  • Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  • Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003). In That Number – A Post-war Chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
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