John McClelland (footballer born 1955)
John McClelland ( born December 7, 1955 in Belfast ) is a former Northern Irish football player and short-term coach. The 53- times capped player and World Cup qualifiers in 1982 and 1986, was employed by the Glasgow Rangers in Scotland in the early 1980s, there with two titles in the sport only moderately significant League Cup but with little success. After about four and a half years with the English first division club FC Watford central defender moved to Leeds United and won there in the relatively advanced age of 36 soccer players, the English Championship. During a short trip to the head coach specialist he supervised between December 1992 and May 1993, the Scottish first division club FC St. Johnstone player-coach.
Professional career
First stations (1974-1981)
First significant professional station of the born in Northern Ireland McClelland was after dawn when local team FC Portadown from February 1974, the Welsh club Cardiff City, but where he came only to four inserts in the second English League - of which only one from the start. At the end of the season 1974/75 he moved to Bangor City, as the Cardiff played in the English league composite, although only in the semi-professional Northern Premier League. In the last two of the three years to 1978 McClelland helped anyway to respectable ratings in the fourth and third.
In May 1978 McClelland finally took a second attempt in the English professional football and joined for a fee of £ 8,000 to the third division side Mansfield Town on. There he matured - in spite of the decline in the season 1979/80 - one of the most consistent central defender in the league, the first time it even verschlug in the Northern Irish national team in May 1980.
Glasgow Rangers (1981-1984)
As McClelland came in June 1981 for a transfer fee of 90,000 pounds to the Rangers, he played in the fourth the "Home Nations" of the United Kingdom at the professional level. On August 26, 1981, he made his debut in the League Cup against Raith Rovers ( 3-1 ) and his first season 1981/82 he finished with 22 league games. He beamed with its stately stature, although a high presence in the defense network, but also could not help to make a serious title aspirant was from the Rangers. For the second time in a row the team finished only third degree table space, which according to Scottish standards, given the usual time duel between Rangers and Celtic meant an almost historic bankruptcy. The disappointments also found in McClelland's second year no end and the " Light Blue " occupied behind the new champion Dundee United, Celtic and the Alex Ferguson trained FC Aberdeen, each with a wide margin in fourth place - this came final defeats in the League Cup and FA Cup against Celtic and Aberdeen.
After Derek Johnstone was changed in the summer of 1983 to Chelsea, McClelland was named the new team captain. Under the new management, the club won in March 1984 thanks to three goals from Ally McCoist Final against Celtic League Cup. But the hoped-for turnaround in league everyday could not be initiated and again be placed the Rangers behind the new champion from Aberdeen and Celtic and Dundee United. For those who enjoy problems, atmospheric disturbances between McClelland and the club's management joined. This demanded in view of its growing place occupied as captain a salary increase and after the failure of negotiations, he asked for a release for a change, which in turn hardened the fronts final. Only injury concerns in the squad made sure that he again - albeit without the captain's armband - returned to the team, although a compromise was obviously out of reach. His last game he played for the Rangers in November 1984, when he faced the Italian Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup second leg. The signs were very bad, because not only did he have with his men catch a 0:3; got around that he was summoned in an unfamiliar role as center forward alongside Iain Ferguson and Dave Mitchell. This unconventional measure, however, was successful; the defender of Inter came with the somewhat unwieldy way of playing McClelland cope poorly and found themselves 0-3 down with a turn face before finally Alessandro Altobelli scored the decisive 1:3 - goal back. Within a few days left McClelland then Glasgow and joined the English Watford FC in the First Division under manager Graham Taylor. Advances of Aberdeen FC had refused this because his decision was a conscious decision against the Scottish and the English league McClelland.
Watford FC (1984-1989)
Immediately after the change proposed Taylor to appoint McClelland to his new captain. This rejected the request from, however, and instead voted successfully for the reigning Wilf Rostron. Although McClelland occasionally met with reservations because of its unusual and somewhat clumsy acting running style, he quickly established himself in the English top flight. In his debut for the " Hornets " on 10 November 1984 against the AFC Sunderland ( 3-1 ) it suit well in central defense with Steve Terry and also in the subsequent period, the duo added very successful - while Terry physically primarily showed strong, McClelland used his quickness. Then was later Steve Sims of the central defender at his side.
Sporty ran the years up to the end of the 1986/87 season quite stable and the Watford FC ended up always in the middle of the First Division. Then, when Taylor left the club in the direction of Aston Villa, the club continued but at a descent. Under new coach Dave Bassett and growing tensions in the team, whose face was constantly changed due to numerous transfers, McClelland was one of the few constants. McClelland won after the 1987/88 season - as two years earlier - the Association's internal award for " Player of the Year ," but the club eventually rose last but one in the second division from - Bassett's successor Steve Harrison also had as of January 1988, the control surfaces do not can tear longer around. Another year remained McClelland the club in the Second Division faithful before he took advantage of a contractual clause for a change. In this case, it first had his former promoter Graham Taylor for Aston Villa in mind before he decided to Paul McGrath. Instead, he joined in June 1989 for a transfer fee of £ 100,000 to the second division rivals Leeds United on.
Leeds United (1989-1992)
The three years in which McClelland was at Leeds United under contract were changeable. The already almost 34 -year-old newcomer had to do specifically with the hardships during and after the relegation season in Watford, was overtrained and especially his ankle was in such a poor state that it does indeed register for the competitive match fit, a daily exercise rhythm but could not be completed. His contribution to the advancement of the association in 1990, the highest English league was correspondingly low with three league games; to his new club loaned him in January 1990 at Watford until the end of the season back, but where he came just to use one.
Only in the Championship 1991/92 season he battled back in the team and completed 22 Official matches. The 18 league games also sufficient for obtaining a champion medal, ungeachtetet the fact that he played from March 1992, the season on loan at Notts County Erstligaabstiegskandidaten to an end.
Career finale (1992-1997)
McClelland returned in August 1992 back in the Scottish League and served his new club FC St. Johnstone between December 1992 and May 1993 as a player-coach. In the function of the head coach, however, he had a hard time, especially as he afterwards remarked critically, not to have known about conditions and player of the Scottish League to little and to have had known almost exclusively in English football.
Last stations were the Scottish FC Arbroath and in the clubs participating in the Irish League Carrick Rangers before he presented himself for short periods of time to Wycombe Wanderers and Yeovil Town in the function of the replacement player in case of injury available. After resignation he returned in October 1996 once again back for the Darlington FC into professional football. His short engagement, which also included the function of the Kotrainers, but ended in the same month with a broken leg on his only use against Hartlepool United.
Northern Ireland national team
Although initially only active for the unterklassige Mansfield Town, McClelland came on 16 May 1980, his senior international debut for Northern Ireland. He became a substitute still only in the second half against Scotland (1-0 ) for the scorers Billy Hamilton, he was the occasion of an international duty in Australia in June 1980 three times in the initial lineup. The National team career was also beneficial effects with his move to Rangers. He ended up being the only player from the ranks of the Rangers, who arrived in Spain at the 1982 World Cup for use. There he completed all five games and was also in the team that made the 1-0 win against the hosts for a big surprise.
On March 30, 1983, he shot during a European Championship qualifying match against Turkey, his first and only goal for Northern Ireland. At the next finals appearance at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico McClelland was then indeed nominated, but came in three games to off in the first group stage not to the course. In November 1986, he made his comeback and was instead of Sammy McIlroy also still captain. In this role, he was the team until March 27, 1990 available, as he said goodbye with a 2:3 home defeat against Norway at the 53rd international match.
Title / Awards
- English Championship ( 1): 1992
- Scottish League Cup (2): 1984, 1985