Owen McNally explained

Owen McNally
Fullname:Owen McNally
Birth Date:20 June 1906
Birth Place:Denny, Scotland
Death Place:Denny, Scotland
Height:[1]
Position:Forward
Clubs1:Denny Hibernian
Years2:1926–1930
Clubs2:Celtic
Caps2:11
Goals2:3
Years3:1927–1928
Clubs3:Arthurlie (loan)
Caps3:33
Goals3:32
Years4:1929
Clubs4:Hamilton Academical (loan)
Caps4:10
Goals4:7
Years5:1930–1931
Clubs5:Bray Unknowns
Goals5:21
Years6:1931–1932
Clubs6:Cardiff City
Caps6:6
Goals6:0
Years7:1932–1933
Clubs7:Bray Unknowns
Goals7:2
Years8:1933
Clubs8:Norwich City
Caps8:0
Goals8:0
Years9:1933–1934
Clubs9:Lausanne
Years10:1934–1935
Clubs10:Stenhousemuir
Years11:1935
Clubs11:Sligo Rovers
Years12:1935–1936
Clubs12:Lisburn Distillery
Years13:1936–1937
Clubs13:Leicester City
Caps13:16
Goals13:7
Years14:1937–1938
Clubs14:Calais
Years15:1938–1939
Clubs15:Shamrock Rovers
Goals15:14

Owen McNally (20 June 1906 – 1973) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a forward. He began his senior career with Celtic but his first team opportunities were restricted by Jimmy McGrory. After loans spells with Arthurlie and Hamilton Academical, he left the club and embarked on a nomadic playing career that included spells in Ireland, Switzerland and the English Football League.

Career

After playing for junior side Denny Hibernian,[2] McNally joined Celtic and made his professional debut on 9 April 1927 in a 3–3 draw with Dundee United.[3] At the start of the following season, he was loaned to Scottish Second Division side Arthurlie. On 1 October 1927, he scored eight goals in a single match during a 10–0 victory over Armadale, the joint record for the most goals scored by a single player in a Scottish Football League match.[4] [5] [6] After a prolific season with Arthurlie,[1] [7] he returned to Celtic for the 1927–28 season. He scored his first goal for the club against Hamilton Academical but made only two appearances during the season as he struggled to displace Jimmy McGrory from the first team.[3] [2] After a further season behind McGrory and a loan spell with Hamilton,[8] he decided to move on, signing for Irish side Bray Unknowns.[1] In the 1930–31 season, he finished as the club's top goalscorer with 21 league goals as they finished eighth.[9]

In 1931, he signed for Cardiff City; however, after playing in five consecutive matches without scoring at the start of the 1930–31 season, he was replaced by Albert Keating.[10] He made one further appearance before returning to Bray Unknowns soon after.[2] He returned to the Football League in 1933 for a brief spell with Norwich City but was unable to break into the first team.[2] He later played for Swiss side Lausanne, Stenhousemuir, Sligo Rovers and Lisburn Distillery.[2]

In January 1936, he joined Football League Second Division side Leicester City for a fee of £1000.[1] He made his debut for the club on 30 January 1936 in a 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest and went on to score seven goals in sixteen league appearances.[11] He eventually lost his place in the side to Jack Bowers and left to join French side Calais before finishing his career with Shamrock Rovers.[1] He finished the 1939–40 season as Rovers' top goalscorer with fourteen league goals as they finished as winners of the League of Ireland.[12]

Honours

Shamrock Rovers[12]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Of Fossils & Foxes: The Official, Definitive History of Leicester City Football Club . Dave Smith . Paul Taylor . Pitch Publishing Ltd . 2010 . 978-1905411948.
  2. Book: Hayes, Dean . The Who's Who of Cardiff City . Breedon Books . 2006 . 126 . Derby . 1-85983-462-0.
  3. Web site: Owen McNally . fitbastats.com . 10 November 2018.
  4. Web site: History . Arthurlie F.C. . 10 November 2018.
  5. Book: Heroes are Forever: The Life and Times of Celtic Legend Jimmy McGrory . John Cairney . Random House . 2011 . 9781845961039.
  6. Web site: Jimmy McGrory . Scottish Football Hall of Fame . 22 December 2018.
  7. A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players. John Litster. Scottish Football Historian magazine. October 2012.
  8. https://sites.google.com/site/hamiltonacademicalmemorybank/players/mcnally-owen-1929 McNally, Owen (1929)
  9. Web site: Football League of Ireland 1929–30 to 1938–39 . historical-lineups.com . 10 November 2018.
  10. Book: Shepherd, Richard . The Definitive: Cardiff City F.C. . SoccerData Publications . 2002 . 33 . Nottingham . 1-899-46817-X.
  11. Web site: Owen McNally . foxestalk.co.uk . 10 November 2018.
  12. Web site: Football League of Ireland 1939–40 to 1948–49 . historical-lineups.com . 11 November 2018.