Mike McCartney (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael McCartney | ||
| Date of birth | 28 September 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Musselburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | 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. |
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Michael "Mike" McCartney (born 28 September 1954) is a retired 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.
McCartney was born in Musselburgh and grew up as a supporter of his local club Heart of Midlothian. 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. Although he signed a professional contract in December 1971, he failed to break into the first team.
In May 1973, he joined his former manager at Albion, Alan Ashman, signing for Second Division Carlisle United. 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 for the first time in the club's history. The Cumbrian club only managed one season in the top division, in which they finished in last place following which Carlisle fell down through the divisions and by 1977 they were in the Third Division.
In July 1980, McCartney (now considered "one of the best left-backs in the lower divisions") was given the chance to return to the First Division by Southampton's manager Lawrie McMenemy who signed him for £50,000. 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, whose arrival at The Dell overshadowed that of McCartney. 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, he lost his place at left-back to Nick Holmes. After a total of 24 appearances, with one goal, McCartney returned to the Third Division with Plymouth Argyle in August 1981, for the same fee that Southampton had paid to Carlisle a year earlier.
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