Willie McCartney
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William McCartney | ||
| Date of death | 24 January 1948 | ||
| Place of death | Coatbridge, Scotland | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1919–1935 | Heart of Midlothian | ||
| 1936–1948 | Hibernian | ||
Willie McCartney (date of birth unknown — 24 January 1948) was a Scottish football referee and manager. He managed both of the Edinburgh derby rivals, Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) and Hibernian (Hibs).
The Sunday Herald newspaper listed McCartney in 22nd place in their 2003 list of the 50 greatest Scottish football managers, citing his role in the development of Hibs' Famous Five forward line. The newspaper also said that McCartney "was intelligent, jovial and had great presence", and described his ultimate failure to win a major trophy as "unthinkably cruel".
McCartney was appointed Hearts manager in November 1919, replacing his father, John. He had the task of rebuilding the side that had been largely decimated in the First World War, including three dead on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Although Hearts drew big crowds during the early 1920s, the team was unsuccessful and narrowly avoided relegation in 1922.
Hearts improved through the rest of McCartney's time, particularly after the signing of prolific goalscorer Barney Battles, Jr. in 1928, but defensive frailties meant that they did not win any trophies. In 1933, McCartney asked to be relieved of clerical duties to concentrate on working with the players, but this had no discernible impact. McCartney resigned in June 1935, as the new chairman wanted a more hands-on approach to management. McCartney had signed and developed many good players, but ultimately failed to deliver success.
After a year out of the game, McCartney was appointed Hibs manager in 1936. Hibs had suffered a very poor period in the early 1930s, having been relegated in 1931 and failing to win promotion in 1932. Although Hibs won promotion in 1933, they only just retained Division One status in 1934 and 1936. McCartney's appointment produced some excitement, as Hibs drew a crowd of 25,000 for his first match in charge. Hibs again struggled in his first season, as McCartney tried to find the right blend of the many new signings he had made. McCartney developed a strong group of younger players, but the club suffered a humiliating defeat in the 1937–38 Scottish Cup by Edinburgh City. Hibs put up a much better effort in the 1938–39 Scottish Cup, but were beaten 1–0 by eventual winners Clyde in the semi-final.
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