Donald McKinlay
Encyclopedia
Donald McKinlay was a Scottish
defender, who was comfortable anywhere on the park, playing for Liverpool F.C.
He enjoyed one of the longest careers of any Liverpool player, making his debut as an 18-year-old in 1910 and playing his last game 18 years later. McKinlay's career ended by injury in 1929.
, Scotland
and played for Newton Swifts and Newton Villa before being signed by Liverpool manager Tom Watson
on 27 January 1910 straight from the Scottish junior leagues. McKinlay made his debut in a Football League First Division
match on the 20 April 1910 in a remarkable game against Nottm Forest
at Anfield
, the game finished with 10 goals the Reds coming out on top by 7 goals to 3 with Jack Parkinson netting 4, his first goal for the club came in the first minute of the 4-1 home victory over Spurs
on 2 January 1912.
McKinlay's Liverpool career was slow to get under way and he only made 60 appearances before the outbreak of World War I
in 1914. He lost four years of playing due to the war but upon resuming competitive football in 1919 McKinlay's career took off, he was awarded the captaincy of the Reds and lead them to successive League Championship titles in 1922 and 1923. He was regarded as a hard-tackling defender, and was predominantly used as a left-back but displayed such great versatility that he could also operate at wing-half, centre half and right across the forward line.
He stayed at Anfield for 19 years and played over 400 games for the club; he also scored a very creditable 34 goals, for someone who played most of his games in defence, but he was somehow only awarded two international caps by Scotland. The first of which came in a British Championship
match at the Racecourse Ground
, Wrexham
on 4 February 1912 a game that the Scots
lost 2-1 to Wales
.
One memorable moment for McKinlay happened on 16 January 1926 in the 15th minute of a 2-1 league win at the Boleyn Ground
, Upton Park against West Ham
. McKinlay was a full 10 yards inside his own half when unleashed a shot that hit the back of the Hammers net!
Upon retirement from football in 1929 McKinlay stayed on in Merseyside
, playing the game he loved for amateur side, Prescott Cables. He eventually became a publican
in the Liverpool
area, where he died, aged 68.
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
defender, who was comfortable anywhere on the park, playing for Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
He enjoyed one of the longest careers of any Liverpool player, making his debut as an 18-year-old in 1910 and playing his last game 18 years later. McKinlay's career ended by injury in 1929.
Life and playing career
McKinlay was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and played for Newton Swifts and Newton Villa before being signed by Liverpool manager Tom Watson
Tom Watson (football)
Tom Watson was an English football manager who managed Sunderland A.F.C. and Liverpool F.C. around the turn of the 20th century....
on 27 January 1910 straight from the Scottish junior leagues. McKinlay made his debut in a Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
match on the 20 April 1910 in a remarkable game against Nottm Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, the game finished with 10 goals the Reds coming out on top by 7 goals to 3 with Jack Parkinson netting 4, his first goal for the club came in the first minute of the 4-1 home victory over Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
on 2 January 1912.
McKinlay's Liverpool career was slow to get under way and he only made 60 appearances before the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914. He lost four years of playing due to the war but upon resuming competitive football in 1919 McKinlay's career took off, he was awarded the captaincy of the Reds and lead them to successive League Championship titles in 1922 and 1923. He was regarded as a hard-tackling defender, and was predominantly used as a left-back but displayed such great versatility that he could also operate at wing-half, centre half and right across the forward line.
He stayed at Anfield for 19 years and played over 400 games for the club; he also scored a very creditable 34 goals, for someone who played most of his games in defence, but he was somehow only awarded two international caps by Scotland. The first of which came in a British Championship
British Championship
The British Championship is the most prestigious ice hockey cup competition in the United Kingdom, and also the longest established ice hockey competition. It has been run under various formats and titles since 1930 and contested annually since 1966...
match at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
on 4 February 1912 a game that the Scots
lost 2-1 to Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
.
One memorable moment for McKinlay happened on 16 January 1926 in the 15th minute of a 2-1 league win at the Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
, Upton Park against West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. McKinlay was a full 10 yards inside his own half when unleashed a shot that hit the back of the Hammers net!
Upon retirement from football in 1929 McKinlay stayed on in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, playing the game he loved for amateur side, Prescott Cables. He eventually became a publican
Publican
In antiquity, publicans were public contractors, in which role they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects...
in the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
area, where he died, aged 68.
Career details
- Liverpool F.C (1910–1929) 434 appearances, 34 goals - 2 Football League Championships (1922 and 1923)
- Scotland (1922) 2 appearances