| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James McAlinden[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 December 1917[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Ireland[1] | ||
| Date of death | 25 November 1993(1993-11-25) (aged 75)[1] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1934 | Glentoran | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1934–1938 | Belfast Celtic | ? | (?) |
| 1938–1939 | Portsmouth | 20 | (4) |
| 1939–1945 | Belfast Celtic | ? | (?) |
| 1945–1946 | Shamrock Rovers | ? | (?) |
| 1946–1947 | Portsmouth | 33 | (5) |
| 1947–1948 | Stoke City | 33 | (2) |
| 1948–1954 | Southend United | 217 | (12) |
| 1954–1955 | Glenavon | ? | (?) |
| Total | 303+ | (23+) | |
| International career | |||
| 1937–1948 | Ireland (IFA) | 5 | (0) |
| 1946 | Ireland (FAI) | 2 | (0) |
| 1946 | League of Ireland XI | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1954–1967 | Glenavon | ||
| 1969–1975 | Distillery | ||
| 1975–1978 | Drogheda United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James McAlinden (27 December 1917 – 15 November 1993) was an Irish footballer who played as a forward for several clubs, most notably,Belfast Celtic,Portsmouth,Shamrock Rovers andSouthend United. As an international, McAlinden also played for both Ireland teams – theIFA XI and theFAI XI.[2] After retiring as a player, he went on to manageGlenavon,Distillery andDrogheda United.[1]
In 1934, aged 16, McAlinden was playing forGlentoran Reserves, when after a game against their reserves, he was offered a professional contract byBelfast Celtic. McAlinden, together withJackie Vernon,Tommy Breen,Billy McMillan andCharlie Tully, subsequently became a prominent member of the Celtic team managed byElisha Scott. This team dominated theIrish League in the era before and during theSecond World War. Among his most notable contributions was scoring in the 2–1 win againstBangor in the 1938Irish Cup final. After a spell withPortsmouth, McAlinden returned to Celtic in 1939, helping the club to further honours before leaving forShamrock Rovers in 1945.
In December 1938 McAlinden signed forPortsmouth for a fee of £7.500. He made his debut for the club againstChelsea and went onto became a regular in the side. Within six months of his arrival at the club, he helped them win the1939 FA Cup final, beatingWolves 4–1. After the outbreak of theSecond World War, he played three times for Portsmouth in wartime regional leagues, but his first spell with the club ended when he then returned toBelfast Celtic. McAlinden returned to Portsmouth for a second spell in 1946. In September 1947 he left Portsmouth once again and joinedStoke City for a fee of £7,000.
Following the end of his second spell withBelfast Celtic and before he rejoinedPortsmouth, McAlinden signed forShamrock Rovers in September 1945. He made his debut against Shelbourne atMilltown on 16 September. While playing for Rovers his teammates includedPaddy Coad,Peter Farrell andTommy Eglington. During his one season with Rovers, McAlinden helped the club reach the 1946FAI Cup final. However Rovers lost 3–1 toDrumcondra.
McAlinden joinedStoke City in September 1947 for a then club record fee of £7,000.[1] He became regular inside forward under managerBob McGrory in1947–48 playing in 33 matches scoring just twice againstAston Villa andHuddersfield Town.[1] His lack of goals saw him fall out of favour at theVictoria Ground and he was sold toThird Division South sideSouthend United in October 1948.[1]
In 1948Southend United signed McAlinden fromStoke City for a fee of £8,000. He continued to play for United until 1954 and during his time with the club he served as club captain. He also became something of a cult hero among the club's fans and is remembered as being possibly the best player ever to play for the club. In 1950, McAlinden was caught up in controversy after it was alleged that he received illegal payments during his second spell withPortsmouth. As a result, he was suspended for the first two months of the 1950–51 season. In April 1954 he made his last home appearance for United in a 4–1 win overQueens Park Rangers.
When McAlinden began his international career in 1937 there were in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Northern Ireland – basedIFA and theIrish Free State – basedFAI claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era, including McAlinden played for both teams.
Between 1937 and 1948, McAlinden made 5 appearances for theIFA XI, making his international debut in a 1–1 draw withScotland atPittodrie Stadium on 10 November 1937. His IFA XI appearances also include the 8–4 defeat against aCombined Services XI atWindsor Park on 9 September 1944. This team was basically aGreat Britain XI and featured, among others,Matt Busby,Stanley Matthews,Tommy Lawton andStan Mortensen. He also played againstEngland in 7–2 defeat at Windsor Park on 9 September 1946. He made his last appearance for the IFA XI on 10 October 1948 in a 6–2 defeat to England at Windsor Park. McAlinden made his first three appearances for the IFA XI while withBelfast Celtic, his fourth while atPortsmouth and his fifth while atSouthend United
In 1946, while withPortsmouth, McAlinden also made 2 appearances for theFAI XI. He was one of several players born in Northern Ireland who benefited from the FAI's attempts to establish their all-Ireland influence. In June 1946 when the FAI organised anIberian tour, McAlinden, together withJackie Vernon,Billy McMillan andPaddy Sloan, was one of four Northern Irish players called up. McAlinden subsequently played in both the 3–1 defeat toPortugal on 16 June and then helped Ireland gain a surprise 1–0 victory againstSpain on 23 June 1946.
In 1955 McAlinden became player/manager ofGlenavon. He continued playing for a further year before finally retiring as a player to concentrate on management. During a thirteen-year spell with Glenavon he guided them twoIrish League titles, threeIrish Cup victories and oneGold Cup. After leaving Glenavon, McAlinden worked as a full-time scout forCoventry City before taking charge atDistillery in 1969. He subsequently guided a Distillery team that included a youngMartin O'Neill to a win in the 1971Irish Cup. Later in his first season withDrogheda United he guided them to the 1976FAI Cup final, only to lose 1–0 toBohemians.
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Portsmouth | 1938–39 | First Division | 20 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 4 |
| 1946–47 | First Division | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 5 | |
| 1947–48 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 53 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 59 | 9 | ||
| Stoke City | 1947–48 | First Division | 31 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| 1948–49 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| Southend United | 1948–49 | Third Division South | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| 1949–50 | Third Division South | 38 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 1 | |
| 1950–51 | Third Division South | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| 1951–52 | Third Division South | 42 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 4 | |
| 1952–53 | Third Division South | 43 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 3 | |
| 1953–54 | Third Division South | 34 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 1 | |
| Total | 217 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 231 | 13 | ||
| Career Total | 303 | 23 | 22 | 1 | 328 | 24 | ||
Source:[3]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland (IFA) | 1937 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1946 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1948 | 1 | 0 | |
| Ireland (FAI) | 1946 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | |
Belfast Celtic
Shamrock Rovers
Portsmouth
Glenavon
Distillery
Drogheda United