 McCombe playing forYork City in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Paul McCombe[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-05-07)7 May 1985 (age 40)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Pontefract, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2003 | Huddersfield Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2007 | Huddersfield Town | 14 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Torquay United (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Hereford United | 27 | (0) |
| 2008–2013 | Port Vale | 185 | (14) |
| 2013–2014 | Mansfield Town | 5 | (2) |
| 2014–2016 | York City | 55 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | Macclesfield Town | 48 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | Chester | 23 | (0) |
| 2018 | Harrogate Town | 14 | (1) |
| 2018 | Boston United | 0 | (0) |
| 2018–2021 | Hyde United | 51 | (8) |
| Total | 422 | (31) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Paul McCombe (born 7 May 1985) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as acentre back. He made 473 league and cup appearances in a 19-year professional and semi-professional career, scoring 29 goals. His brother,Jamie, played professional football.
McCombe graduated through theHuddersfield Town Academy to make his first-team debut in May 2003. Unused in 2003–04, he rarely featured in 2004–05, 2005–06, and 2006–07. During this time, he had brief periods onloan atTorquay United, though he never took to the field for them. He spent the 2007–08 season withHereford United, helping the club to winpromotion intoLeague One. McCombe joinedPort Vale in May 2008, and after establishing himself in the first-team in 2008–09 and 2009–10, he managed to win the club'sPlayer of the Year Award in2011. He helped the club to secure promotion out ofLeague Two in 2012–13.
After leaving Port Vale in May 2013, McCombe signed forMansfield Town on afree transfer. He left Mansfield forYork City in January 2014, and stayed with York for two years. He joinedMacclesfield Town in February 2016 and played in the club's defeat at the2017 FA Trophy final. He signed forChester in June 2017 before moving toHarrogate Town in February 2018, who he helped to win promotion out of theNational League North via the play-offs three months later. He signed withBoston United in June 2018, but left the club two months later without making a first-team appearance and moved on toHyde United.
Born inPontefract, West Yorkshire,[1] McCombe joinedHuddersfield Town as a trainee. He was converted from playing as acentre forward to become acentre back.[2] He made his first-team debut on 3 May 2003, coming onto thepitch as a latesubstitute forJon Stead in a 1–1 draw withOldham Athletic atKirklees Stadium.[3] Unused in the2003–04 season, he had to wait until September 2004 for his next first-team appearance.[4] He made seven appearances in2004–05.[5]
McCombe's only appearances of2005–06 were againstBlackburn Rovers in theLeague Cup – where he only played because of injuries and suspensions, againstBoston United in theFootball League Trophy – whenmanagerPeter Jackson rested all his first-team players, and on the last match of the season againstSwindon Town.[citation needed] In between these appearances he spent February onloan atTorquay United, but did not appear forJohn Cornforth's struggling team.[citation needed]
On 15 March 2007, he, along withHartlepool United'sMichael Proctor, agreed to join Boston United on loan.[6] However, due to Boston's financial state, Boston chairmanJim Rodwell was unable to sanction the deals.[7] Huddersfield released him in May 2007, and two months later he signed forHereford United,[8] ending his eleven-year association with the club.[9]
He began2007–08 as third-choice centre-back, but an injury toDean Beckwith gave McCombe his chance.[citation needed] He turned in a number of impressive performances, preserving Hereford's unbeaten record and scoring his first professional goal from aKris Taylorcross in a 2–0FA Cup victory against Hartlepool United.[10] McCombe made 27 league appearances as Hereford gainedpromotion from League Two, but was dropped for the run-in, in favour ofKarl Broadhurst.[citation needed] This coincided with McCombe's mistake in a key fixture againstChester City when he conceded apenalty kick in the last minute for handball, which enabled Chester to draw the match 2–2.[11] He made only one more appearance for the club, as a second-half substitute on the final day of the season.[12] In May 2008, manager and chairmanGraham Turner confirmed that out-of-contract McCombe would not be offered a new deal.[13]
On 29 May 2008, McCombe agreed a two-year contract to joinPort Vale.[14] He claimed one of the reasons he put pen to paper was that having met managerLee Sinnott 13 years previously, he knew that Sinnott could help improve his game.[15] However, he established himself as a first-choice centre-back under new managerDean Glover, but was also told he was too 'nice' and needed to be more aggressive in his defending.[16] Nevertheless, his performances2008–09 earned him thechairman's Player of the Year award,[17] as well as the nickname 'Boom Boom McCombe' from fans.[18]
Retaining his first-team place in2009–10, he wastransfer listed in late September 2009, along with the entire Port Vale squad, after managerMicky Adams saw his team slip to a third consecutive defeat.[19] However, by the end of October 2009 he had played in the opening 18 matches of the season, picking up a goal on the way,[20] and was confident of earning a new contract by the season's end.[21] On 12 December 2009, he received the firstsending off of his career, following aprofessional foul onNorthampton Town'sAdebayo Akinfenwa.[22] This brought to an end his run of 29 consecutive starts, and kept him out of the team for the next six weeks, as manager Micky Adams switched histactics during McCombe's absence,[23] moving from a 3–5–2 to 4–4–2formation.[24] He was offered a new two-year contract by the club at the end of the season,[25] which he quickly signed.[26]
He started2010–11 in fine form, and his strong performances in November 2010 saw him nominated for the League Two Player of the Month award.[27] His strong performances continued throughout the season, and he was rewarded with the club'sPlayer of the Year award.[28]
Adams continued to use McCombe in the heart of the Vale defence at the start of2011–12, however, he dropped him from the first-team after 11 matches in favour of loan signingLiam Chilvers.[29] He marked his return to the first-team on 14 October 2011 with the second goal of a 3–0 win over Northampton Town.[30] However, he was dropped after the next match, a 4–0 defeat at home toMorecambe, only to win back his first-team place the following month after turning down the chance to leave the club on loan.[31] With the loanees back at their parent clubs,Gareth Owen out injured andClayton McDonald in court, McCombe helped to guide teenage centre-backJoe Davis through the final stages of the season.[32] He agreed to sign a new two-year deal with the club in June 2012.[33]
He formed a solid centre-back partnership with Clayton McDonald at the start of2012–13.[citation needed] On 25 August, he scored in a 3–1 win over Morecambe at theGlobe Arena, earning himself a place on the League Two Team of the Week.[34] On 27 October, he wassent off for the second time in his career, again against Northampton atSixfields, as he put in a late challenge on midfielderAlex Nicholls, who managed to score the opening goal of the match just before McCombe made his challenge; it was later confirmed that thetackle hadbroken Nicholls's leg.[35] Opposition managerAidy Boothroyd accepted McCombe's apology, and Northampton player Akinfenwa also stated that McCombe was "not a malicious character".[36] McCombe himself picked up an injury on 1 January 2013, damaging knee ligaments in a defeat toFleetwood Town, and was ruled out of action for several weeks.[37] Vale secured promotion with a third-place finish at the end of the season, with McCombe playing 37 matches in a regularly changing four back.[citation needed] Despite still being under contract, he chose to leave the club in the summer.[38]
McCombe signed forMansfield Town on 1 June 2013, and was described by managerPaul Cox as "a commanding player who will add knowledge and experience to our defence".[39] He leftField Mill by mutual consent in January 2014, having made only seven starts for Mansfield in2013–14.[40]
McCombe signed for League Two clubYork City on 12 January 2014 on a two-and-a-half-year contract after his release from Mansfield.[41] He made his debut as an 85th-minute substitute forRyan Jarvis in a 2–0 away defeat to Hartlepool United on 25 January 2014.[42] On 15 February 2014, he scored a brace and claimed anassist in a 4–0 victory atPlymouth Argyle, earning himself a mention on the Football League Team of the Week.[43] He was again named in the Team of the Week after making a block on the line from aHallam Hopeshot in a 1–0 win overBury on 21 April 2014.[44] On 1 February 2016, McCombe leftBootham Crescent by mutual consent after not playing a match three months into new managerJackie McNamara's tenure.[45]
On 1 March 2016, McCombe joinedNational League clubMacclesfield Town on a contract running until the end of2015–16.[46] He debuted later that day, as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–1 home defeat to Torquay.[47] He made 12 appearances and scored one goal[47] as Macclesfield finished in 10th-place in the 2015–16 National League.[48] He retained his first-team place for the following season, and scored the winning goal as Macclesfield won 1–0 away to League One teamWalsall in the first round of the FA Cup.[49] He made 44 appearances in2016–17,[47] including in the2017 FA Trophy final atWembley Stadium, where Macclesfield were beaten 3–2 by York City.[50]
McCombe rejected a new contract offer from Macclesfield to join their National League rivalsChester on 6 June 2017 on a one-year contract.[51] He left the club on 8 February 2018[52] and signed forNational League North clubHarrogate Town the following day.[53] Harrogate finished second at the end of the2017–18 season,[54] and went on to secure promotion after beatingBrackley Town 3–0 in the play-off final.[55] Having made 16 appearances and scored one goal,[47] McCombe was released by Harrogate at the end of 2017–18.[56]
He signed a one-year contract with the National League North club Boston United on 8 June 2018.[57] He had his contract cancelled by mutual consent on 10 August without making a competitive appearance for Boston.[47][58] He joined newly promotedNorthern Premier League Premier Division clubHyde United four days later.[59] He made 43 appearances in the2018–19 season, scoring seven goals, as the "Tigers" posted a tenth-place finish.[60] He was appointed as player-assistant manager in May 2019.[61] The2019–20 season was formally abandoned on 26 March, with all results from the season being expunged, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in England.[62] The2020–21 season was also curtailed early due to the pandemic.[63]
He is a goal threat from set pieces and a solid, efficient centre-back.[64]
In January 2009, he was attendingManchester Metropolitan University, studying for a sports science qualification.[65] He is aSheffield Wednesday fan.[66] His elder brotherJamie is also a former professional footballer.[67] In 2020, the brothers founded JPM Logistics, a company they sold two years later, before starting McCombe & Co Financial Planning in West Yorkshire.[68]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Huddersfield Town | 2002–03[69] | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003–04[4] | Third Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004–05[5] | League One | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005–06[70] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2006–07[71] | League One | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| Torquay United (loan) | 2005–06[70] | League Two | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hereford United | 2007–08[12] | League Two | 27 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| Port Vale | 2008–09[72] | League Two | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 2009–10[73] | League Two | 40 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[a] | 1 | 48 | 4 | |
| 2010–11[74] | League Two | 42 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 5 | |
| 2011–12[75] | League Two | 40 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 44 | 4 | |
| 2012–13[76] | League Two | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| Total | 185 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 211 | 16 | ||
| Mansfield Town | 2013–14[42] | League Two | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| York City | 2013–14[42] | League Two | 19 | 3 | — | — | 2[b] | 0 | 21 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15[77] | League Two | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[78] | League Two | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 55 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 61 | 4 | ||
| Macclesfield Town | 2015–16[47] | National League | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2016–17[47] | National League | 36 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 4[c] | 0 | 44 | 2 | ||
| Total | 48 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 56 | 3 | |||
| Chester | 2017–18[47] | National League | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Harrogate Town | 2017–18[47] | National League North | 14 | 1 | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||
| Boston United | 2018–19[47] | National League North | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Hyde United | 2018–19[79] | NPL Premier Division | 36 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 43 | 7 |
| 2019–20[79] | NPL Premier Division | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| 2020–21[79] | NPL Premier Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 51 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 63 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 422 | 31 | 25 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 490 | 35 | ||
Hereford United
Port Vale
Macclesfield Town
Harrogate Town
Individual
