Malcolm MacDonald (26 October 1913 – 26 September 1999) was a Scottish professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

, best remembered for his time as a

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water ...

with

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

and as a manager with

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...

and

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

. MacDonald managed the Scotland national team on a caretaker basis in 1966. He is a member of the Brentford

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

Club career

Celtic

MacDonald began his career in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

with junior clubs St Roch's and St Anthony's, before signing for

Scottish First Division The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. It was replaced by the Scottish Championship. History The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 in Scottish footb ...

club

on 19 March 1932. Playing as an

outside left In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than midfielders and defenders. As with any attacking player, the role of the forward relies heavily on be ...

, he had a dream debut, scoring both of Celtic's goals in a 2–0 victory over

Partick Thistle Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football, football club from Glasgow, Scotland and currently plays in the . Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not ...

in the final league match of the 1931–32 season. Though he built on his appearance record year-by-year to make 38 appearances during the 1934–35 season, the arrival of Willie Lyon and a

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...

problem saw MacDonald's chances limited in 1935–36, making just 11 appearances during a season in which Celtic won the First Division title for the first time in 10 years. MacDonald didn't fully break into the team on a regular basis until the departure of Willie Buchan to

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

in November 1937. He made 34 appearances and scored 13 goals during the 1937–38 season, helping the ''Bhoys'' to the league title and the Empire Exhibition Trophy. MacDonald's best season came in 1938–39, scoring 20 goals in 40 games and scoring a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

in the

Old Firm The Old Firm is a collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply embedded i ...

match on 10 September 1938. The outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in September 1939 saw competitive football suspended for the duration of the conflict, but MacDonald remained with Celtic, making 199 wartime appearances (18 goals) before the official leagues and cups resumed in 1946. MacDonald departed Celtic after the war, having made 156 appearances in major competitions and scored 38 goals during his time with the club. He played in every position bar

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

during his years at

Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...

Kilmarnock

MacDonald returned to Southern League 'A' club Kilmarnock in 1945, after a period guesting in 1940 during the Second World War. He remained at

Rugby Park Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football stadium which is the home of Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock F.C. and is situated in the Scotland, Scottish town of Kilmarnoc ...

until October 1946. MacDonald would later play for the club again while manager during the 1951–52 season. He made 10 appearances and scored one goal across his two spells with the club.

Brentford

MacDonald moved to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

to join

First Division 1st Division or First Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) * 1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) * 1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoure ...

club

for a £1,500 fee in October 1946. Manager Harry Curtis played him as an

inside forward In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than Midfielder, midfielders and Defender (association football), d ...

, but a broken jaw hampered his progress and the Bees were relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1946–47 season. Injury to Bill Gorman saw MacDonald take up a position at full back in September 1947 and he kept the position until his retirement at the end of the 1948–49 season. He made 93 appearances and scored one goal during his time at

Griffin Park Griffin Park was a association football, football ground in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow, England. It was the home ground of Brentford F.C. from its opening in September 1904 to August 2020. The ground was in a predominantly resi ...

International and representative career

MacDonald's first taste of international football came with the Scotland schoolboy team in 1928. In 1939, he made 8 appearances for the

Scottish FA The Scottish Football Association (; also known as the Scottish FA and the SFA) is the governing body of football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to s ...

XI on its tour of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. He later won three wartime caps for the full

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

team during 1941. MacDonald represented the

Scottish Football League XI The Scottish League XI was a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the (English) Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture be ...

against their English counterparts on 11 October 1941.

Management and coaching career

Scotland

MacDonald briefly coached the Scotland national football team for wartime internationals played in 1945.

Brentford

MacDonald's

coaching Coaching is a form of development in which an experienced person, called a ''coach'', supports a learner or client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training and guidance. The learner is sometimes called a ''coa ...

career began while still a player at Brentford and he held a

player-coach A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...

role during the 1948–49 season.

Kilmarnock

MacDonald took up his first managerial appointment with former club Kilmarnock in May 1950. He turned the ailing club into a competitive force in the

Scottish Second Division The Scottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of the Scottish Football League (SF ...

and took the club to fifth, fourth and second-place finishes by the end of the 1953–54 season, which won Killie promotion to the First Division. MacDonald also brought the club further success in the cups, reaching the

1952 Scottish League Cup Final The 1952 Scottish League Cup final was played on 25 October 1952, at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 7th Scottish League Cup competition. The final was contested by Dundee and Kilmarnock. Dundee won the match 2–0, thanks to tw ...

and the 1957 Scottish Cup Final. He departed the club at the end of the 1956–57 season.

Return to Brentford

MacDonald returned to Brentford, then having fallen to the Third Division South, as manager prior to the beginning of the 1957–58 season. He instantly turned around the club's fortunes, using a largely home-grown squad to push for promotion to the Second Division during the season, though an injury to Len Newcombe would ultimately contribute to a second-place finish. With an ageing squad, MacDonald third and sixth-place finished in 1958–59 and 1959–60, before toying with relegation during the 1960–61 season. The Brentford board's decision to shrink the playing squad (which included selling prolific twin forwards Jim Towers and George Francis) and to retain a number of players on a part-time basis contributed to the club's relegation at the end of the 1961–62 season. New chairman

Jack Dunnett John Jacob Dunnett (24 June 1922 – 26 October 2019) was a British Labour Party politician, solicitor, and football club chairman. He died in London in October 2019 at the age of 97. Early life Dunnett was born in Maryhill, Glasgow, to Jewish ...

pumped money into the club in 1961 and MacDonald's signings of Johnny Brooks, John Dick and

Billy McAdams William John McAdams (20 January 1934 – 13 October 2002) was a Northern Irish footballer who played in the inside forward position. Club career On leaving school at 15, he took an apprenticeship as a heating engineer and played as an amateur ...

in 1962 saw Brentford win the 1962–63 Fourth Division title at a canter. MacDonald remained with Brentford until January 1965, when he announced he would be departing Griffin Park. He intended to carry on in his position until the end of the 1964–65 season, but was given a

leave of absence The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they ar ...

on 2 February 1965 by chairman Dunnett. For his achievements with the Bees, MacDonald was later inducted into the club's

Return to Kilmarnock

On 26 January 1965, MacDonald agreed a £4,000-a-year contract to return to Kilmarnock as manager on 1 July 1965. The club had finished the 1964–65 season as First Division champions for the first time in the club's history, but MacDonald could not build on that and accumulated a third and two seventh-place finishes, though he took Killie to the semi-finals of the

1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The ninth Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was played over the 1966–67 season. The competition was won by Dinamo Zagreb over two legs in the final against Leeds United. For the first time in the history of the cup, replays were scrapped, with sides going ...

. He was sacked on 2 April 1968.

Scotland caretaker

MacDonald briefly managed the Scotland team on a caretaker basis in late 1966 and presided over two

1966–67 British Home Championship The 1966–67 British Home Championship has remained famous in the memories of British Home Nations football fans ever since the dramatic and climactic match at Wembley Stadium, where an unfancied Scottish team beat England on the same turf the ...

matches: a 1–1 draw with

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and a 2–1 victory over

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

Scouting career

MacDonald scouted for

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

from the late 1960s until the mid 1970s, working for friend Bill Nicholson.

Personal life

MacDonald was born in Glasgow to parents from

South Uist South Uist (, ; ) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the ...

and was known as 'Calum' to his friends and teammates. After his retirement from football management, MacDonald went into business as a

physiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

and

chiropodist A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...

Troon Troon (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Truthail'') is a town and sea port in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with ferry and freight serv ...

. MacDonald died on 26 September 1999.

Career statistics

Managerial statistics

Honours

As a player

Celtic * Scottish League First Division: 1935–36, 1937–38 * Empire Exhibition Trophy: 1938

As a manager

Kilmarnock * Scottish League Second Division second-place promotion: 1953–54 Brentford *

Football League Fourth Division The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Following the creation of the Premier ...

: 1962–63

As an individual

* Brentford Hall of Fame

References

External links

* *
Malky MacDonald
at scottishfa.co.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Malky 1913 births 1999 deaths Footballers from Glasgow Scottish men's footballers Men's association football utility players Celtic F.C. players Kilmarnock F.C. players Brentford F.C. players Scottish Football League players Scottish Football League managers English Football League players Scottish football managers Kilmarnock F.C. managers Scottish Football League representative players St Anthony's F.C. players Scottish Junior Football Association players Scotland national football team managers Scotland men's wartime international footballers Brentford F.C. managers English Football League managers St Roch's F.C. players Kilmarnock F.C. wartime guest players Tottenham Hotspur F.C. non-playing staff Men's association football defenders Men's association football midfielders Men's association football forwards People associated with Scottish islands