David McCulloch

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David McCulloch
Personal information
Date of birth(1912-10-05)5 October 1912
Place of birthHamilton, Scotland
Date of death21 June 1979(1979-06-21)
Place of deathEast Kilbride, Scotland
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
Hamilton Amateurs
Shotts United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1932–1934Third Lanark
1934–1935Hearts57(54)
1935–1938Brentford117(85)
1938–1946Derby County31(16)
1946–1947Leicester City4(2)
1947–1949Bath City
1949–1951Waterford United
National team
1934–1938Scotland7(3)
1934Scottish League XI[1]1(1)
Teams managed
1951-1952Alloa Athletic
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

David McCulloch (5 October 1912 in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire – 21 June 1979 in East Kilbride) was a Scottish footballer who played for several Scottish and English clubs in the 1930s, most notably Heart of Midlothian, Brentford, Derby County. He also represented Scotland at full international level.

Biography

McCulloch, a striker, began his senior career with Third Lanark, whom he joined from junior side Shotts United in 1932. After two years at Cathkin Park, he was signed by Hearts for £530, moving east at the same time as his Thirds team-mate John MacKenzie.[2] His first season at Tynecastle was notable, as he scored 38 times (at an average of a goal per game) to top the First Division scoring charts. Such a goal-scoring ratio helped Hearts to both a third-place finish and increased attendances, although Double-winners Rangers proved too strong in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.[3] Costs incurred by work to improve Tynecastle's facilities and capacity were proving a financial millstone and in November 1935, the Hearts board indicated that certain players were available for transfer. McCulloch was by this stage one of five Scotland players on the club's books, having made his debut against Wales a year earlier, and an obvious transfer target. After numerous expressions of interest from English clubs, McCulloch and international team-mate Alex Massie were sold to offset the debt,[2] McCulloch joining London side Brentford for £6,000.

McCulloch continued his prodigious scoring rate with the Bees and by the end of the 1938-39 season he had scored total of 178 goals from 234 league (English and Scottish) games.[4] He also remained a Scotland regular, earning a further 6 caps during which he scored 3 goals, including 2 against Czechoslovakia in December 1937.

McCulloch was transferred to Derby County for £9,500 in October 1938 but his time with his new club was disrupted by the Second World War, which began while he was at the peak of his abilities and curtailed his international career. During the conflict he "guested" for no less than six clubs, military demands ensuring footballers such as him were seldom resident in one location for an extended period of time. McCulloch's temporary sides were: Falkirk, Brentford, Aldershot, Chelsea, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and Swansea Town.[4] At the war's conclusion he signed for Derby's rivals Leicester City before finishing his career with non-league Bath City and Irish side Waterford United.

While with Waterford McCulloch assisted with coaching and in 1951 he returned to Scotland as manager of Alloa Athletic, a position he held for one season.[4]

References

  1. http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/davemcculloch.html
  2. 2.0 2.1 Speed, David; Smith, Bill, Blackwood, Graham (1984). Heart of Midlothian Football Club: A Pictorial History 1874-1984. Heart of Midlothian F.C. plc. ISBN 0-9510124-1-X. 
  3. Hearts average attendance rose by over 4,000 in 1934-35 and the following season they became the most popular club in Scotland in terms of paying spectators (Ross, David (2005). The Roar of the Crowd: Following Scottish football down the years. Argyll publishing. pp. 85–108. ISBN 978-1-902831-83-1. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who’s Who, 1872-1986. Hutton Press. ISBN 0-907033-47-4. 

External links

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