Peter McGonagle
Personal information
Full name William McGonagle
Date of birth 30 April 1905[1]
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death 20 December 1956(1956-12-20) (aged 51)
Place of death Cheltenham, England
Position(s) Left back
Youth career
St Joseph’s Boys Guild
Greenhead Thistle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Duntocher Hibernian
1926–1936 Celtic 287 (7)
1936–1937 Hamilton Academical 20 (1)
1937–1939 Cheltenham Town
International career
1930–1934 Scottish Football League XI 5 (1)
1933–1934 Scotland 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William 'Peter' McGonagle (30 April 1905 – 20 December 1956) was a Scottish footballer who played mainly for Celtic at club level and also played for the Scotland national team, as a left back.

Club career

Born in Glasgow but adopted as a baby by a family from Hamilton,[1] McGonagle joined Celtic from Duntocher Hibernian in October 1926. He started as a left half but converted to left back. He made his Celtic debut against Falkirk on 27 August 1927.

His Celtic career, often blighted with incidents, came to an end in the summer of 1936 when he was released after playing 324 Scottish Football League and Scottish Cup games, scoring 8 goals.[2] One such incident occurred in a game against Rangers on New Year's Day 1935, when McGonagle was infuriated by a late challenge on Joe Kennaway from Rangers forward Jimmy Smith, and with Kennaway receiving treatment and Smith sat in the penalty area, the enraged McGonagle picked up the match ball and bounced it off Smith's head. McGonagle was sent off for his actions, and for some Celtic directors it was an indiscretion too far; from that moment his days at Parkhead looked numbered,[3] and understudy John Morrison gradually took over the position, with McGonagle's final appearance coming in the same fixture a year later.

He later played for a season at hometown club Hamilton Academical, then spent a year in England in the Southern League with Cheltenham Town where he settled after retiring, working as a mechanic.[4]

International career

McGonagle made his Scotland debut against England on 1 April 1933 at the age of 27,[5] and went on to earn six caps.[6] He never scored for Scotland, but missed a penalty kick in a 1–2 defeat by Ireland in his second game on 16 September 1933.[1] His last Scotland cap came against Wales on 21 November 1934. He also represented the Scottish Football League XI (5 caps, 1 goal).[7]

Personal life

McGonagle was the adopted son of former Hamilton Academical player Peter McGonagle (1894–95 season, Scottish Football Alliance),[8] being given the nickname 'Peter' during his school days as a result.[4][5]

His son Peter McGonagle (1934–2013) was captain of Scotland and Great Britain Water Polo teams.[9][1]

Honours

Celtic[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.
  2. 1 2 Celtic player McGonagle, Peter, FitbaStats
  3. ↑ McGonagle, Peter, The Celtic Wiki
  4. 1 2 McGonagle, William (1936), Hamilton Academical Memory Bank
  5. 1 2 Sat 01 Apr 1933 Scotland 2 England 1, London Hearts Supporters' Club
  6. ↑ Scotland player Peter McGonagle, London Hearts Supporters' Club
  7. ↑ SFL player Peter McGonagle, London Hearts Supporters' Club
  8. ↑ 1894/95, Hamilton Academical Memory Bank
  9. ↑ "Tributes to waterpolo hero Peter McGonagle | This is Gloucestershire". www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
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