Willie McStay (footballer, born 1892)

William McStay (21 June 1892 – 3 September 1960) was a Scottish international footballer who played as a fullback.

This article is about the Celtic player of the 1920s. For the article about his great-nephew, see Willie McStay (footballer, born 1961).

Willie McStay
Personal information
Full name William McStay
Date of birth (1892-06-21)21 June 1892[1]
Place of birth Netherburn, Scotland
Date of death 3 September 1960(1960-09-03) (aged 68)[2]
Place of death Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Larkhall Thistle
1912–1929 Celtic 399 (36)
1912 → Vale of Leven 2 (0)
1912–1916 → Ayr United (loan) 126 (0)
1917–1918 → Distillery (wartime)
1917–1918 → Belfast Celtic (wartime)
1923 → New York F.C.
1929–1930 Heart of Midlothian 14 (0)
International career
1919–1920 Scottish League XI 10 (0)
1921–1928 Scotland 13 (0)
Managerial career
1932–1933 Glentoran
1933–1935[3] Coleraine
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

McStay began his senior career when he joined Celtic from Larkhall Thistle in 1912, although he was immediately loaned to Ayr United, spending the following four seasons with the Somerset Park club.[4][3] Having helped Celtic to the Scottish Football League title in 1917, He had further spells away from Celtic Park during the latter years of the First World War, assisting local sides Distillery and Belfast Celtic while conscripted to the North Irish Horse unit, before re-establishing himself in the Celtic first team which won the title again 1919 and 1922.[5]

McStay was suspended by Celtic following a wages dispute in the aftermath of their 1923 Scottish Cup Final victory, and he spent the summer in the United States; he played one game with New York Field Club in the American Soccer League.[6] He was appointed captain of Celtic upon his return to the club later that year, taking over from William Cringan, and held the role for six years. During this time he won one further League Championship (in 1926) and two more Scottish Cups. Taking all cups into account, he played in 470 matches for the club.[7]

In 1929 he was sold to Hearts for £250,[8][9] and retired from playing in 1930. He was later manager of Glentoran for a period in the mid-1930s.[4][10]

International career

McStay earned his first selection for the Scottish national side in 1921. He made his debut in a 2–1 defeat of Wales at Pittodrie and also played in the match against Ireland two weeks later. He was not selected again until 1925 but would eventually win a total of 13 caps for his country.[11] McStay also appeared 10 times for the Scottish League XI.[12]

Personal life

McStay was succeeded as Celtic captain by his younger brother Jimmy in 1929, and they played 264 competitive matches together in the team's defensive line,[13] as well as one Scottish League XI match in 1926.[14] Their older brother Francis played for Motherwell in the 1910s.[15] In addition to his siblings, McStay has several family footballing connections: his great-nephews Paul and Willie also played for Celtic in the 1980s and 1990s (Paul also captaining the club and gaining 76 caps for Scotland),[16] their younger brother Raymond also played professionally, their father John was a scout for the club[17] and their cousin Jock McStay was also a professional in the same era.[18]

Honours

Player

Celtic[7]

Belfast Celtic

Scotland

Manager

Glentoran

See also

References
  1. Statutory registers - Births - Search results, ScotlandsPeople
  2. Statutory registers - Deaths - Search results, ScotlandsPeople
  3. John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872-1986. Hutton Press. ISBN 0-907033-47-4.
  5. Brown, Alan. Scotland - Championship Winning Teams 1900-1920, Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation, Retrieved 22 June 2007
  6. Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921-1931. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-3429-4.
  7. Celtic player William McStay, FitbaStats
  8. 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. ().
  9. "Hearts player Willie McStay". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  10. Managers, Glentoran FC
  11. "Scotland player William McStay". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  12. "SFL player William McStay". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  13. William McStay Managers & Teammates, FitbaStats
  14. "Sat 13 March 1926 SFL 0 English Football League 2". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  15. Where Ayr Failed | Skilful Wing Play At Fir Park. "McStay in particular had much aggressiveness in his movements, and in style as well as personal appearance bore a striking resemblance to his brother, whom he was opposing." Daily Record, 30 March 1914. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  16. Potter, David. And they gave us James McGrory and Paul McStay Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, keep-the-faith.net, Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  17. Tributes to Celtic scout and true gent John McStay, Evening Times, 10 July 2017
  18. Pattullo, Alan (13 April 2014). "Duncan Ferguson: Glasgow kiss that lingered". The Scotsman. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  19. Two Celtics and a 100 Year Record, Belfast Celtic Society
  20. A squad: William McStay, Scottish Football Association.
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