Duncan MacKay (footballer)

Duncan MacKay

Personal information
Date of birth	(1937-07-14)14 July 1937
Place of birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death	23 December 2019(2019-12-23) (aged 82)
Position(s)	Right back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1955–1964	Celtic	162	(5)
1964–1965	Third Lanark	20	(0)
1965–1972	Melbourne Croatia
1974–1977	Perth Azzurri
International career
1958–1960[1]	Scotland U23	4	(1)
1959[2]	SFL trial v SFA	1	(0)
1959–1962	Scotland	14	(0)
1961[3]	SFA trial v SFL	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Duncan MacKay (14 July 1937 – 23 December 2019) was a Scottish footballer who played for Celtic, Third Lanark, Melbourne Croatia, Perth Azzurri and the Scotland national team.

Born in Glasgow, Mackay turned professional when he joined Celtic from Maryhill Harp, aged 17, in 1955. He developed rapidly, making his club debut within two years and earning the first of an eventual 14 caps for the Scotland national side four years later.

Celtic manager Jimmy McGrory's attempts to rejuvenate his side eventually resulted in MacKay's departure from Celtic Park after over 200 first team appearances, the fullback moving to south Glasgow side Third Lanark in November 1964. Thirds were relegated at the end of the 1964–65 season and MacKay was one of several players released.

MacKay opted to move to Australia at this juncture, joining Melbourne Croatia of the Victorian State League. He helped the side to the State title in 1968 and several Dockerty Cup triumphs but left when Croatia were suspended following crowd disturbances in 1972. He returned to Scotland and joined junior club St Anthony's as a player-coach for two years before deciding upon a second stint in Australia. After playing for Perth Azzurri between 1974 and 1977 he coached with South Melbourne^[4] and Croatia (now known as Essendon Lions), the latter as Captain-Coach.

MacKay died on 23 December 2019, aged 82.^[5]

Honours

Celtic

• Scottish Cup: Runners-up 1960–61, 1962–63
• Glasgow Charity Cup: 1958–59^[6]

Melbourne Knights^[7]

• Victorian State League: 1968^[8]

• State League Cup: 1971
• Dockerty Cup: 1968,^[8] 1969
• Ampol Cup: 1968,^[8] 1971, 1972

Perth Azzuri

• NPL WA Premiers: 1975, 1976^[9][10]
• Night Series: 1975^[9]
• Top Four Cup: 1976^[9]

Individual

• Celtic FC Player of the Year: 1963^[10]
• Melbourne Knights Player of the Year: 1968^[10]

References

1. Scotland U23 player Mackay, Duncan, FitbaStats
2. The selectors still have problems Archived 27 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine, The Bulletin, 17 March 1959
3. Ronnie McDevitt (2016). Scotland in the 60s: The Definitive Account of the Scottish National Football Side During the 1960s. Pitch Publishing. ISBN 9781785312458.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
4. "Profile". smfc.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 August 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
5. "Obituary: Duncan Mackay, highly esteemed Celtic full-back who won honours in Australia". The Herald. Glasgow. 7 January 2020.
6. "1959-05-09: Celtic 5-0 Clyde, Glasgow Charities Cup". Evening Times. The Celtic Wiki. 11 May 1959. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
7. "Honours". MKFC. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
8. "Vale Duncan MacKay". MKFC. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
   "CELTIC'S AUSTRALIAN CONNECTIONS". SESA Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
9. "RIP Duncan Mackay, a great Azzurri coach". FHoF WA. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
   "RIP Duncan Mackay, a great Azzurri coach". Sports TG. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
10. "Duncan Mackay, Scotland internationalist, Celtic captain, Melbourne player and league-winning coach". The Scotsman. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.

External links

• Duncan MacKay at the Scottish Football Association
• Duncan MacKay at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
• Profile of MacKay's Australian career at sesasport.com