John McCartney Player Profile

Biography

One of a the select group of local players to captain the club to victory in the Irish Cup Final, however unfortunately John McCartney’s career and life was cut too short.

Born of the town, John came to prominence in football circles as an outside forward (winger) with Summerfield, before being given his chance in the senior ranks at the age of 19, in a defeat for the old Ballymena FC team in February 1931 against Ards in the County Antrim Shield.

It may have been his only game for the Braidmen, but senior clubs were quickly on his radar and he joined Cliftonville in August 1931 and after impressing for the struggling Solitude side, he secured a move to Larne in February of that same season. His stock quickly rose in Irish League circles whilst starring for the Invermen as he was linked to English side Blackpool in the summer of 1933.

Instead, a move to East Belfast to Glentoran for the 1933/1934 season, in which he was a beaten finalist in the Gold Cup to Portadown, was followed by two seasons across the city at Distillery; as McCartney was now reverted to the midfield’s half-back line and had become a dependable mainstay despite still being in his early 20’s. John was coaxed into a move to the Free State in August 1936, trying his hand with Dublin side Shelbourne – who finished mid-table during the 1936/1937 campaign.

Now 25, he eventually returned home to quickly become a key figure in manager Steve Mitchell’s new look Ballymena United side. Having played his part in the recruitment of former team-mate Bob Sclater from Shelbourne, the Sky Blues quickly became a formidable outfit, with a fifth-place finish in the 1937/1938 season. After illness had struck player-manager Mitchell, he relinquished team affairs back to the Committee but aided by McCartney and talisman forward Sclater during the 1938/1939 campaign, Ballymena United became one of the most feared teams in Ulster – as Johnny captained the club to runners-up position in the Irish League for the first time in the club’s history and then were beaten finalists in the Irish Cup to Linfield at Solitude.

Regarded as one of the league’s best centre-halves, McCartney remained an ever present for this talented group, despite the looming uncertainty of the outbreak of war. With hopes sky high that the 1939/1940 season would finally see the league title arrive at the Showgrounds, Ballymena’s inconsistent form led to a disappointing fourth place finish. However, there was great celebration as John led the Braidmen to victory in the 1940 Irish Cup against Glenavon at Windsor Park. He remains one of only two local players to have captained the club to victory in the blue riband competition, alongside Michael Smyth in 1989.

Unknowingly the cup final would be one his last appearances for the club, as shortly after the club were forced to temporarily resign from the Irish League, with the Showgrounds now being used to support the war effort. The club would not play again competitively for another six years and were unable to defend their Irish Cup title the following season. This brought a curtain down on his career at Warden Street, having made 126 appearances in Sky Blue for his hometown club.

McCartney like many of his teammates enlisted in the military, with the Royal Irish Fusiliers but continued playing in new war-time Regional League, signing for Glenavon in August 1940 and then a second spell at Glentoran the following season, before finishing his playing days back locally with Summerfield in the Intermediate ranks.

John retired from football at 30 years old, and after the conclusion of the war, he worked in Gallaher Tobacco in Galgorm but his health took a bad turn in 1946, which left him largely incapacitated for over a decade. His old club rallied round McCartney and organised a benefit game in 1953, with many of his Irish Cup winning team-mates turning out in support of their former skipper.

The Irish Cup winning captain sadly passed away in October 1959, aged just 48 years.

Honours
(with Glentoran)
Gold Cup: (finalists) 1933/1934
(with Ballymena United)
Irish Cup: (winners) 1939/1940; (finalists) 1938/1939
Irish League: (runners-up) 1938/1939