McClelland: John

1989-1992 (Player Details)

Centre Half

Born: Belfast: 7-12-1955

Debut: v Newcastle United (a): 19-08-1989

6’2” 13st 5lb (1989)

He began his career with Portadown in in Ireland before trying his luck in the Football League with Cardiff City in February 1974 for a fee of £8,000. However, despite scoring once in four games, one as a run-on player and three from the bench, for the Bluebirds and getting a Welsh Cup runners-up medal in 1974-75, League Football had come too soon for the young McClelland and he signed for Non-League Bangor City in the 1975 close season. There he gained another Welsh Cup runners-up medal in 1977-78. Mansfield Town gave him a second chance at League football in May 1978. He took it with both hands and gained his first six Northern Ireland caps while with the Stags, his first coming as a substitute in May 1980 against Scotland. While at Field Mill he played one hundred and twenty-five League games of which all but three were in the starting eleven and scored eight goals. His career took off in a big way when he joined Rangers for £90,000 in May 1981. While at Ibrox he picked up a Scottish Cup Runners-up medal in 1981-82, Runners-up medals in both the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup in 1982-83 before finally getting a Winners’ medal in 1983-84 League Cup and repeated it in 1984-85. A £225,000 move took him to Watford in November 1984, after four goals in ninety-six League appearances at Ibrox. He played in Northern Ireland’s 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals teams and represented the Football League against the Rest of the World at Wembley in August 1987. While at Vicarage Road he played one hundred and eighty-four league games and scored three goals and captained the team. The multi-capped McClelland joined Leeds from Watford in for £110,000 in June 1989 but managed only three appearances in their Division Two Championship campaign because of injury. Leeds loaned him back to Watford for a month in January 1990, but he played just one game. Despite injuries he still won his final Northern Ireland cap with Leeds to add to the other fifty-two gained in his pre-Leeds days. When he did play in the Leeds first team he rarely put a foot wrong, using his great experience to good effect against forwards much younger and quicker than himself. He was loaned to Notts County for six games in March 1992 before leaving Leeds to become the player-coach of St Johnstone in that close season and went on to make twenty-six starts and one substitute appearance. He was elevated to Player-Manager, a position he held until November 1993. After losing his job with the Saints he turned out briefly for Irish club Carrick Rangers, where he made eleven League starts and three in other competitions, but soon moved back to Scotland with Arbroath for two games. He then linked up with Wycombe Wanderers in February 1994, but did not play, before joining Yeovil Town in the GM Vauxhall Conference the following month, scoring one goal in twenty-one games, of which one was off the bench.. In March 1996 he was appointed assistant to Chris Kamara at Bradford City after playing in the Northern Counties East League with Farsley Celtic. He moved to Darlington in October 1996, but only played one game and suffered a career ending injury. McClelland now does the conducted tours of Elland Road, on a permanent basis.