Full name Gerald Padua McAloon Name Gerry McAloon Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland Died April 13, 1987 | 1934–1938 Brentford Years Team | |
Date of birth (1916-09-13)13 September 1916 Date of death 13 April 1987(1987-04-13) (aged 70) | ||
Gerald Padua McAloon (13 September 1916 – 13 April 1987) was a Scottish professional football inside forward who played in the Football League for Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He later played for Celtic and in Northern Ireland.
Contents
- Early years
- Brentford
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Wartime guest appearances
- Return to Brentford
- Return to Celtic
- Belfast Celtic
- Personal life
- Honours
- References
Early years
An inside forward, McAloon began his career in his home city Glasgow with junior club St Francis. He departed in 1934.
Brentford
McAloon moved to England to sign for Division Two side Brentford. Owing to the abundance of talent at the club in the Bees forward line following the club's ascension to Division One in 1935, McAloon spent much of his time with the Bees playing for the reserve team in the London Combination. His prolific goalscoring form in the first half of the 1937–38 season, notching 18 goals, led manager Harry Curtis to give McAloon his senior debut in a league match versus Middlesbrough on 26 March 1938, a 1–0 win for Brentford. He scored his first goal for the club in the following game (a 6–1 demolition of Grimsby Town) and made a significant impact in the Bees' run in, scoring five goals in six games to help the club to a second successive sixth-place finish. Brentford's league form was poor during the following season and McAloon failed to get much game time, making 16 appearances and scoring four goals before departing the club in March 1939. In a year as a first team player at Griffin Park, McAloon made 24 appearances and scored 9 goals.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
McAloon joined Division One high-flyers Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £5,000 deal in March 1939. He made just two appearances (scoring one goal) before competitive football was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. McAloon departed Molineux in December 1945, after the cessation of hostilities.
Wartime guest appearances
During the Second World War, McAloon guested for Hamilton Academical, Airdrieonians, Albion Rovers, Dumbarton, Dunfermline Athletic, Celtic and Morton. He won the Lanarkshire Cup with Hamilton Academical in 1939, scoring in a 5–1 victory over future club Airdrieonians in the final.
Return to Brentford
McAloon returned to Brentford in December 1945 and immediately returned to form, scoring six goals in seven appearances during the abridged 1945–46 season. After four goals and seven appearances early in the 1946–47 season, McAloon departed Brentford once again. Across his two spells at Griffin Park, McAloon scored 19 goals in 38 appearances.
Return to Celtic
McAloon rejoined Scottish League Division A side Celtic on 4 October 1946, with George Paterson going the other way to Brentford. Unable to relocate from London to Glasgow, McAloon failed to fully settle at the struggling club, though he finished the 1946–47 season as top scorer, netting 15 goals in 24 games. He made just two appearances in the 1947–48 season, before departing Parkhead in August 1948. Across his two spells with the Bhoys, McAloon scored an memorable 32 goals in 55 games.
Belfast Celtic
McAloon signed for high-flying Irish League side Belfast Celtic in August 1948. Commuting to Northern Ireland from London was again problematical for McAloon and he failed to last with the club, though he managed 10 goals during the 1948–49 season.
Personal life
McAloon later worked as a janitor at Bridgeton School in Glasgow.
Honours
Hamilton Academical