NORMAN MACKAY

Full Name: Thomas Norman Mackay

Born: 26 May 1901

Came from: Lovell's Athletic   Went to: Southend United

First game: 28 January 1928   Last game: 05 May 1934

Appearances: 241 (241/0)   Goals: 14

Born in Edinburgh as Thomas, Mackay grew up in the Highlands, in what is now the Ross and Cromarty area of Scotland, where his brother was born. Thomas would later play professionally under his middle name, Norman. He began his career as a right-half or inside-right and, prior to football, had trained as a draughtsman, in which capacity he was captured and caricatured on a vintage football card.

He started out as a forward with Edinburgh Royal in 1917 and played for Leith Amateurs in 1918 and Gala Fairydean in 1919 before joining top-flight Hibernian in 1920. He made just four appearances for Hibs before moving south to join Blackburn Rovers in 1921. Registered for the 1921-22 season at Ewood Park, he did not make a League appearance.

His spell at Ewood Park appears to have been brief, as records suggest he returned home and moved to St Bernard's later in 1921, before joining Lochgelly United in 1922 and then Broxburn United. All three clubs were part of the newly re-formed Scottish Football League Division Two. It was from Broxburn that he moved to English top-flight side Aston Villa, having spent the 1922-23 season without a club.

Competition was fierce at Villa Park and, after making just two first-team starts aged 21, he dropped into non-league football with Western League side Lovell's Athletic, the works team of the Newport-based toffee factory. Lovell's were familiar opponents of Argyle at the time. Mackay had also had a trial with Clydebank and played junior football with Glasgow-based Yoker Athletic. When he was signed by Argyle in 1927 for a fee of £200, he had been combining playing for Lovell's with a job selling the toffees produced by the company.

A hat-trick on his debut against Coventry City in January 1928 was the perfect start, but it proved to be a false dawn. He was never really a goalscorer, but developed into an energetic, tough-tackling half-back and became a key part of the 1929-30 Division Three (South) title-winning side. He was ever-present in their first season in the Second Division and missed only one game as Argyle finished fourth in 1931-32. Of medium height but stocky, he was known for his terrier-like tackling and was described by a former team-mate as "a hard nut, small, but tough".

His brother, Donald Morgan Mackay, who had been born in Invergordon, was also a professional footballer in the 1930s. He is referenced in the 'Your Contribution' submission below this profile and was registered with the club shortly after Norman arrived. He is also pictured alongside his brother in the 1930-31 club team photograph, as well as the following season's, but never made a first-team appearance for Argyle. He later played for Northampton Town, Barnsley, Dundee, Queen of the South and Leith Athletic.

After nearly seven years at Home Park, during which he made almost 250 appearances and scored 14 goals, Norman joined Southend United in 1934. He played 34 times in his only season, 1934-35, at the Southend Stadium, as the ground was then known, playing under former Argyle and England player David Jack, who was in charge of the Essex side.

After leaving Southend, Mackay moved back north of the border to play for his final club, Clydebank Juniors, before retiring from football in 1939 as the Second World War approached. After football, he returned to his previous career as a draughtsman and was later listed as a structural draughtsman.

Norman passed away at Queensberry House Hospital in Canongate, Edinburgh, in early May 1965, aged 63. He had battled cancer for several years.

Footnote: Many sources list Norman's date of birth as 26th May 1902, but further research, together with his registered birth and death certificates, shows this was in fact one year out and that his date of birth was 26th May 1901.