Ian McKechnie
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ian Hector McKechnie | ||
Date of birth | 4 October 1941 | ||
Place of birth | Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 11 June 2015 | (aged 73)||
Position(s) |
outside left | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1958–1964 | Arsenal | 23 | (0) |
1964–1966 | Southend United | 62 | (0) |
1966–1973 | Hull City | 255 | (0) |
1974 | Boston Minutemen | 15 | (0) |
Goole Town | |||
Scarborough | |||
Total | 345 | (0) | |
Managerial career | |||
1979 | Sligo Rovers | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Ian Hector McKechnie (4 October 1941 – 11 June 2015) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.
Ian McKechnie was born at a maternity unit in
He was the first Scot to be chosen to play for the London Youth XI, playing in the same team as
McKechnie made his competitive debut against
He never played for the Arsenal first team again, and was given a free transfer in March 1964.[1] He joined Southend United two months later and made 62 appearances, before joining Hull City in August 1966 where he racked up 255 league appearances until the end of the 1973–74 season. During his stay at Hull the home fans would throw oranges onto the goalmouth as a gesture to the fact that he had been spotted eating an orange after training, many included contact telephone numbers and various messages of good luck. On one occasion a Tigers fan was arrested at Sheffield United's ground for throwing an orange to McKechnie; the Sheffield police were not aware of the ritual and McKechnie had to write to the court in defence of the arrested fan.[3]
During his time at Hull, McKechnie was the first goalkeeper ever to save a penalty in a competitive
McKechnie then signed for the Boston Minutemen in the North American Soccer League in May 1974, where he was rated one of the top goalkeepers for that season.[4][citation needed] There was a suggestion of him signing for a season as a goal kicker for an American football team, but due to a strike this did not take place.[citation needed] Returning to England, he played for Goole Town and Scarborough, before retiring in 1977. Occasionally in friendly and testimonial games, McKechnie would play in the outside left position and indeed scored in such matches.[citation needed]
After retiring McKechnie had a spell in charge of
McKechnie died on 11 June 2015.[5]
References
- ^ ISBN 1-899429-03-4.
- ^ a b "Ian McKechnie". Gunnermania. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2008.
- ^ Booth, Phil (13 February 2009). "Call yourself a goalie? You couldn't catch an orange!". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
- ^ NASL Stats
- ^ "ributes to former Hull City goalkeeper Ian McKechnie". Hull Daily Mail. 11 June 2015. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.