McAloon Gerry Image 1 Brentford 1938

Description

Gorbals, Glasgow born inside forward Gerry McAloon began his career with Glasgow junior club St Francis Juniors in 1933 and joined First Division Brentford in June 1934. Initially McAloon spent much of his time with the Bees playing for the reserve team in the London Combination, eventually making his Football League debut at Middlesbrough in March 1938. 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 15 appearances and scoring three goals before departing the club to join Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 1939 for £5,000. In a year as a first team player at Griffin Park, McAloon made 22 appearances and scored 8 goals.

He made just three appearances, scoring once for Wolves before competitive football was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. During the War he played for Hamilton Academical, winning the Lanarkshire Cup with them in 1939, scoring in a 5-1 victory over Airdrieonians in the Final. He then played for Airdrieonians, Albion Rovers, Dumbarton, Dunfermline, Celtic and Morton, but after the cessation of hostilities McAloon briefly returned to Wolves, departing Molineux in December 1945 to return to Brentford where he immediately returned to form, scoring six goals in seven FA Cup appearances during the abridged 1945–46 season, including a hat-trick against Bristol City. After four goals and seven appearances early in the 1946-47 season, McAloon departed Brentford once again to re-join Celtic in October 1946 in exchange for George Paterson. Across his two spells at Griffin Park, McAloon scored 18 goals in 36 appearances.

He finished the 1946-47 season as Celtic’s top scorer, netting 15 goals in 24 games. He then joined Belfast Celtic in August 1948 after 54 appearances and 30 goals for the Hoops, scoring 10 goals during the 1948-49 season prior to Celtic’s disbandment.