McCann Paddy Image 1 Glentoran 1912

Description

Left back Paddy McCann arrived on the Irish League scene quite late. However, he wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the most accomplished full-backs in the local game, comfortable on both the left and right hand side of defence. He gained early recognition with Ireland Amateurs featuring in some ding-dong battles with England, winning 6 amateur caps between 1908 and 1914. On the domestic front he aided Belfast Celtic to some early successes. In 1907 Celtic won the City Cup, and in 1910, the same season in which the club finished Irish League runners-up, the Co. Antrim Shield was won 3-1 against Glentoran. It was also while with Celtic in 1909 that he made the first of seven Irish League appearances, the Football League dishing out an 8-1 thrashing at Oldham.

He made his full Ireland debut in a 1-1 draw with England at Solitude in Belfast in February 1910 and went on to win 6 more caps through to January 1913, his last cap coming in a 1-0 defeat to Wales at Grosvenor Park.

In December 1910 McCann transferred across Belfast to Glentoran. He made his Glens debut the opening City Cup match, a 1-0 win over Cliftonville. By the end of that season he tasted success in the City Cup, Co. Antrim Shield and Charity Cup (Celtic defeated 4-2 in the Final). The trophy trail continued in the seasons that followed, Glentoran winning successive League titles in 1911-12 and 1912-13 and claiming their first Irish Cup in 1914 with a 3-1 Final win over Linfield. He also played in the successful ‘Vienna Cup’ tour of 1914. In 151 matches for Glentoran he scored just once, a penalty against Bohemians in April 1915 on the way to his fourth City Cup success in five seasons. Captain of Glentoran in his latter seasons at the Oval he began to fall from the reckoning in 1915, and made just nine appearances in the two years that followed.

A regular for the Full and Amateur Ireland teams throughout his days with Celtic and Glentoran, McCann played in different roles for both. With the Amateurs he featured in the right-back berth in which he tasted so much success on the domestic scene, but every one of his Full caps were won on the left, as were all his Irish League appearances.