McDonald Ken Image 1 Bradford Park Avenue 1926

Description

Llanrwst, Denbighshire centre forward Ken McDonald began his football career with Inverness Citadel prior to the First World War and after the conflict played for Inverness Clachnacuddin in 1918, from where he joined Aberdeen in July 1919, making his Scottish League debut at Dundee that August, scoring 5 goals in 28 matches for The Dons before joining Caerau Athletic in the summer of 1921. He was then signed by First Division club Cardiff City that December, making his Football League debut against Preston North End in February 1922, but he was a fringe player at Ninian Park and was sold to Manchester United in February 1923 after 7 goals in 12 matches for The Bluebirds.

He only got occasional chances in little more than 6 months at Old Trafford, scoring twice in 9 matches before joining Third Division (North) club Bradford Park Avenue that October, and his 17 goals over the course of the rest of the season left him as Avenue’s top goalscorer. McDonald then lit the blue touch paper in 1925-26 with a remarkable 46 goals in 43 matches, with hat-tricks against Rotherham United, Wigan Borough, Southport and Coventry City, following it up with 39 and 29 goals in each of the next two seasons, with 7 more hat-tricks, his 39 goals coming in only 33 games!

In June 1928 he was bought by Second Division club Hull City after an incredible 138 goals in 152 matches for Bradford Park Avenue, He is (almost certainly) Bradford Park Avenie’s all time record goal scorer. His first season at Boothferry Park saw 25 goals including all 5 goals against Bristol City in November 1928 and a hat-trick at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he lost his place in September 1929 and joined Halifax Town in March 1930 after 31 goals in 43 matches for The Tigers, but he only scored a single goal in 8 matches for The Shaymen before the end of the season.

He joined Inverness Caledonian in 1930 and also played for Walker Celtic before a move to Irish League football with Coleraine later in the year, but he returned to North Eastern League football in 1931 with Spennymoor United  and (again) Walker Celtic, finishing his career at Blyth Spartans, his last recorded club.