Pat McCluskey

Pat McCluskey
Personal information
Date of birth (1952-04-13)13 April 1952
Place of birth Kilsyth, Scotland
Date of death 24 August 2020(2020-08-24) (aged 68)
Position(s) Defender / Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Maryhill
1969–1977 Celtic 115 (10)
1970–1971 → Sligo Rovers (loan)
1977–1980 Dumbarton 112 (12)
1980–1982 Airdrieonians 46 (0)
1982–1983 Pittsburgh Spirit (indoor) 45 (12)
1983–1985 Queen of the South 51 (1)
Total 367 (34)
International career
1973–1975[1] Scotland U23 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Patrick McCluskey (13 April 1952 – 24 August 2020) was a Scottish footballer. He spent most of his career in the Scottish League, except for part of one season in Ireland and one season in the United States.

Career

In 1970, McCluskey began his professional career with Celtic. However, he went on loan that first season to Sligo Rovers in Ireland.[2] When he returned to Scotland, he soon became a fixture in the Celtic first team, garnering 195 appearances in all competitions (12 goals), winning five domestic honours – the Scottish League title in 1972–73 and 1973–74, the Scottish Cup in 1973–74 and 1974–75, and the Scottish League Cup in 1974–75 – and playing in two European Cup semi-finals (1972 and 1974),[3][4][5] but fell out of the team after the emergence of Roy Aitken and the signing of Pat Stanton, moving to second-tier Dumbarton in 1977 for £15,000, where he spent three seasons.[6]

In 1980, he transferred to Airdrieonians for two seasons. In the autumn of 1982, he signed with the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He spent only one season in the United States before returning to Scotland where he finished his career with Queen of the South.

He was not related to forward George McCluskey, who played at Celtic during the same era.

McCluskey died on 24 August 2020, at the age of 68.[7]

References

  1. ^ Scotland U23 player McCluskey, Pat, FitbaStats
  2. ^ Pat McCluskey: Huge impact during short spell at the Showgrounds, The Sligo Champion, 29 October 2003 [accompanying image shows George McCluskey]
  3. ^ Celtic player McCluskey, Pat, FitbaStats
  4. ^ Unsung Hero: Pat McCluskey, The Celtic Underground, 24 June 2017
  5. ^ No More Heroes: Fat Pat, Not The View, Paul Lunney
  6. ^ Pat McCluskey player profile, Sons Archive
  7. ^ "Pat McCluskey: Ex-Celtic, Dumbarton, Airdrie & QoS player dies at 68". BBC Sport. BBC. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.