Ian McCall

Infobox Football biography
playername = Ian McCall
fullname = Ian Holland McCall


height = height|ft=5|in=9
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1964|9|30
birthplace = Dumfries
countryofbirth = Scotland
currentclub = Partick Thistle (Manager)
position = Midfielder
years = 1983–1986
1986–1987
1987–1989
1989–1990
1990–1991
1991–1992
1992–1994
1994–1995
1995–1996
1996–1997
1997–1998
clubs = Queen's Park
Dunfermline
Rangers
Bradford City
Dunfermline
Dundee
Falkirk
Hamilton Academical
Happy Valley
Partick Thistle
Clydebank
Career
caps(goals) = 066 0(9)
047 0(8)
021 0(2)
012 0(1)
038 0(5)
027 0(9)
075 0(9)
006 0(1)

007 0(0)
021 0(1)
320 (45)
manageryears = 1996–2000
2000
2001–2002
2002–2003
2003–2005
2005–2007
2007–
managerclubs = Clydebank
Morton
Airdrie
Falkirk
Dundee United
Queen of the South
Partick Thistle

Ian Holland McCall (born September 30 1964 in Dumfries, Scotland) is a former Scottish footballer and currently the manager of First Division side Partick Thistle.

Playing career

Ian McCall, in his boyhood was a regular on the Palmerston terraces watching Queen of the South. His hopes of playing for his home town club were dashed, though, by then chairman Willie Harkness. "I played a trial game for the club, and thought I did reasonably well," McCall recalls. "Drew Busby was the manager, but I was told by Willie Harkness I might not make the grade. Instead I went to Queen's Park, and then three years after that was sold to Rangers for £250,000. [http://www.sundayherald.com/mostpopular.var.1201103.0.down_home_boy.php]

McCall began his career as a midfielder for Queen's Park in 1983, then was with Dunfermline Athletic from 1986 to 1987, and Rangers from 1987 to 1990. He was then transferred to Bradford City for £200,000 before rejoining Dunfermline. His playing career also included spells with Dundee, Falkirk, Hamilton Academical, Happy Valley (in Hong Kong) and Partick Thistle. His final club as a player was Clydebank, where he became player-manager during the 1997-98 season.

Managerial career

McCall's early management career saw him achieve success in extremely adverse circumstances. His spell at Clydebank took place against the backdrop of an abortive scheme to relocate the club to Dublin. A brief spell at Morton, under controversial chairman Hugh Scott, was followed by a move to Airdrieonians. Promotion to the SPL almost followed despite the financial problems that led to the club's extinction in 2002, making McCall the last manager in the club's history. Another successful spell, at Falkirk, led to McCall twice being offered the manager's job at Dundee United, which he finally accepted in January 2003. McCall's first top flight managerial opportunity had initial success, guiding the Tayside Club to a top-6 finish, but the following season he had less success and was sacked in March 2005. In November 2005, Ian McCall returned to management with his home town club Queen of the South.

After a less than auspicious start to his reign as Queen of the South manager, where McCall inherited Iain Scott's relegation-threatened side, the Palmerston outfit enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in the early months of 2006, finally securing eight position in the league and thus avoiding having to play-off to maintain first division status. Unfortunately 2006/07, proved to be another season of under-achievement, and despite narrowly avoiding relegation, Ian McCall was sacked by Queen of the South, with his assistant Gordon Chisholm taking over. His departure from Queen of the South was in bitter circumstances, after he was blamed by some of Queens' fans for the club being fined £20,000 by the SFA. This fine was owing to the club fielding an ineligible player Jamie Adams in a Scottish Cup-tie early in 2007.

He became manager of Partick Thistle in May 2007. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/queen_of_the_south/6594017.stm]

Managerial stats

External links

*soccerbase (manager)|1614|Ian McCall
* [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/ianmccall.htm Independent profile]