Jock McNinch

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Jock McNinch
Personal information
Full name John McNinch
Date of birth (1908-08-26)26 August 1908
Place of birth Harryville
Date of death 24 May 1970(1970-05-24) (aged 61)
Position(s) Right-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1928–1934 Ballymena 238 (12)
1934–1936 Ballymena United 75 (3)
1936 Sligo Rovers ? (?)
1936–1937 Larne ? (?)
International career
1931–1934 Irish League XI 3 (0)
1931 Ireland 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John "Jock" McNinch was an Irish professional footballer. He was capped 3 times by Ireland during his career.

Career[edit]

McNinch started his career with the local Summerfield team,[1] and in June 1928 was one of the first signings for the newly formed Ballymena team.[2]

Club career[edit]

McNinch was Ballymena's right-back in the 1928–29 Irish Cup final, as the Braidmen shocked Belfast Celtic to win the cup in their first season of senior football; his most prominent contribution to the game was a goal-line clearance after 10 minutes when goalkeeper Gough misjudged a high ball.[3]

He also picked up runners-up medals in 1930 and 1931, and in the latter final was watched by Bolton Wanderers.[4]

A scandal over amateurism saw Ballymena wound up in 1934, but McNinch signed for the phoenix Ballymena United side, as one of only three Irish players in the side.[5] After a disappointing 1935–36 season, McNinch was one of four United players to sign for Sligo Rovers in August,[6] but returned to the north in November when signing for Larne.[7]

International and representative career[edit]

He became the second player from the club (after Jimmy McCambridge) to earn an international cap, collecting the first of his three caps in February 1931,[8] a 0–0 draw against Scotland; after the match Liverpool and Preston North End both enquired about him, but the offers were turned down.[9] His second cap, the following September, came after outside-right Harry Duggan of Leeds United was unable to play, and regular right-back Hughie Blair was pushed up to his position, with McInch filling the vacancy.[10]

His final cap came in a 4–0 win over Wales in December 1931; despite marking Tommy Jones out of the game,[11] he was never chosen again. He had also played for the Irish League representative side twice in 1931, and would have one further appearance, against the Football League side in 1934.[12]

Post-football[edit]

McNinch served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He collapsed and died on 24 May 1970 while carrying a Ballymena Association banner at a Naval Association parade in Bangor.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Old footballer's bouquet for Observer". Ballymena Observer: 14. 2 November 1967.
  2. ^ ""Jock" McNinch". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Irish Cup for Ballymena". Ireland's Saturday Night: 3. 30 March 1929.
  4. ^ "report". Evening Dispatch: 3. 30 March 1931.
  5. ^ "Items of interest". Portadown News: 2. 25 August 1934.
  6. ^ "Football topics". Londonderry Sentinel: 6. 18 August 1936.
  7. ^ "Football topics". Londonderry Sentinel: 6. 19 November 1936.
  8. ^ "Ballymena United Club History". Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  9. ^ ""Jock" McNinch". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Ireland team v Scotland". Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail: 8. 16 September 1931.
  11. ^ "Weak Welsh side seldom in picture". Daily Herald: 14. 7 December 1931.
  12. ^ "English League forwards get six goals at Belfast". Daily Herald: 18. 20 September 1934.
  13. ^ "Ballymena ex-star dies suddenly". Belfast Telegraph: 15. 25 May 1970.
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