John McCartney

McCartney was a tough-tackling half-back who was a member of the team that won the Lancashire league and the Second Division in the club's first two seasons. McCartney missed a number of matches in the 1895/96 season as Liverpool again won the second division title but played in all four of the Test matches as the club regained its first division status. When Liverpool played their first game under the management of Tom Watson and made their debut in red shirts and white pants McCartney was still going strong and one of only few players who had also featured for the club in 1892. The Cricket and Football Field were though of the opinion. as reported in September 1896, that McCartney's play was a bit too rough for their liking: "John McCartney still vexes his own committee by resorting to those tactics which have previously brought the club into bad repute." McCartney was though the victim of rough treatment on 21 November 1896 when Alf Milward kicked him deliberately in the Merseyside derby and was sent off. Milward later apologised but pleaded that he had been provoked by the tough Scotsman.