David McKellar


David Norwood McKellar is a Scottish retired professional football goalkeeper and manager, best remembered for his time in the Football League with Carlisle United, making over 160 appearances for the club over two spells. In a long career, he played in all four divisions of the English league pyramid and the top three divisions in Scotland. McKellar later managed in Scottish non-league and junior football.

Club career

Early years

McKellar began his career in his native Scotland with junior clubs Saltcoats Victoria and Kilwinning Rangers, securing a move to English First Division club Ipswich Town in September 1972, managed by Bobby Robson. Among his youth teammates were future professionals George Burley, Robin Turner and Kevin Beattie. McKellar made 30 appearances for the reserve team over the next four years and failed to make a first team appearance. McKellar was also sent out on loan to lower division clubs Colchester United and Peterborough United, failing to appear for either. He departed Portman Road in May 1976, after suffering from homesickness.

Dundee United

McKellar returned to Scotland to sign for Scottish League Premier Division club Dundee United on 22 May 1976, his 20th birthday. He failed to make a first team appearance and departed the following year.

Forfar Athletic

McKellar joined Scottish League Second Division club Forfar Athletic in September 1977. He made the first senior appearance of his career in a 2–1 defeat to Queens Park on 13 September, his only appearance for the club.

Ardrossan Winton Rovers

McKellar dropped back into junior football in 1977 and signed for Ardrossan Winton Rovers.

Derby County

A second chance at league football for McKellar materialised in 1978, in the form of a £2,500 move back to England to First Division club Derby County on 8 April 1978. He had to wait until 16 December to make his debut, which came in a 2–0 defeat to Arsenal at Highbury. He went on to enjoy a run in the team, making 17 appearances in what remained of the 1978–79 season. He played around half the Rams' games during the 1979–80 season, making 26 appearances and keeping 10 clean sheets, but the campaign ended with relegation to Second Division. After failing to make an appearance during the first month of the 1980–81 season, McKellar left Derby in September 1980. He made 43 appearances during two years at the Baseball Ground.

Brentford

McKellar dropped down to Third Division to sign for Brentford for a £25,000 fee in September 1980. He quickly staunched the flow of goals into the Bees' net and made 42 appearances during the 1980–81 season, which included a run of six successive clean sheets in December 1980 through to January 1981. McKellar made a career-high 50 appearances during the 1981–82 season, but fell out with manager Fred Callaghan in the summer of 1982 and had his contract cancelled, though the club held his registration for the duration of the 1982–83 season. McKellar made 96 appearances during just under two years as an active player at Griffin Park.

Happy Valley

Unable to play within England due to his playing registration still being held by Brentford, McKellar played for Hong Kong First Division League club Happy Valley during the 1982–83 season.

Carlisle United

McKellar returned to England to sign for Second Division club Carlisle United in August 1983 for £4,000 in a part-exchange deal which saw Trevor Swinburne move to Brentford. He made 82 league appearances over the course of two seasons, before leaving in 1985. McKellar's 19 clean sheets during the 1983–84 season remains a club record.

Hibernian

McKellar moved to Edinburgh to join Scottish League Premier Division club Hibernian on a two-year contract for an £8,000 fee in 1985. Signed as backup for Alan Rough, the move reunited McKellar with Hibs assistant manager Tommy Craig, a former teammate at Carlisle United. After playing a few reserve team matches, McKellar walked out on Hibernian and accused the club of not paying his travel or accommodation expenses. Hibernian countered by claiming McKellar failed to show commitment to the club and to relocate to Edinburgh from his Carlisle home. Rochdale and Wrexham made enquiries about signing McKellar, but moves failed to materialise. He departed Easter Road at the end of the 1985–86 season.

Manchester City (loan)

McKellar moved to First Division club Manchester City on loan during the 1985–86 season, but failed to make an appearance.

Newcastle United (loan)

McKellar joined First Division club Newcastle United on loan in February 1986, to replace injured goalkeeper Martin Thomas. He made 10 appearances and kept five clean sheets before returning to Hibernian at the end of the season. A permanent deal was later agreed, but fell through after the sacking of Newcastle manager Willie McFaul.

Hamilton Academical

McKellar signed for newly promoted Scottish League Premier Division club Hamilton Academical prior to the beginning of the 1986–87 season. He made 41 appearances as the Accies suffered relegation straight back to the Scottish League First Division. Unable to keep Rikki Ferguson out of the team on a regular basis, McKellar made 16 appearances in the First Division prior to departing Douglas Park in early 1988. He made 59 appearances for Hamilton.

Dunfermline Athletic

McKellar moved back up to the Scottish League Premier Division to sign for Dunfermline Athletic in early 1988. He made six league appearances in what remained of the 1987–88 season, one of them coming in a famous 2–0 Scottish League Cup fourth round victory over giants Rangers. After failing to make an appearance in the early part of the 1988–89 season, McKellar left the club in October 1988.

Hartlepool United (loan)

An injury to Fourth Division club Hartlepool United's keeper Roy Tunks saw McKellar drafted in on loan as a temporary replacement in August 1988. He made seven appearances before Tunks recovered.

Return to Carlisle United

McKellar rejoined Carlisle United in October 1988, then languishing in the Fourth Division. He made 34 league appearances during the 1988–89 season for the struggling Cumbrians and won the club's Player of the Year award. After a further 35 league appearances during the 1989–90 season, McKellar departed Brunton Park in March 1990. Across his two spells with Carlisle, McKellar made 163 appearances. In 2009, McKellar was named number 55 on the News and Star's Top 100 Carlisle United Players list. Looking back in 2011, McKellar said "I really loved the club as there was a lovely atmosphere because we had such a small squad so we all had to pull together".

Kilmarnock

McKellar returned to Scotland to sign for Second Division club Kilmarnock in March 1990 for a £20,000 fee. He made five appearances in what remained of the 1989–90 season, helping Killie over the line to automatic promotion to Division One. He made just one league appearance during the 1990–91 season and departed at the end of the campaign.

Rangers

McKellar moved back up to the Scottish League Premier Division to sign for Walter Smith's Rangers in 1991, as backup for Andy Goram. He failed to make an appearance during the 1991–92 season, but received a small taste of European Football for the only time in his career, when he featured as an unused substitute in both legs of Rangers' European Cup first round matches against Sparta Prague. McKellar retired from football at the end of the season.

International career

McKellar represented the Scotland U18 team at an U18 European Championship in the 1970s.

Management and coaching career

After retiring from football, McKellar became a manager, managing Scottish non-league and junior clubs Kilbirnie Ladeside, Largs Thistle, Saltcoats Victoria, Androssan Winton Rovers, Ardeer Thistle, Petershill and Irvine Meadow XI. McKellar turned down an offer from his former Rangers manager Walter Smith to become goalkeeping coach at Premier League club Everton, during Smith's tenure as manager of the club.

Personal life

As of 2011, McKellar was a grandfather and working in social services.

Honours