Paddy Buckley

Patrick McCabe Buckley (31 January 1925 – 4 November 2008) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Bo'ness United, St Johnstone, Aberdeen and the Scotland national team.

Paddy Buckley
Personal information
Full name Patrick McCabe Buckley[1]
Date of birth (1925-01-31)31 January 1925
Place of birth Leith, Scotland
Date of death 4 November 2008(2008-11-04) (aged 83)[2]
Place of death Tranent, Scotland[2]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1948 Bo'ness United
1948–1952 St Johnstone 100 (73)
1952–1957 Aberdeen 106 (58)
1958 Inverness Caledonian
Total 206 (131)
National team
1954 Scotland 3 (1)
1954–1955 Scottish League XI 2 (0)
1955[3] Scotland A vs B trial 1 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Buckley, a striker renowned for his speed,[4] started his career with Junior club Bo'ness United. He was at the centre of a transfer dispute in 1948, when both Celtic and St Johnstone claimed to have signed him.[4] The situation was eventually resolved in St Johnstone's favour and Buckley spent the next four seasons with the Perth side. He joined Aberdeen in a £7,500 transfer in April 1952 and it is for his time with the Dons for which he is best known.[5] He helped them to the League championship in 1954–55 and the 1955 League Cup success. He also played in two Scottish Cup finals, 1953 and 1954, both of which were lost. He retired due to a serious knee injury in 1957[6] but briefly returned to the game with Highland League side Inverness Caledonian the following year.[4]

Buckley was capped three times by Scotland, making his debut in a 1–0 win over Norway in 1954. Initially selected in the squad for the 1954 FIFA World Cup,[6] injury saw him replaced by club colleague George Hamilton. He scored his only Scotland goal against Wales in a 1–0 win upon his return to fitness in October later that year.

Upon his death in November 2008, the Aberdeen players wore black armbands to commemorate his playing for the club, against St Mirren on 12 November 2008.

His son, Pat, was also a professional footballer.[2]

References
  1. Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (11 April 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1951-1955". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. "Paddy Buckley". Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  3. Easter Road game should not have been played, Glasgow Herald (page 4), 22 February 1955
  4. Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872–1986 (Hardback). Hutton Press. (ISBN 0-907033-47-4).
  5. "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust – Player Profile". www.afcheritage.org. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  6. Vallance, Matt (17 July 2005). "Caught in Time: Aberdeen's first championship side, 1954–55". The Times. London. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
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