M | Player Pics | A-Z of Players
Personal
Fullname: Thomas Joseph Mackle
aka: Tommy Mackle
Born: 21 March 1938
Birthplace: […]
Signed: 20 November 1959
Left: 2 May 1961 (free); 18 May 1961 (to Dundee)
Position: Outside-left
Debut: Raith Rovers 2-1 Celtic, League Cup, 8 Aug 1959 (scored once)
Internationals: none
Biog
Tommy Mackle was signed from Johnstone Burgh in the summer of 1959 with high hopes he could become an established first team player, described in one quote as “a wee terrier of the [Bobby] Collins school“.
The tigerish outside-left made a goal-scoring debut in a 2-1 League Cup defeat at Raith Rovers on 8th August 1959. One headline put it as “Mackle makes his mark” despite the disappointing result for Celtic.
He put on some steady performances for the Bhoys but ultimately was unfortunate in having to compete with the magnificent Bertie Auld for a starting berth.
In a career disrupted by National Service he was an excellent performer for the reserves but Celtic were desperate for great first team players not reserves. The first team were languishing, and sadly both the team and board management were poor.
He was eventually released in May 1961 after five first team appearances in the league & cup, and two goals. He also played one game in the Glasgow Cup which Celtic lost to Rangers 2-1.
His only other goal was from a free-kick in a 1-1 draw with Clyde in the league in September 1959, when he was filling in for an injured Bertie Auld.
He was unfortunate to be playing in a poorly performing Celtic side, but his record of four losses, and just the one draw and one victory, didn’t help his case for a longer run in the first team (not that he was alone to blame). Two goals in his six appearances is a fair return, but things were just not working out at Celtic.
He went on to win the West of Scotland Cup with the Celtic reserves.
Post-Celtic
Tommy Mackle was freed by Celtic at the end of the 1960-61 season – a season in which he had spent most of his time in National Service with the British Army in the Rhine in Germany.
Despite continuing with the Army he was snapped up by Dundee, albeit appears that he played few times for their first team, as he had the unenviable task of trying to displace a star player from the Dundee line-up, this time in the shape of Hugh Robertson.
He later played for both Forfar Athletic and Raith Rovers and appears to have had the best of his career at Forfar as a midfield general and became a popular team man.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1959-61 | 3 | 0 | 2 | – | 5 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | 2 |
Honours with Celtic
none
Pictures
Articles
Tommy scoring for Celtic in the League Cup
(note the report spelt his name wrong below)
Dundee deearchives
Biography
Born in March 1938, Tommy Mackle would begin his professional career in the green and white of Celtic after signing for the club from Johnstone Burgh in 1959. Unfortunately he couldn’t displace Bertie Auld from The Bhoys’ starting eleven, going on to make only 5 appearances for the Glasgow club before his departure in 1961, although he would manage to score twice for the club during that time, including a goal against Raith Rovers on his debut.
Spending most of the 1960/61 season on National Service in Germany, Celtic would free Mackle at the end of that term and while the winger would stay on with the army, Dundee would come in for his services. However, just as he had at Celtic, Mackle would have the unenviable task of trying to displace a star player from the Dundee line-up, this time in the shape of Hugh Robertson.
That task would prove too tall an order and after only 3 appearances for The Dark Blues during the 1962/63 season Mackle would move to Forfar Athletic. Remembered at the Station Park club as a solid midfield general, Mackle would arguably spend his happiest years in the game at Forfar, although he would end his playing career at the club against whom he had scored his first senior goal, Raith Rovers, where he retired at the end of the 1967/68 season.