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Personal
Fullname: Thomas McAteer
aka: Tom McAteer, Thomas MacAteer, Tom McAteer
Born: 30 Mar 1876
Died: 20 Sep 1959
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 10 May 1910
Left: June 1912 (Retired); 1912 (Wishaw Thistle)
Position: Centre-half, Defender
Debut: Celtic 3-0 Airdrie, League, 17 Aug 1910
Internationals: none
Biog
Coal miner Thomas McAteer was an accomplished defender who signed for Celtic in May 1910 from Clyde at what was already quite an advanced age of 34 in the sport.
Having played with Hibernian, Bolton Wanderers, Brighton and Hove Albion and Dundee, among others, McAteer provided experienced cover for the Celtic rearguard.
He made his debut at right back in a 3-0 home league victory over Airdrie on 17th August 1910.
Big, strong and hard working McAteer was a solid defender who was also a free kick specialist. He played mostly when Jim Young was unavailable.
Ever dependable, he picked up a Scottish Cup winners medal in 1911, hitting Celtic’s second goal (a screamer) in a 2-0 replay victory over Hamilton in the final. At his advanced age in the game, to have had this chance at glory was a special moment, made all the sweeter having scored the goal that sealed the title for Celtic.
Celtic did not win the league in his time in the first team at Celtic, but he still managed to score a goal in a 1-1 draw away to Rangers in a Ne’er Day game (actually 2nd Jan 1911 in this case). This was his last goal in a purple patch when he had scored 3 goals in 4 games in season 1910/11, including one in a 5-0 victory over Raith Rovers. He only scored one further league goal, the next season in a 2-1 loss to Hearts.
He left Celtic in June 1912 and after a short retirement, he went on to play for Albion Rovers amongst others.
Injured in the First World War, he finally had to leave football behind and returned to the pits.
He died in Kilsyth on 20 September 1959, aged 83.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1910-11 | 13 | 4 | – | – | 17 |
| Goals | 3 | 1 | – | – | 4 |
| 1911-12 | 11 | 0 | – | – | 11 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 |
| Total |
24 |
4 |
– |
– |
28 |
| Goals |
4 |
1 |
– |
– |
5 |
Honours with Celtic
Pictures
Links
Thomas McAteer
Courtesy of member Ian McCallum.
source: http://celticgraves.com/topic/8398734/1/?x=50#new
Celtic FC
Tom McAteer was born in the miner’s houses at Smithstone Row near Croy on 30 March 1876. His parents Patrick and Margaret McAteer (ms Starrs) were married at Kilsyth in October 1875. It was the coming of the whinstone quarrying and coal industries to the area around Cumbernauld that attracted Pat McAteer with his young family into the area. Patrick McAteer was to work as a coal miner in the area around Cumbernauld. One of the biggest mining companies in the area was the Baird Company, which provided very basic housing for their workers. One such settlement was established at Smithstone, where to satisfy the need of large numbers of mainly Irish Roman Catholic workers, they built the long ubiquitous miner’s rows. It was once said that these houses were put up in such a hurry, that the miners and their families sometimes moved in even before the windows were fitted, such was the demand for coal. The poor conditions in the rows were such; it was to be about twenty years before the community was to get a proper water supply spout at the houses. Prior to then all water was collected from a field drainpipe at the east end of the rows.
Sport played a very important part in the lives of the people of Croy and Smithstone and their football teams, Smithstone Albion and Smithstone Hibernian, were regularly at the top of any football competition in which they competed. Descendants of Smeeston folk are always proud to tell the tale of the day the mighty Glasgow Celtic came to play a friendly match at the football pitch at Smeeston. It was presumed that Celtic would put on a good show for the locals, however the Smeeston men were not to be underestimated and gave Celtic a few lessons in the art of scoring goals. Needles to say that after the experience the Celtic management were out to sign up a number of the Smeeston players including the now legendary Jimmy Quinn (the mighty Quinn). The Croy Historical Society still have the ball which was used in the 1904 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park when Jimmy scored three goals to win the Scottish Cup for the Celtic.
Tom McAteer played junior football with Kilsyth Wanderers and Smithstone Hibernian before turning professional with Bolton Wanderers in 1898. He played for the Wanderers for three seasons before moving to London and had a season with West Ham. Tom married local girl Mary Clinton who lived in the Kingston Row on 01 June 1901. Over the next nine years he played with Brighton and Hove Albion, Dundee and Carlisle. In August 1906, Tom McAteer was loaned to Clyde from Carlisle United and on 10 February 1908 signed on with the Bully Wee. After the three epic cup finals involving Clyde and Dundee in April 1910 in which Clyde eventually lost 2–1, Celtic, probably after taking advice from Tom’s mate and near neighbour, Jimmy Quinn, signed 34-year-old McAteer in May 1910.
Willie Maley would get a couple of good seasons from veteran Tom McAteer and big Tom would win a Scottish Cup medal in April 1911 when he scored the Celts second goal in the final against Rangers. Tom retired from professional football at the end of the 1911-1912 season. All in, Tom would appear 28 times in the hoops, and score 5 goals, not too bad for an auld centre half. After he retired, he went back to working in the pits but still kicked a ball on a Saturday for Wishaw Thistle, Albion Rovers, Abercorn and Broxburn Rovers.
