McCarthy, Mick

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Fullname: Michael Joseph McCarthy
aka: Mick McCarthy, Big Mick
Born: 7 February 1959
Birthplace: Barnsley, England
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Position: Centre Defence
Signed: 1 Aug 1987
Left: 31 May 1989
First game: Borussia Dortmund 0-2 away 30 September 1987 Uefa cup
Last game: Rangers 1-0 Hampden 20 May 1989 Scottish Cup final
Only goal: Hibernian 3-1 Hampden 16 April 1989 Scottish Cup semi final
Internationals: Ireland
International Caps: 57
International Goals: 2

Biog

Mick McCarthy signed for Celtic in the summer of 1987 in a surprise £500,000 move from Manchester City.

The Yorkshire-born Irish international was brought to Parkhead by Davie Hay but within days of the signing the Celtic boss was sacked. An ironic and cruel fate for Davie Hay as up to McCarthy’s signing he’d been crying out for funds to shore up the defence. Now he’d managed to buy a defender he’d bizarrely been thrown out on his ear by the Celtic board.

Fortunately for Mick McCarthy, Hay’s replacement was the returning Parkhead legend Billy McNeill who quickly recognised that the centre-half’s strength and aggression were qualities desperately required by a notoriously leaky Celtic defence and, coincidentally, it was Billy McNeill who had given McCarthy his big break by bringing him to Man City in October of 1983 from Barnsley, and so he was happy to have McCarthy’s services on his return.

Mick McCarthy was included in the pre-season tour of Scandinavia in 1987 but tore a stomach muscle in the first game of the tour. This injury kept him out for the best part of 10 weeks. He eventually made his debut in the away leg of the First Round UEFA Cup game to Borussia Dortmund in a 2-0 loss. Mick McCarthy quickly established a good partnership alongside youngster Derek Whyte in the heart of the Hoops defence. In terms of pure football ability the former Barnsley man had obvious limitations but his commanding presence, aerial ability and fighting spirit meant McCarthy added some much needed steel to the Celtic rearguard.

His contribution to the historic ‘Double’ win of the 1987-88 Centenary Season may have been unspectacular but it was certainly significant as Celtic’s infamous ‘sieve’ defence began to take on a much more solid and dependable appearance. Although he did get sent off needlessly at Tynecastle in November 1987 and against Falkirk at Parkhead in March 1988, when he laid out Falkirk’s six foot seven striker Crawford Baptie with a beauty of a right hook.

If ever an example was needed to reflect his values, then it can be little bettered than that on the day of the Scottish Cup Final in 1988. Celtic won 2-1, but to the disgust of many, the unpopular Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in attendance and to present the trophy to the winners. The players were under pressure from the SFA to meet her, but a few didn’t. According to fellow Celtic player Andy Walker, Mick McCarthy refused point-blank, as he was from Barnsley and the son of a miner. Shaking hands with her was a no-no for Mick McCarthy.

In the summer of 1988 Mick McCarthy joined fellow Bhoys Pat Bonner and Chris Morris in Germany as part of the Republic of Ireland European Championship squad and gave a fine account of himself particularly in the historic 1-0 win over England. He – like Bonner and Morris – was also to star in the Republic’s 1990 World Cup squad which made it to the quarter finals of that tournament in Italy.

In terms of his Celtic career, McCarthy would never repeat the achievements or level of performance of his debut season.

In season 1988-89 he did add a Scottish Cup winners medal to his trophy cabinet after McNeil’s side claimed a 1-0 victory against a treble-chasing Rangers side in the final. Late in that game the Celtic defence found itself under siege on a very hot day and central defenders Mick McCarthy and Derek Whyte were Celtic’s best players on the day. McCarthy had scored his only Celtic goal in the 3-1 semi final success against Hibs in April 1989 and had quelled the dangerous Hibs duo of Archibald and Houchen in the process.

But that cup victory could barely disguise a dramatic decline in Celtic’s performances which saw the sieve return with a vengeance. The confidence and stability of the previous year had been rapidly and inexplicably drained from a defence which now often looked disorganised and disorientated.

Mick McCarthy was not to blame for this return to the bad old days but despite some solid performances on his part his lack of pace and often poor distribution was now much more regularly exposed. The team as a whole was just poor, he can’t alone be singled out.

On his game he was undoubtedly a strong and formidable opponent, skipper and a defensive lynch-pin of Jack Charlton’s well organised and underestimated Irish side. However, to many cynics he looked less impressive in a Hoops defence.

Post-Celtic
Mick McCarthy signed for Lyon in summer 1989 for £350,000. Afflicted by injuries and mindful of his spot in Ireland’s World Cup team he finished that season on loan to Millwall. After a captain’s showing in Italy for the Ireland national side, Millwall signed him up full-time and later he became manager at the Den in 1992. In February 1996 he followed Jack Charlton into the Ireland manager’s job and experienced various highs and lows over nearly 7 years in charge (including a major spat with team captain Roy Keane). He has since managed Sunderland and Wolves.

In later years he became a low-key candidate for the Celtic manager’s job after the departures of Martin O’Neill and Strachan, but was never favoured by the board or the general support for the role. Ironically then in 2018, he took over from Martin O’Neill but as the Ireland manager for a second stint, notably Roy Keane was Martin O’Neill’s assistant and had to step down also.

Mick McCarthy will always be remembered as an integral part of that wonderful Centenary season but in truth will not be ranked by many as a Celtic great although still highly respected.

From his time at the club, Mick McCarthy earned a lot of respect from the Celtic fans as a whole and we are proud to be able to count him as one of our own.

Quotes

“I was walking down a street in Glasgow when someone shouted, ‘Fenian bastard‘! I had to go and look it up – ‘Fenian‘ that is.”
Mick McCarthy

“I loved my time at Celtic. I had two great years in Glasgow. We won the Double and then we won the Cup before I went to Lyon. There will always be a place in my heart for Celtic. Not only was it an honour to play for a great club and in front of great fans, but it made me more of a favourite when I was playing for Ireland. We won the Double in 1988 and then Ireland played in the European Championships, so that will go down as one of the most memorable years of my career.”
Mick McCarthy

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish Premier Division

• 1987-88

Scottish Cup

• 1988, 1989

Pictures

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