Brian McGlinchey

Brian Kevin McGlinchey (born 26 October 1977) is a Northern Irish former football defender. He made a total of 195 competitive appearances in an eleven-year career as a professional player before he was forced to retire in 2006, aged 28, due to injury. He also won 14 caps for Northern Ireland under-21s and one cap for the Northern Ireland B team.[1]

Brian McGlinchey

Personal information
Full name	Brian Kevin McGlinchey[1]
Date of birth	(1977-10-26) 26 October 1977[2]
Place of birth	Derry, Northern Ireland[1]
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Playing position(s)	Left-back[1]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1998	Manchester City	0	(0)
1998–1999	Port Vale	15	(1)
1999–2000	Gillingham	14	(1)
2000–2004	Plymouth Argyle	67	(2)
2003	→ Torquay United (loan)	14	(0)
2004–2006	Torquay United	58	(0)
Total		168	(4)
National team
1998–1999	Northern Ireland under-21	14	(0)
1999	Northern Ireland B	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, he started his career with Manchester City, but joined Port Vale in 1998 having never made a first team appearance at City. The next year he moved on to Gillingham, before he signed with Plymouth Argyle in 2000. He enjoyed a four-year spell with Plymouth, before he joined Torquay United in 2004, having spent some time on loan at the club the previous year. He stayed with Torquay until his retirement two years later. His honours included three promotion campaigns, once each with Gillingham, Plymouth, and Torquay.

Playing career

Manchester City and Port Vale

McGlinchey started his career with Manchester City in 1995, but never made a first team appearance in his three seasons with the club. In June 1998, he was signed by Port Vale manager John Rudge. He played 15 First Division games for "Valiants" during the 1998–99 season, bagging his first senior goal in a 2–1 defeat at Oxford United on 21 November 1998.

Gillingham

He was released by manager Brian Horton, and subsequently joined Peter Taylor's Second Division side Gillingham in August 1999. He started just six games in the 1999–2000 promotion season, and did not feature in the play-off final victory over Wigan Athletic. He made just one appearance in the First Division under new boss Andy Hessenthaler, before he left Priestfield Stadium, dropping down two tiers to the Third Division with Plymouth Argyle in December 2000.

Plymouth Argyle

He featured 22 times at left-back in 2000–01, as Paul Sturrock's "Pilgrims" posted a mid-table finish. He then made 29 league appearances in 2001–02, as Plymouth topped the Third Division table; his contribution was limited after he broke his foot.[2] He was limited to 21 appearances at Home Park in 2002–03 by new signing Hasney Aljofree,[2] and played no part of the club's success in 2003–04. He was instead loaned out to Third Division side Torquay United in October 2003,[3] with the deal being made permanent in January 2004.[4] A poll in 2019 saw him voted the club's 19th greatest ever full-back by fans, who nicknamed him "Mad Dog".[5][6]

Torquay United

He played 34 league games in 2003–04, as the "Gulls" secured promotion into League One. Manager Leroy Rosenior could not keep the Plainmoor outfit in the third tier, however, and McGlinchey played 37 games as Torquay were relegated into League Two in 2004–05. He signed a 12-month contract in January 2005,[7] but picked up a hamstring injury two months later.[8] After a further medical examination in April his injury turned out actually to be a slipped disc.[9] An operation was necessary,[10] and in September 2005 he went under the knife.[11] However this did not solve the problem and he was forced to retire in May 2006.[12]

Later life

Having passed qualifications after subsidisations from the PFA during his time at Plymouth Argyle, McGlinchey became a mortgage adviser and went on to manage ten other mortgage advisors at Lloyds Bank in Plymouth.[13] He also commentated on Plymouth Argyle games for BBC Radio Devon.[14] However he continued to suffer with sciatic pain from the injury that ended his playing career and has a constant loss of feeling in his left leg.[13] As of November 2018, he is married with three children.[13]

Statistics

Season	Club	Division	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester City	1995–96[15]	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1996–97[16]	First Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1997–98[17]	First Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Port Vale	1998–99[18]	First Division	15	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	17	1
Gillingham	1999–2000[19]	Second Division	13	1	4	1	4	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	22	3
	2000–01[20]	First Division	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	Total		14	1	4	1	4	0	1	0	23	3
Plymouth Argyle	2000–01[20]	Third Division	18	0	0	0	0	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	20	0
	2001–02[21]	Third Division	29	1	3	0	1	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	34	1
	2002–03[22]	Second Division	19	1	2	0	0	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	23	1
	2003–04[23]	Second Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		67	2	5	0	1	0	7	0	77	2
Torquay United	2003–04[23]	Third Division	34	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	34	0
	2004–05[24]	League One	33	0	1	0	1	0	2[lower-alpha 1]	0	37	0
	2005–06[25]	League Two	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
	Total		72	0	1	0	1	0	2	0	76	0
Career total			168	4	11	1	7	0	6	0	193	5

1. Appearance/s in the EFL Trophy.

Honours

Plymouth Argyle

• Football League Third Division champion: 2001–02[1]

Torquay United

• Football League Third Division 3rd place promotion winner: 2003–04[1]

References

1. "Brian McGlinchey". nifootball.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
2. "profile". greensonscreen.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
3. "Torquay keep McGlinchey". BBC Sport. 8 October 2003. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
4. "McGlinchey joins Torquay". BBC Sport. 13 January 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
5. "Greatest Full-Backs: 20-16". www.pafc.co.uk. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
6. "Q & A With Brian McGlinchey". Vital Plymouth Argyle. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
7. "Torquay pair agree new contracts". BBC Sport. 19 January 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
8. "Gulls hit by McGlinchey injury". BBC Sport. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
9. "Injury ends McGlinchey's season". BBC Sport. 22 April 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
10. "Torquay want early McGlinchey op". BBC Sport. 7 September 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
11. "McGlinchey undergoes back surgery". BBC Sport. 20 September 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
12. "Gulls defender McGlinchey quits". BBC Sport. 16 March 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
13. Errington, Chris (30 November 2018). "Former Argyle title winner on retiring at 28 and life after football". Plymouth Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
14. Errington, Chris (9 November 2018). "Argyle's slow start to season was no surprise, says Brian McGlinchey". Plymouth Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
15. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 1995/1996". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
16. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
17. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
18. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 1998/1999". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
19. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
20. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
21. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
22. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
23. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
24. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
25. "Games played by Brian McGlinchey in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.