John McReady

John Lewis McReady (born 24 July 1992) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Northern Football Alliance Division Two club Whitburn Athletic.

John McReady
McReady playing for York City in 2012
Personal information
Full name John Lewis McReady[1]
Date of birth (1992-07-24) 24 July 1992[2]
Place of birth South Shields, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Whitburn Athletic
Youth career
200?–2009 Darlington
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Darlington 56 (3)
2010 → Billingham Town (loan)
2010–2011 → Whitby Town (loan) 6 (0)
2012–2013 York City 4 (0)
2013–2014 FC Halifax Town 14 (0)
2014–2016 Spennymoor Town
2016– Whitburn Athletic 2 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:58, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

McReady started his career with Darlington in their youth system as a 10-year-old, and was first included in the first-team squad during the 2008–09 season. He made his debut towards the end of the following season, and by the end of 2011–12 had established himself in the team. After Darlington were demoted to the Northern League in 2012, McReady signed for York City. He left a year later to sign for FC Halifax Town, and from 2014 to 2016 played for Spennymoor Town

Career

Darlington
McReady playing for Darlington in 2012

Born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear,[2] McReady joined Darlington's youth system as a 10-year-old.[3] He was first involved in the first-team squad in the 2008–09 season.[4] The following year he spent time on loan at Northern League Division One club Billingham Town, recording an assist on his debut against Esh Winning in January 2010.[5] On his return to Darlington, McReady was named more frequently among the first-team substitutes, and he made his debut at the age of 17 on 24 April 2010 as a half-time substitute, as Darlington lost 2–0 at home to Grimsby Town in League Two.[6][7][8] He became the 53rd player to be used by Darlington in 2009–10.[7] McReady made four appearances as Darlington were relegated to the Conference Premier at the end of the season,[8] and in May 2010 he signed a one-year professional contract with the club.[9]

McReady scored his first goal for Darlington on 25 September 2010, with a 93rd-minute winner in a 1–0 home victory over Southport.[10] He joined Whitby Town of the Northern Premier League Premier Division on a one-month loan in November 2010 and debuted in a 2–2 draw with Burscough on 13 November.[11][12] Despite the loan being extended for the rest of the season,[13] he was recalled by Darlington in February 2011 after making nine appearances for Whitby.[14][15] McReady was not part of the matchday squad for the club's 2011 FA Trophy victory.[16] He finished 2010–11 with one goal in 15 appearances[17] and signed a new two-year contract with the club in May 2011.[18]

When the club suffered financial difficulties, McReady's contract was terminated on 16 January 2012, along with those of the rest of the playing squad and caretaker manager Craig Liddle,[19] though the club retained their registrations so they were eligible to play on a non-contract basis.[20] He established himself as a first-team regular in 2011–12,[3] making 38 appearances and scoring two goals.[21] McReady stated he intended to remain at Darlington despite the club's relegation from the Conference Premier at the end of the season,[3] but was expected to depart following their demotion to the Northern League.[22]

York City

McReady signed a two-year contract with newly promoted League Two club York City on 29 June 2012.[23][24] The club had tried to sign him in the January transfer window.[25] York paid Darlington a small fee to sign him, with discussions being protracted as a result of Darlington's financial problems.[23] After missing York's opening match of 2012–13 against Doncaster Rovers in the League Cup with glandular fever,[26][27] McReady made his debut as a 69th-minute substitute in a 3–1 defeat at home to Wycombe Wanderers on 18 August 2012,[28] which was the club's first Football League fixture since their promotion.[29] He dislocated his shoulder after entering York's 0–0 home draw with Cheltenham Town on 22 September 2012 as a substitute, and following an operation he was expected to be out injured until the Christmas period.[28][30] McReady returned from injury in a reserve-team match in the North Riding Senior Cup, scoring twice in a 3–0 home win over Northallerton Town on 8 January 2013.[31] He made only one more first-team appearance that season, as a substitute in a 4–1 home defeat to Morecambe on 2 February 2013, thus finishing the season with four appearances for York.[28]

Later career

Having failed to make the substitutes' bench for York under Nigel Worthington, McReady was told he had no future with the club,[32] and signed for Conference Premier club FC Halifax Town on 30 August 2013.[33] McReady made his debut the following day in a 3–1 away defeat to Salisbury City, entering the match as an 86th-minute substitute for Matty Pearson.[21] He finished 2013–14 with 14 appearances for Halifax.[21]

McReady signed for newly promoted Northern Premier League Division One North club Spennymoor Town on 3 June 2014.[34] He was released by the club at the end of 2015–16[35] before signing for Northern Football Alliance Division Two club Whitburn Athletic in July 2016.[36]

Style of play

McReady is an attacking midfielder and has described his style of play as such: "I'm a ball player. I like to attack and get at players – try and create and score goals. I play out wide or in the middle, anywhere across midfield".[23][25]

Career statistics
McReady playing for York City in 2012
As of match played 22 October 2016
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Darlington 2008–09[37] League Two 0000000000
2009–10[8] League Two 4000000040
2010–11[17] Conference Premier 15100——151
2011–12[21] Conference Premier 37200—1[lower-alpha 1]0382
Total 563000010573
Whitby Town (loan) 2010–11[38] NPL Premier Division 60——3[lower-alpha 2]090
York City 2012–13[28] League Two 4000000040
2013–14[39] League Two 00—00—00
Total 4000000040
FC Halifax Town 2013–14[21] Conference Premier 14000—00140
Whitburn Athletic 2016–17[40] Northern Football Alliance Division Two 21——0021
Career total 824000040864
  1. Appearance in FA Trophy
  2. Two appearances in FA Trophy, one in Northern Premier League Challenge Cup

References
  1. "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 74. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2014.
  2. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  3. Stoddart, Craig (24 April 2012). "McReady focused on Darlington". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  4. Simpson, Ray (10 July 2009). "Liddle reveals youth team". Darlington F.C. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010.
  5. Simpson, Ray (18 January 2010). "Bay boss hopes for better in last 16". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  6. Stoddart, Craig (27 March 2010). "Quakers duo happy to work round clock". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  7. Stoddart, Craig (26 April 2010). "Darlington skipper books in for hernia operation". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  8. "Games played by John McReady in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  9. Stoddart, Craig (8 May 2010). "Fans need rest but Davey raring to go". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  10. Mason, Richard (27 September 2010). "Quakers leave it late to seal win". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  11. "Darlington's John McReady joins Whitby Town on loan". BBC Sport. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  12. Stoddart, Craig (15 November 2010). "Cooper pulls off loan coup". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  13. Stoddart, Craig (23 December 2010). "Quakers boss releases midfielder Gillespie". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  14. "Goose's match previews". Whitby Town F.C. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013.
  15. "Appearance stats". Whitby Town F.C. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  16. "FA Trophy final: Darlington 1–0 Mansfield Town". BBC Sport. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  17. Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2011). Non-League Club Directory 2012. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-1-869833-70-1.
    "Gateshead vs. Darlington 0–0". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  18. Stoddart, Craig (1 May 2011). "Austin refusal angers Cooper". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  19. "Darlington axe manager Craig Liddle and players". BBC Sport. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  20. Stoddart, Craig (19 January 2012). "Quakers need reinforcements". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  21. "J. McReady". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  22. Stoddart, Craig (23 June 2012). "Gray warns: McReady won't leave cheaply". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  23. Carroll, Steve (30 June 2012). "New signing John McReady says 'Minstermen have saved my football career'". The Press. York. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  24. "Michael Coulson and John McReady sign for York City". BBC Sport. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  25. Flett, Dave (11 July 2012). "Teenager McReady and set for York City action". The Press. York. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  26. Flett, Dave (15 August 2012). "Michael Potts on target again for York City". The Press. York. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  27. Flett, Dave (11 January 2013). "York City's John McReady puts positive spin on making comeback". The Press. York. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  28. "Games played by John McReady in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  29. "York 1–3 Wycombe". BBC Sport. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  30. Flett, Dave (5 October 2012). "York City loan plan to aid McGurk fitness fight". The Press. York. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  31. Flett, Dave (9 January 2013). "Match report: York City 3, Northallerton Town 0". The Press. York. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  32. Flett, Dave (15 August 2013). "York City midfielder John McReady surplus to requirements at Bootham Crescent". The Press. York. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  33. "McReady joins Shaymen". FC Halifax Town. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  34. "Moors capture the signature of former Shaymen midfielder". Spennymoor Town F.C. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014.
  35. "Ten depart Spennymoor". Pitchero Non League. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  36. "Whitburn Athletic F.C. on Twitter". Twitter. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  37. "Games played by John McReady in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  38. "Fixtures 2010/11". Whitby Town F.C. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  39. "Games played by John McReady in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  40. "Match stats for John McReady". Whitburn Athletic F.C. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
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