Jack Macartney (1918-1992)

TESTAMENT to Grantham Town legend Jack Macartney’s finishing prowess can be found at the Meres stadium, where he is still spoken of as the club’s most clinical goalscorer.
In a career interrupted by the Second World War, Macartney scored 415 first-team goals in 11 seasons.
He also holds the Midland League record for the most individual goals in one match, in 1948 against Bradford Park Avenue reserves when he scored eight despite being marked by future England manager Ron Greenwood.
He broke into the first team in 1937 after being spotted playing for Spalding Reserves and moved to Grantham from his native Stamford for £1 a week and a job at Mowbray’s Brewery.
On the pitch he scored 21 times in five months, and followed that success with 42 goals the following season.
The final campaign of the 1930s saw Grantham playing in the two Midland ‘War-Time’ Leagues, although Jack was missing from many of these games.
The first season after the Second World War saw him still missing from his Grantham position due being stationed abroad in the Army.
He got a job at Ruston and Hornsby and picked up where he left off with Grantham FC, scoring 29 in 1945-6, despite missing 19 matches.
The next two seasons saw him notch up a phenomenal 120 goals, 56 in 1946-7 and 64 in 1947-48.
He continued to score prolifically until he retired on December 27, 1955, before taking over as Grantham Town trainer for the following 10 years.
Macartney’s career highlights include playing in front of 17,000 people at Boothferry Park when England centre-half Neil Franklin, marking Macartney was making a comeback after injury.
Despite the international’s attentions, Macartney scored the only goal in a Grantham victory.
Macartney was also an accomplished cricketer and a prolific run-scorer for the Ruston and Hornsby.
Macartney’s brother Charlie surpassed his footballing achievements, playing for Notts County in the Second Division.
During his career Jack had been watched by Football League scouts many times, but even Granthamian, and then Notts County Captain, Aubrey Southwell, could not tempt him away from London Road.
His loyalty to the club even continued after his career had finished and he carried on in various capacities including Reserve team Player/Coach and First Team Trainer right up until 1966.