Ally Mauchlen



Ally MauchlenAlly Mauchlen began his football career in Ayrshire with Junior side Irvine Meadow before joining Kilmarnock in 1978, at Rugby Park he would make well over a century of appearances.

An aggressive midfielder, the fiery red head was purchased by manager Jock Wallace in 1982 to help strengthen the side during the 1982/83 season, as the side battled to stay in the Premier Division.

Ally made his debut in October 1982 in a 1-2 defeat against Aberdeen, the following week he managed to get on the scoresheet in a 2-0 win over St Mirren. He would prove to be a constant nuisance to his former employers Killie during his debut season at Fir Park as he scored a double in a 4-1 win and a single goal in a 2-0 win and 3-1 win respectively.

Mauchlen quickly became a popular player amongst fans, his commitment, organisational skills and no nonsense approach was certainly most welcome at a time when the club was struggling both on and off the field. The ‘Well support voted him as the Supporters Player of the Year.

The following season was certainly one to forget for the Steelmen, a rare highlight came in a 2-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox which ended up with manager Wallace heading back to Govan for a second spell while former ‘Well defender Bobby Watson returned to take the reigns as manager. As the side slid towards relegation, Ally would miss the best part of the season due to injuries.

The Kilwinning born midfielder had a spell as Motherwell captain, it was under the guidance of Tommy McLean that Mauchlen would strike up a great partnership with the youthful but creative Gary McAllister who was breaking into the first team. Both players played a pivotal role in helping achieving promotion back to Scotland’s top tier, this of course was massive for the club as it was no secret that the finances were in a perilous state.

Due to his performances in claret and amber it was no secret that more and more scouts were showing up at Fir Park to see him in action, the speculation seemed to unsettle Mauchlen who eventually declined a new contract from the club, it was almost inevitable that he would be leaving.

Despite an offer of £100,000 from Birmingham City being rejected, he played in the opening game of the 1985/86 season in a 0-0 draw against Clydebank before Leicester City came in with a £350,000 offer for the joint transfer of both Ally and his midfield partner McAllister. The cash was too much to refuse as it put Motherwell on a more financially secure footing and helped McLean as he looked to rebuild a competitive side.

At Filbert Street, Ally served the Foxes from 1985 until 1992 playing over 260 games in all competitions becoming a legend with the club.

After his departure from Leicester he did make a brief return north but this time it was in the maroon of Hearts. As his career fizzled out he served Glenavon and Ballymena United before injury brought an end to his professional career. Ally would take on various coaching and scouting roles. His son Iain was on the books of Cowdenbeath between 2002 and 2006.

Name:
Alistair Henry Mauchlen
Height:
5′ 7″
Weight:
10st 2lbs
Date of Birth:
29th June 1960
Place of Birth:
Kilwinning
Position:
Midfield
Nationality:
Scottish

Football Career:

Irvine Meadow 1978
Kilmarnock 1978 1982
Motherwell 1982 1985
Leicester City 1985 1992
Leeds United (Loan) 1992
Hearts 1992 1994
Glenavon (Loan) 1993 1994
Glenavon 1994 1995
Ballymena United (Loan) 1995 1996

Well Career:

Apps Goals
League:
75 (1) 4
Scottish Cup:
6 0
League Cup:
6 1
Other:
0 0
Total:
87 (1) 5