Do You Remember ?

Iain "Cowboy" McCulloch 1973-78

 

"Cowboy McCulloch" on the Notts Co Prog

Fact-File

Born: Dec 1954

Debut: Hibs (A), Scottish Cup, Jan 26th 1974

Appearances: 138 (7 as sub), scoring 18 goals.

Last Game: St Johnstone (H), Scot 1st Div, Mar 25th 1978 (& scored a farewell goal).

Previous Club: Hurlford Utd

Transferred To: Notts Co Mar 1978 for 80,00K.Played through 1986 before retiring through injury.

Iain was a never say die fan-fav, not un-like Gary Holt!

Recently resigned from his role as manager of Arnold Town in the Northern Counties East League.

Notts Co Legend Too! .... IAIN McCulloch was a central figure during a glorious era in the history of Notts County but was cruelly forced to retire at the age of 29 because of an injury.

The Scottish striker, born in 1954, became the Magpies' record signing when he moved to Meadow Lane from Kilmarnock for Pounds 80,000 in 1978, and he went on to justify every penny the club's legendary boss Jimmy Sirrel spent on him, and more.

The Scotland under-21 international began his career with Notts by scoring two goals on his debut against West Ham United on August 19, 1978, and scored 18 goals in his first two seasons with the club in the old Division Two - ending the 1979/80 campaign as their top scorer.

McCulloch formed a formidable strike-partnership with Trevor Christie during the 1980/81 season, and together they fired Notts back into Division One.

Christie was their leading scorer with 14 league goals, and McCulloch netted 11 times, as they finished as runners-up in Division Two, clinching promotion with a win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Magpies faced champions Aston Villa at Villa Park in the first game of their return to the top-flight and the Villains paraded the title trophy to their fans before the game.

Notts were not overawed by the occasion, however, and pulled off a stunning victory against all expectation. McCulloch was their hero that day with a superb goal in front of a crowd of 30,097. It is his most-celebrated moment playing for the Magpies, the one fans still talk about today, 30 years later.

McCulloch lit-up the biggest stage in English football in the Magpies' black-and-white stripes, and scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 4-2 win against West Bromwich Albion on March 24, 1982.

With an impressive 16 league goals in 40 games, he was the leading scorer as Notts finished in 15th place in the table, once again defying the expectation they would be relegated immediately back into Division Two.

He was their top marksman again in 1982/83 with ten league goals, which included one in a 3-2 derby win against Nottingham Forest at Meadow Lane on December 4, 1982.

For the first time in his career with the Magpies he struggled for form in front of goal in 1983/84, however, and it proved his final season because he suffered a badly broken leg in a collision with Manchester United goalkeeper Gary Bailey at Meadow Lane on April 14, 1984.

Notts endured relegation back into Division Two at the end of that season, but McCulloch suffered even greater misery because he was forced to retire because of his injury.

He was arguably approaching his peak, so it was a terribly unsatisfactory end-note to the career of a fine striker who was idolised by Magpies' fans because of his passion and goals. In 260 games for the club, he scored 54 goals, and is still a living legend