Jim McInally

Nottingham Forest

He was flown down by Brian Clough to watch Nottingham Forest against Manchester United for the final league game of the 1983/84 season (Forest won 2--0). He was a guest of Forest at the game with two other players they were signing, Johnny Metgod and Gary Megson. While living in Nottingham's Balmoral Hotel he spent Christmas as a guest at the Clough household. Hetherston however failed a medical and the move collapsed.

Dundee United (second spell)

A few weeks into the following season, McInally moved back to Tannadice and made sixteen appearances.

Dundee He then moved back to Dundee as a player-coach at Dens Park.

Scotland

McInally's first full cap was on 1 April 1987 losing 4–1 in a European Championship qualifier away to Belgium. He was selected for the Scotland squad for the UEFA Euro 1992 finals in Sweden. In Sweden he played in Scotland's third and final game as a 65th-minute substitute for Ally McCoist. The Scots won that game 3–0 against the CIS. McInally had played in two of the qualifiers both of which were 1–1 draws against Bulgaria. His 10th and final cap was the 5–0 defeat away to Portugal on 28 April 1993 that all but extinguished Scottish hopes of qualifying for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Management career

Sligo Rovers

McInally joined Sligo Rovers as manager at the start of the 1999–00 season but early results did not go his way and he left the club for personal reasons. He returned to Scotland and joined the coaching staff of Celtic, working with the club's youth teams.

Greenock Morton

McInally moved back into management as he was appointed manager of Scottish Second Division side Greenock Morton. In the 2005–06 season, he led Morton to 2nd place in the Division after which they were subsequently denied promotion by losing to Peterhead in the play-offs. McInally stated his intention to win the Second Division in the 2006–07 season, with that objective met in mid April when nearest challengers Stirling Albion fell out of mathematical contention. He won the August 2006 Second Division Manager of the Month award, along the way. He resigned in February 2008 after a run of poor results allowed Morton to slip into ninth place in the First Division.

East Stirlingshire

On 13 March 2008, McInally was named the new manager of Third Division strugglers East Stirlingshire, succeeding Gordon Wylde who resigned a month earlier. McInally was named November 2008 Manager of the Month for the Third Division by the Scottish Football League. He then won the same award in February and September 2009, but resigned in May 2011 after the club finished second bottom of the 2010–11 Scottish Third Division.

Peterhead

McInally was appointed manager of Peterhead in October 2011. He led the Blue Toon to its first trophy as a football league club by winning the Scottish League Two title in season 2013–14. The club were relegated back to the fourth tier via the play-offs in season 2016–17. McInally offered to resign after Peterhead failed to win promotion in 2017–18, but the board of directors asked him to stay on. He then won the Scottish League Two title the next season, securing it on the last day.

He resigned on 14 November 2022 after 11 years in the job, with Peterhead sitting bottom of the 2022–23 Scottish League One table.

Personal life McInally is the uncle of Falkirk player Anna Murray.

Career statistics International appearances

Managerial record

Honours and awards Player Nottingham Forest Player of the Year 1984–85

Dundee United 1987 UEFA Cup Finalist 1993–94 Scottish Cup winner Hall of Fame 2015 inductee

Manager Greenock Morton Scottish Second Division: 2006–07

Peterhead Scottish League Two (2): 2013–14, 2018–19