Buckley: John William (John)

1986-1987 (Player Details)

Right Winger

Born: East Kilbride, Lanarkshire: 10-05-1962

Debut v Huddersfield Town (a) (substitute): 06-09-1986

5’9” 10st 7lb (1986)

Buckley began with Claremount Boys Club but moved on to Queens Park, where he signed schoolboy forms, and then had a four year spell at Glasgow Celtic. He started with the Celtic youths and won the Glasgow Cup against Rangers in 1982. However, he did not make any impact at Parkhead and spent his time there as understudy to Davie Provan.He made just one appearance for them, in a 4-1 win over Arbroath in the Scottish League Cup at Celtic Park on 1st September 1982. He went on loan to Partick Thistle in March 1983 and was signed by them permanently in August 1983, as part of the deal which took Brian Whittaker to Celtic for £65,000. He scored on his Scottish League debut with the Jags in April 1983 and a string of fine performances soon had many clubs chasing him. After scoring five goals in forty-five games at Firhill, Billy Bremner signed him for Doncaster Rovers in July 1984 for £30,000. He made his Doncaster debut on 25th August 1984 in a 2-0 defeat at Deepdale against Preston North End. He did well at Belle Vue, where his pace down the wings earned him the nickname "Road Runner", scoring eleven League goals in seventy-nine games and played five games in the F.A. Cup. After taking over the reins at Leeds United, Bremner went back to his old club and bought Buckley for £35,000 in July 1986. He was unable to reproduce his Doncaster form at Leeds. After a month’s loan to Leicester City, in March 1987, where he made five appearances without scoring, and a further month with Doncaster Rovers, in October 1987, where he failed to score in his six games there, he was sold to Rotherham United for £30,000 in November 1987. He scored thirteen goals and started eighty-five League games, coming on as a substitute in another twenty, as well as scoring twice and playing twenty-one games in the Cup competitions of which one was as a substitute, while at Millmoor. In October 1990 he returned to Partick Thistle for £45,000, and scored five times in twenty-six appearances, before moving to Scunthorpe United for £40,000 in August 1991. While at the Irons, Buckley appeared at Wembley as Scunthorpe were beaten 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Fourth Division Play-off Final on 23rd May 1992. He scored eight goals in forty-three games before rejoining Rotherham United for £20,000 in February 1993. He started two games and came from the bench twice in his second spell at Millmoor. In only his fourth game back for Rotherham, he fractured his skull against Plymouth Argyle on 13th March 1993. For a time the injury was life threatening and brought a premature end to his career. After trying at Buxton, he then attempted a comeback with Hatfield Main in the North Eastern Counties League in the 1995-96 season but collapsed in a game against Maltby Miners Welfare in October 1995 and was advised to give up football. He became a vastly experienced coach who worked at the Leeds United Academy and at Hull City. Buckley became the Doncaster Belles Manager in 2002 in the FA Nationwide league. His aim is to continue to promote young players and give them an opportunity to play at their highest level possible. He has UEFA qualifications and runs coaching classes for the English FA. He was still the Belles Manager for the 2011-12 season.