John McAtee

Quoted from toontown

Brilliant, heart on the sleeve, totally committed player, that just happened to have real skill and talent too - he loved the fans and we loved him. It was a match made in heaven last season.

Loved his interaction with the fans off the pitch, standing on the terraces against Salford for example and mingling with the fans. He was hilarious at the play off victory parade.

Absolutely best of luck for him next year and he is one of those players who will always be warmly welcomed back at BP.

Quoted from Poojah

There’s a moment that sticks in my mind, a moment when I realised we’d got a proper player on our hands. It wasn’t a goal, a piece of skill, or even an assist.

It was that game under the lights against Wrexham. The night you truly realised that football was back after Covid.

With the score 1-1, the game in game in the balance, McAtee chased a ball back to their ‘keeper on an absolute hiding to nothing. But the desire of the kid. He chased that ball down like a fúcking man possessed, watched the ‘keeper shít the bed and flung himself in front of the ball, getting a good foot on it as it looped back towards the Osmond and out of play.

In doing that, we conceded a goal kick. All that effort, just for that. But what it did was set the tone. It stoked the crowd. And it seriously got to Wrexham, y’know, for what wouldn’t be the last time that season.

In that moment he led from the front. His infectious swagger bleeding into his teammates. And that’s just what he did. In all the big moments last season, the moments that really mattered, he was there for us. Could we have recovered from that soft Mullin pen in the play-offs had he not responded, with the goal of the season no less, in a matter of seconds? He was our talisman. And what a fúcking fantastic talisman he was.  

I struggle to think of a player in my lifetime watching Town who did more for us in successive key moments than John McAtee. Kevin Donovan is the closest I can get to, and though it was at a higher level I’m still not sure his contribution was quite as significant. John McAtee pulled us out of some serious holes.

This season possibly hasn’t lived up to the huge expectations he set in 21/22, though I suspect there are plenty of mitigating circumstances. But I don’t really care; he’s given us some brilliant moments over the last two years. Astounding moments. Breathtaking ones. Some of the best of my years watching Town. Memories I will take to the grave.

Thanks John. You will forever be a Town hero. Go do yourself proud. We all know you will.

Quoted from ginnywings

Another key moment was the equaliser against Solihull in the play off final. The position he was in meant he had very little to aim at and beat the keeper, while still keeping the ball inside the post. He was almost dead on his feet by then having run himself into the ground.

It was a truly great goal and turned the tide our way.