Mark McWalter

{{short description|Scottish footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mark McWalter

| image =

| fullname = Mark McWalter

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|6|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Arbroath, Scotland

| height =

| position = forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Arbroath Lads Club

| years1 = 1984–1987 | years2 = 1987–1991 | years3 = 1991–1993 | years4 = 1993–1995 | years5 = 1995–1996 | years6 = 1996–1999 | years7 =1999–2004

| clubs1 = Arbroath | clubs2 = St Mirren | clubs3 = Partick Thistle | clubs4 = Coleraine | clubs5 = Ballymena United | clubs6 = Arbroath | clubs7 =Arbroath Victoria{{NeilBrownPlayers|player3/markmcwalter}}

| caps1 = 70 | goals1 = 20 | caps2 = 80 | goals2 = 8 | caps3 = 19 | goals3 = 0 | caps4 = 35 | goals4 = 17 | caps5 = 20 | goals5 = 8 | caps6 = 59 | goals6 = 9 | caps7 = ? | goals7 = ?

}}

Mark McWalter (born 20 June 1968, in Arbroath) is a Scottish former football striker.

McWalter began his career with his local club Arbroath where as a teenager he became a first team regular. His form attracted the attentions of top-flight St Mirren, who signed him in June 1987.M. Gillespie, The Northern Ireland Football Yearbook 1996-97, p. 199 In and out of the team at Love Street, he joined Partick Thistle in June 1991 in a swap deal that saw he and George Shaw exchanged for Chic Charnley and David Elliot.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ptfcnet.co.uk/players/90/p4.html |title=David Elliot profile |access-date=28 July 2009 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221653/http://www.ptfcnet.co.uk/players/90/p4.html |url-status=usurped }} McWalter's spell at Partick was an unhappy one however as he failed to score.

After being released by Partick McWalter moved to the Irish Football League with Coleraine and became a 'cult hero' at the club.[http://www.colerainefc.com/CFCweb/Interviews/mark.php Interview on Coleraine site]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He was linked with the manager's job after the departure of Felix Healy in 1994 but lost out to Kenny Shiels, a manager with whom he would later clash, resulting in McWalter moving to Ballymena United for a year. He was the club's top scorer in his sole season.M. Gillespie, The Northern Ireland Football Yearbook 1996-97, p. 172

McWalter returned to Scotland in 1996 to play three final seasons back at Gayfield Park. Unable to cope with the rigours of full-time football due a persistent knee injury McWalter left full-time football to carry on playing in the juniors with Arbroath Victoria. He spent five seasons with the club, including two as player-manager before retiring and leaving football completely. Having retired he became a youth worker, running a project from Arbroath's old supporters' club.[http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/sport/Smokies-get-in-your-eyes.2396391.jp Smokies get in your eyes] from The Scotsman