In contrast to many of the mining families around the end of the 19th Century the McCloy's stayed put on the one terrace in Uddingston for all of Phil's childhood and youth. He was the son of an Irish-born father and a mother from Glasgow and at fifteen may well have been down the pit already. Certainly during The Great War he was cutting coal. 

And it was during those war years that he learned his football as a fullback with local and then more distant junior clubs, finally with Parkhead before in 1918 at twenty-two being signed by Ayr United. It led to a seven year stay and two caps in 1924 and 1925, his club then being relegated and he moving South. He went to Manchester City, with the club reaching the FA Cup in his first season, then he experiencing relegation once more but with re-promoted in 1928.