Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter today features George Paterson…

Name: GEORGE PATERSON
Born: September 26 1914
Died: December 25 1985
Appearances: 283
Goals: 18
Scottish League medals: 1935/36, 1937/38
Scottish Cup medals: 1936/37
Glasgow Cup medals: 1938/39; 1940/41
Glasgow Charity Cup medals: 1935/36; 1936/37; 1937/38
Scotland Caps: 2

One of Celtic’s less well known footballing heroes

George Paterson is one of Celtic’s less well known footballing heroes, and yet he was one of our best ever players. Like a few others, he lost his best years to the war, but he had already done enough before the war to show that he was a class player. He was a left half mainly but versatile enough to play in other positions if the occasion demanded it.

He hailed from Denny near Falkirk. He was born just at the start of the Great War, grew up in the difficult days of the 1920s, and joined Celtic, his first senior club, in 1932. Maley thought very highly of him and compared him to Jimmy Hay, a man who had few peers. As left half he was a great distributor and ball winner with an infectious enthusiasm for the game, with a great ability to take throw-ins, a little recognised skill in the game perhaps but one which could lead to goals. It was in season 1935/36 that he really began to be recognised and he was in no way out of place in that fine half back line of Geatons, Lyon and Paterson.

Chic Geatons on the left — George Paterson hurdles Jimmy Delaney in training, with support given by Chic Geatons and Jimmy Delaney. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The Empire Exhibition Trophy winners

The team won the Scottish League in 1936 and 1938, the Scottish League in 1937, and of course the Empire Exhibition Trophy in 1938. He was clearly not the only fine player in that set-up, but he fitted in and was intelligent enough to “read the game” working out who was playing well and who wasn’t and acting accordingly.

He was an unusual Celt in many ways. He was an officer in the Boys Brigade, something that may well have raised an eyebrow or two in some bigoted circles in the late 1930s, but it didn’t bother him for he was no whey-faced bigot who spent his time warning the boys about women and sin, but the other type of BB Officer, perpetually cheerful, happy and encouraging the boys in sports and other healthy activities.

He also had an independent streak in him. When he was rich enough to own a car, he bought one. Incredibly to modern eyes, Maley tried to ban his players from driving their car to training! Most got round this by parking their car about half a mile away from the ground and walking the rest, but George drove up and parked his car blatantly outside the ground and defying Maley to do something about it!

Famous for his common-sense, no nonsense approach

He won two caps for Scotland, one before the war and one after, but he was possibly not a classy left half in the sense that Jimmy Hay had been or Bertie Peacock would become. Rather, he was famous for his common-sense, no nonsense approach to the game, and in his strong relationships that he formed with his colleagues. He and Willie Lyon were clearly one of a kind, and he was a good deputy for Willie, whereas several others needed to be nursed and humoured. Johnny Crum, for all his gallus Glasgow patter, was underneath it all, rather insecure and needed cossetted, Malky MacDonald and Frank Murphy needed a little reassurance as well, while the prodigious Delaney needed to be ignored and allowed to do his thing.

When war came along George joined the RAF

Great football teams need a great deal of positive dynamics in their group. In the old days, Maley provided that. Now that he had sunk into morose and paranoid self-pity, the optimism and cheerfulness had to come from somewhere else. McMenemy, Lyon and Paterson provided that – but so too did the sustained success on the field.

When war came along George joined the RAF, but still played for Celtic whenever he could as well as “guesting” for several English clubs including Leicester City, Wolves, Blackpool and Arsenal. It was a shame that his departure from the club in 1946 was so controversial and so unfair.

Referee not unknown for a fondness for strong drink

A Victory Cup in June 1946 had been arranged to celebrate the end of the war a year previously. Celtic were drawn against Rangers, and the game was refereed by a man called Matthew Dale, who had had a few controversial games in the past and who was not unknown for a fondness for strong drink.

Celtic were losing and carrying a sense of injustice, for two players had been injured by tackles which Mr Dale had done nothing about. Some players, including Paterson, had smelt drink on his breath. After a particularly outrageously wrong decision, Paterson had asked if he was OK.

He was ignored but the decisions against Celtic continued, in particular a dreadful penalty kick. Paterson picked up the ball, handed the ball to the referee and, according to some reports, invited Mr Dale to do something unlikely with it. This would have been surprising as George Paterson was a clean living person, little given to vulgarity, but Mr Dale saw fit to send him off.

Paterson never played for Celtic again

This was bad enough but then the SFA suspended him for 3 months, an extremely draconian punishment for a first offence which did not involve any kind of violence. Even Bob Kelly said that this was harsh, and in the event Paterson never played for Celtic again, leaving for Brentford before his suspension was up.

: Celtic in the Thirties, Vol One by Matt Corr.

: Celtic in the Thirties – Volume Two

It broke his heart to leave Celtic

It broke his heart to leave Celtic (in an exchange deal for Gerry McAloon) but he possibly felt that was now 32 and felt that he wanted to sample English football at the then strong going Brentford. He then featured with a variety of clubs in both Scotland and England before returning to Celtic Park to work as a coach and a trainer in 1952. He remained there until 1956 and played a valuable part in the training and preparation of the team which won the League and Cup double of 1954. He was a very popular man and even difficult characters like Charlie Tully were very appreciative of what he had done.

He had a career outside of football. He was a graduate of Glasgow University, and had a career in the movie industry on the technical side and worked for the London Film Company when he was playing for Brentford. He emigrated to New Zealand and died there on Christmas Day 1985.

David Potter