The career of Ronnie Simpson defied belief…
The son of Jimmy Simpson of Rangers, he started off playing for Queen’s Park at the end of World War Two before he reached his 15th birthday.
While still an amateur he played in the 1948 Olympic Games, then turned professional and moved to Third Lanark, then on to Newcastle United for whom he won two FA Cup medals and played in the same team as Jackie Milburn and Bobby Mitchell.
He then at the end of his career (as it seemed) moved to Hibs, but by the time Jock Stein arrived in 1964 he was struggling to keep his place and moved on to Celtic in autumn 1964. This was a surprise and could only really be seen as a cover for injuries. But then he was given his debut (against Barcelona!) in November 1964 and gained his place on a permanent basis a year later.
He played a significant part in Lisbon (a few weeks after he had won his first Scotland international cap in the famous 3-2 game at Wembley) and subsequent triumphs and it was only a bad shoulder injury in 1969 which compelled him to retire.
He was Manager of Hamilton Accies and became the goalkeeper coach for Dunfermline. He also was a Conservative Councillor in Edinburgh! He died in 2004 after a barely credible life.
David Potter
*Article from by the late, great David Potter from The Celtic Star archives.
READ THIS…Mystery of Ronnie Simpson’s jersey from a special afternoon
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The 1948 Olympics in London, featured two goalkeepers, Kevin McAlinden of Belfast Celtic, one of the three players seriously injured in that hatefest at Windsor Park. The other goalkeeper as you say was Ronnie “Faither” Simpson who it was said was appointed on Matt Busby’s recommendation @ just 17 years of age.
Selected as good enough to play for the UK at just 17 in 1948, but it wasn’t until 1967 that he received his first cap for Scotland, must have been some great goalkeepers in Scotland then. It was said that Ronnie was an unusual keeper who used every part of his body including knees, legs and whoops a daisy to keep the ball out of the net, like #67 In The Heat Of Lisbon, when he dribbled, backheeled and dummied the ball out from the back. RIP ‘Faither’ and thank you for those wonderful memories.