David Potter was a sports writer who had published more than 20 books on football and cricket, and as a Celtic supporter he had a great emphasis in his works on Celtic.
His catalogue of work encompassed works on classic players from generations back (e.g. Sunny Jim Young and Tommy McInally) but also on recent eras as well including one on Celtic Park too. The greatest aspect was the academic rigour and quality of his works which are quite humbling, but he also found great anecdotes that are highly entertaining and informative on the subjects of his work.
A very prolific writer, he helped to provide information via his works which made his books an indispensable foundation for many others’ articles & reports.
Not afraid either of going against the grain, he had the courage to call a spade a spade and would provide opinions on issues with facts even if other Celtic fans have their old long held beliefs attacked (e.g. on Celtic players and caps awarded). He had no wish to pander to anyone, and instead be iconoclastic when the facts clearly provided the point.
A very fine writer too, there are many who enjoy his niche works which without him would have long passed the rest of us by in the footnotes of Celtic’s club history. He helped to bring back to the forefront of the support the wonderful characters in the club’s history and the environments surrounding them. If anything, you felt as if you were stepping back in time in their shoes, and that was a wonderful skill. David Potter’s catalogue of work helped to deconstruct Celtic down to the ground, and illustrated to the support the human side as much as the football side of the people and the club. Sometimes the stories can even touch you.
Many of those within Celtic hisorian circles are in debt to his work, and his books helped reignite interest in the club’s history away from the standard tentpole events.
As a supporter, he was a keen supporters & match attendee, and was a stalwart on the bus run by the Joseph Rafferty CSC Kirkcaldy.
By background he was a former teacher of Spanish and Classics at Glenrothes High School, he was also a part-time classics teacher at Osborne House School in Dysart, but now the same role at Kirkaldy High School. He lived with his wife Rosemary in Kirkcaldy.
He also commentated on football matches for Kirkcaldy’s hospital radio service and also wrote for the programmes for Celtic, Forfar Athletic and Raith Rovers.
It’s not just football that is his interest, but he has also umpired cricket matches in the summer and is a scorer for Falkland Cricket Club. His other passion was drama and he wrote a history of Kirkcaldy’s Auld Kirk Players.
Long into retirement, David Potter continued his ceaseless run of books. Not only a wonderful author, he also presented at events run by the ‘Celtic Graves Societies’, and with his great accent and knack for finding an interesting anecdote, it was a joy to listen to him.
He didn’t just write books, but also assisted everyone. The list is countless of all those (including this writer) who has been given invaluable help on sourcing any information on Celtic from his infinite fountain of knowledge of the club. David Potter was invaluable, helpful & selfless in all correspondence with his him. A truly humble man.
Notably, by background he was of Scottish Protestant descent, and had said that he had followed in the footsteps of his earlier family members. That is a key note as another example that demonstrates that the ties that have long binded the support to Celtic to Scotland has not alone been an Irish-emigrant monopoly.
He passed away in July 2023, after a short illness.
We were all so proud to have David Potter as a member of the Celtic family, and even more so as a great Celtic historian on a par with the the likes of Campbell & Woods.
He was a man who & its history, and some of us would argue that there was not anyone more knowledgeable of our club than him.
JoeBloggsCity – The Celtic Wiki
READ THIS FROM MATT CORR…David Potter’s incredible legacy – The priceless gift you leave for the Celtic family
💚 Everyone at the Club is saddened to hear of the passing of #CelticFC historian and author, David Potter.
Our thoughts and prayers are with David’s family at this extremely sad time 🍀 pic.twitter.com/7SjnqhQuoD
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 31, 2023
