PAUL McSTAY
Paul McStay was generally recognised as being one of the best players of his day. A succession of Scotland team managers certainly thought that, for he was capped 76 times, and his paltry collection of medals (disproportionately low in comparison with his playing ability) can be explained by the undeniable fact that he came at a bad time of internal political strife and team managers who were visibly not of the Maley or Stein mould.
The best of these Managers, Billy McNeill gave him his chance in early 1982. Paul was a creative midfield player with great passing ability, an eye for goal and a clear desire to do well for the club that he loved and never left, however hard the media tried to persuade him to go.
He had first come to the world’s attention for the Scottish Schoolboys when they beat their English counterparts at Wembley in 1980, and, unlike a few of his contemporaries, Paul did live up to his promise, looking particularly good in 1982 when he very soon established himself as one of the best players in the country.
But the Nicholas fiasco of 1983 and the departure of McNeill soon after gave McStay his first taste of the problems that would beset Celtic for most of his career, namely political instability, power seeking and the club in the hands of people who knew little about football and even less about what the club meant to so many people.
Paul’s best season was of course the Centenary Season of 1987/88 when he played his full part in the glories that unfolded, but that was short-lived and after many heartbreaks, especially after he became captain in 1990, he may have thought of leaving the club in 1992, on one famous occasion at the end of the season throwing his shirt into the Jungle.
WILLIE McSTAY
Willie McStay junior was a good full back who won a Scottish Cup medal in 1985 and a League medal in 1986. On 2 April 1984 he scored a memorable long range effort in a 3-0 win over Rangers, brother Paul scoring that night also.
He managed a few teams like Sligo Rovers and Ross County and was a coach at Celtic Park.
David Potter
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…
Gary Hooper joins Wellington Phoenix on a one year deal, the former Celtic striker, who had the chance to go to Iran, opted to sign for the Kiwi side and will wear the Number 88 jersey once again…see HERE.
One Scheidt and Six Magnificently Random Celtic Stories from David Potter. The Celtic historian has been entertaining us with this brilliant feature every day since the weekend and if you’ve missed it so far, it’s well worth grabbing a coffee, sitting down and catching up, some wonderful Celtic stories in there…see HERE.
Celtic’s Bumpy Ride from BR-Exit Disarray to today’s Head of Football Operations Appointment. This brings to an end the BR-Exit debacle at Celtic and allows us to move forward. Hopefully the new man is given the elbow room to do his job without too much interference from above…read the story HERE.
