Part 1: “Someone pressed a switch…but the switch was called Willie Fernie”…
New Year’s Day 1954 saw Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in a game that was far more one-sided than it seemed and effectively ended Rangers season, with more and more questions being asked about the aged Struth at the helm at Ibrox.
Fernie once again starred, but the gilt was taken off the gingerbread by the events the following day at Pittodrie when they went down 0-2 to a good Aberdeen side. They then lost to Raith Rovers and Hearts and things were beginning to look bleak until, as it were, someone pressed a switch, but the switch was called Willie Fernie.
On Saturday, 6 February 1953, Celtic went down 2-3 to Hearts at Tynecastle. They ought to have done better, but it meant that Hearts were now eight points clear of Celtic. But crucially, Celtic had games in hand, as indeed had Rangers. Basically, all it needed was for one team to go on a run, and the League would be theirs. Celtic had nine games left. They won them all, and predictably, as often happens when you go on an unbeaten run, your challengers are affected by this and begin to drop points, even when you are not actually playing them! Hearts in particular wilted in the face of this onslaught.
Dundee, East Fife, Airdrieonians, Partick Thistle, Stirling Albion, St Mirren, Falkirk, Hibs and Hamilton were the teams who were swept aside, all by more than one goal, as the Celtic juggernaut roared into action. Goals were lost at the back, but the forward line of Higgins, Fernie, Fallon (replacing the injured McPhail), Tully and Mochan took off.
Sean Fallon, normally a full back and the last man one would have thought of as a striker, silenced his doubters by scoring goals, Neil Mochan was similarly effective, Higgins was a superb revelation on the wing, Tully was simply Tully, but the man who was making it all happen for Celtic was Willie Fernie, who now added goal scoring to his already extensive repertoire.
He was such a dominant player. He wanted the ball (always a good sign in a football player) and the rest of the team were particularly keen to give the ball to him, and he was well supported by the excellent wing halves Bobby Evans and Bertie Peacock.
If there was any criticism of the team it was in the defence, but the support who had been so depressed after the Tynecastle result in early February slowly became more and more animated and even confident that the Scottish League might be coming to Celtic Park for the first time since 1938.
Captain Stein assessed the situation and radiated confidence, his close relationship to McGrory and Kelly guaranteeing that he had at least some input into team selection. Reverses to opponents helped, and two Wednesday evening results at difficult grounds of St Mirren and Falkirk in early April meant that the League could be won at Easter Road on the 17th of that month.
A crowd of over 50,000 seemed to be crammed into Easter Road that spring day, knowing that a win would guarantee Celtic the Scottish League. Celtic clearly meant business, for Mochan scored in the first minute and after that Celtic never looked back.
Mochan scored again, and then Higgins made it 3-0 and the joy of the Celtic fans was complete, but no-one was happier than the artist of it all, Willie Fernie, the man who had made all things possible. Willie himself, always a team man, would never have claimed any more credit than anyone else but in the opinion of the Press and the supporters, Willie was “the bhoy.” Seldom had Edinburgh seen such rejoicing as the Celtic fans sang and danced all their way to Princes Street and Waverley Station.
“There’s not a team like the Glasgow Celtic! No, not one – and there never has been one!”
David Potter
READ THIS…Putting on the Style – David Potter on his reasons for writing Willie Fernie’s biography
*An extract from David Potter’s forthcoming book Willie Fernie Putting on the Style, published on 6 May 2022 by Celtic Star Books. This official biography is supported by the Fernie family who have been outstanding in their support and cooperation. Putting on the Style is co-written by David Potter, covering Willie Fernie’s spells at Celtic and his career after hanging up his boots while John McCue writes about Willie Fernie’s spell at Middlesbrough. You can order a signed copy using the link below this short video…
