David Potter’s Celtic Player of the Day, No.25 – Charlie Gallagher

In the purest footballing sense, Charlie Gallagher was one of Celtic’s best ever players. A brilliant passer of a ball, and with a brilliant wiggle of the hips to avoid a charge from a coarse defender, Charlie’s delicate frame was deceptive, for he was a tough competitor with a cannonball shot on occasion.

Charlie Gallagher? What a Player 

He had the misfortune to be around in the early 1960s when things did not go so well for the club, including the awful Scottish Cup final in 1961, but he emerged through it all to take the famous corner kick from which Billy McNeill propelled Celtic to glory.

Two years later he did the same against Vojvodina. Sadly he missed out on Lisbon itself, but 1968 was rightly called Gallagher’s Championship as the team came from behind with marvellous away wins at Dundee United, Hearts, St Johnstone and Aberdeen to lift the flag.

 

It was a shame that he was in the same team as so many other fine players, for it meant that he could not command a regular place.

Charlie won two caps with Eire, and after he left Celtic, he also played for Dumbarton in a team which came close to beating Celtic in a League Cup semi final. In later years he was a regular attender at Celtic Park, remaining the modest and lovable man that he had always been.

Charlie Gallagher? What a Player!

David Potter

Charlie Gallagher? What a Player!
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About Author

David was a distinguished Celtic author and historian and writer for The Celtic Star. He lived in Kirkcaldy and followed Celtic all my life, having seen them first at Dundee in March 1958. He was a retired teacher and his other interests were cricket, drama and the poetry of Robert Burns. David Potter passed away on 29 July 2023 after a short illness. He was posthumously awarded a Special Recognition award by Celtic FC at the club's Player of the Year awards in May 2024. David's widow Rosemary accepted the award to huge applause from the Celtic Supporters in the Hydro.

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