“No Road This Way” was the unlikely nickname of Willie Loney as well as the more obvious one of “The Obliterator”. He was possibly Celtic’s best centre half until Billy McNeill came along, but the role of a centre half was slightly different for he was often called upon to be a centre forward as well, interchanging with his good friend Jimmy Quinn.
But in defence Willie was commanding, hard working, rugged, determined – all the things that a centre half should be, having the misfortune to miss three Scottish Cup finals through injury and twice breaking his arm.
He joined the club in 1900, and in 1904 the mighty half back line of Young, Loney and Hay came together and Celtic never really looked back.
He left Celtic in 1913, played briefly for Partick Thistle and Motherwell, but after the Great War, he never took any part in football again until his death in 1956.
He played twice for Scotland in 1910, won the Scottish Cup in 1904, 1908 and 1912, and of course the six League titles from 1905 until 1910.
He remained fond of football and of Celtic, and stayed in close touch with his old boss Willie Maley having the honour to escort him on to the field of Parkhead on the day of the great reconciliation of Maley with Celtic.
David Potter
