Desmond White was better known in later life for being a director, then treasurer and chairman of Celtic Football Club but in his younger days, he had been well recognised as a goalkeeper.
He had a spell with Edinburgh City before joining Queen’s Park, for whom he was between the sticks on 16 April 1937 when Jimmy McGrory scored his last goal for Celtic. White became Celtic club secretary in 1940, was appointed a director in 1947 and assumed the position of chairman after the death of Sir Robert Kelly in 1971.
On this day in 1985, Desmond White died while on holiday in Crete; he was 73.
On this day in 1919, George Gillan was born. 18 years later, his senior football career started with Saltcoats Victoria, followed by moves to Arthurlie in 1938 and Alloa in 1939. On 7 August 1940, George was signed on a loan deal by Celtic and in that season of 1940-41, he made 30 appearances for the club, winning a Glasgow Cup medal on 28 September 1940, when the Hoops beat Rangers 1-0 in the final at Ibrox.
Celtic apparently wanted to make the loan deal a permanent one but it was Motherwell who put up the money and George Gillan became a Steelman in August 1941.
Jim Craig
