A number of Celtic players have only managed two games for the club, men like centre-forward Thomas Allan, who played twice between 1910 and 1913; Jimmy Crozier in 1928/1929; Willie Brown at the end of the 1st World War; Jimmy Docherty in 1955; Sammy Henderson in the 1960s; Jim McInally in the 1980s and Mark Fotheringham in the early 2000s.
On this day in 1954, the Celtic team which ran out at Parkhead to face Dundee contained an inside-right called Jimmy Rowan, who had, until that summer, been a fitter with Harland and Wolff.
Celtic won easily that day, the goals coming from a Mike Haughney penalty in 30 minutes, a shot by Willie Fernie seven minutes after half-time and then Jimmy Rowan himself made the score sheet, the fourth in the 4-1 win coming from an OG.
Jimmy Rowan made only one more appearance for the Hoops, but played on at various clubs till 1968, when he went into management at East Stirling.
When Jimmy Rowan was dismissed from that post in August 1971, a young man called Alex Ferguson took over.
I wonder what became of him?
Born on this day at Shettleston, Glasgow, in 1929, centre-half Willie Toner joined Celtic from Queen’s Park Strollers just before his National Service in February 1948, going on to make two appearances for the club over the following three seasons.
Willie then moved south to Sheffield United but soon came back to Scotland, where he signed for Kilmarnock, then under the guidance of ex-Celt Malcolm McDonald.
While at Rugby Park, Willie got two caps for Scotland and in 1962, became chairman of the Scottish Professional Footballers Association.
Willie Toner passed away at the age of 69 on 16 March 1929.
Jim Craig
