7. The Celtic Star of the Decade – 1950-1959 – Bobby Evans..
“Evans, as usual, was superb”. One loses count of the amount of times that one reads that sentence in a newspaper report of either a Celtic or a Scotland game.
He was born in 1927, and in a lengthy Celtic career from 1944 until 1960, Evans played 384 times for Celtic and he was also capped 48 times for Scotland.
Instantly recognised by his bright red hair and his habit of wearing his jersey outside his pants (even though this seemed to be infringing Mr Kelly’s strict football dress code!), Evans was a regular feature of the Celtic scene, playing either at right half and being part of a half back line of Evans, Boden and Baillie, or Evans, Stein and Peacock or when Stein retired, moving to centre half an becoming part of Fernie, Evans and Peacock.
He had started off as inside left when he joined Celtic from St Anthony’s but was moved to right half in 1948 just before the infamous “relegation match” at Dens Park where Celtic saved themselves from the drop.
From then on, that position was his own, arguably his two best games being the Scottish Cup final of 1951 when Celtic at long last won the trophy after 14 years and the Coronation Cup final of 1953, when he, Jock Stein and goalkeeper Johnnie Bonnar tamed Hibs “Famous Five” forward line.
A total professional, he made no bones about the fact that he did not always get on with Charlie Tully, and on one famous occasion before the 7-1 game, they came to blows and had to be separated. They both however made it up and played superbly in the demolition of Rangers. Evans won 2 Scottish Cup medals, 2 Scottish League Cup medals and one Scottish League medal – a poor return for a man who had carried Celtic for so many years.
Yet there is an air of mystery about him as well. There are probably three questions to which one would like an answer, however.
1. Why was he suddenly sacked from the captaincy in mid-Atlantic (no kidding!) in summer 1957?
2. Why did he move to Chelsea in 1960 when it seemed sensible to finish his career with Celtic?
3. And why did Jock Stein conspicuously NOT offer him a job in 1965 in the backroom?
He was a marvellous player, and much loved by the Celtic fans. His last years after he gave up football were unhappy ones, and he died in 2001.
David Potter
Some additional reading about Bobby Evans on The Celtic Star…
Jim Craig – Bobby Evans, Celtic’s Forgotten Hero…see HERE.
Bobby Evans, a Celtic treasure, a forgotten hero….see HERE.
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