Charles Patrick Tully is a name etched in the folklore of Celtic Football Club and Irish football. A legend of both Celtic in Glasgow and in Belfast, the Irishman was born near the famous Falls Road.
Honoured with murals in West Belfast and now lying at rest in Milltown Cemetery, Tully was not one to be found at bonfires on the eleventh night. Instead, he lit up football pitches with his dazzling skill and entertainment. Meanwhile, he carried a charisma that earned him the title of ‘cheeky chappie’.
Tully did, however, have a celebration of his own on 11 July… and that was his birthday!
It is fitting to honour the great man’s posthumous celebrations, for the tales of Tully scoring direct from corners in the 1950s are passed through the Celtic generations like family heirlooms. He did this against England for Ireland in 1952. Then, in 1953, he wrote his name into Celtic folklore during a trip to Brockville. Celtic were awarded a corner against Falkirk that day and Tully curled it directly into the far corner of the net. The referee disallowed the strike and ordered Tully to retake. Incredibly, the Irishman just placed the ball back down and did the exact same thing again… this time it counted!
