“Willie O’Neill was a remarkable man and a genuine Celt!” David Potter

For a man who played less than 100 games for the club, and was only very briefly for half a season (August – December 1966) considered to be a first team regular, it is odd that Willie O’Neill is still considered a real Celtic hero. And yet when he died in 2011, the Celtic community was plunged into grief for the loss of someone who was considered very much to be one of their own. He was a couple of years with Carlisle United, but struggled with an injury there and in any case, as he himself admitted, his heart was never with him in Carlisle. It never really strayed far from the east end of Glasgow.

He was born in 1940 and joined the club in 1959 from St Anthony’s. He had played for a couple of seasons in the reserves, was generally agreed to be making good progress, but full backs were not really needed at Celtic Park because of Dunky MacKay and Jim Kennedy who were regarded as being one of the better departments of that fast developing 1961 team.

But then Destiny summoned Willie O’Neill. Following the Scottish Cup final 0-0 draw with Dunfermline, Jim Kennedy suddenly took ill with appendicitis, (by an odd coincidence, Dunfermline’s Tommy McDonald had gone down with the same complaint before the first game) and O’Neill was summoned. Historians are divided on the wisdom of this choice.

The veteran Bertie Peacock had been allowed to go to Italy to play for Northern Ireland. He might have been recalled, John Clark might have then been pushed back to play at left back rather than left half, and Peacock’s experience might have been invaluable against a team managed by his old friend Jock Stein whose mind Bertie knew well.

But O’Neill was given the nod. Not many players are given a Scottish Cup final for a debut, but O’Neill was entrusted with this mighty task. It could not have been said that the 20 year old O’Neill played badly – the deficiencies lay further up the field – but there was to be no “dream come true” story for Willie that night, as Stein’s professional Dunfermline with an inspired and lucky goalkeeper, beat Celtic 2-0. For anyone connected with the club, that night remains an agonising memory for supporters who were at that murky Hampden or who listened to the painful and tantalising radio broadcast.

Willie then disappears for a spell – in and out of the team to cover for injuries and failing to grab the left back spot when Jim Kennedy moved to left half, leaving a vacancy at left back which was filled by Tommy Gemmell rather than Willie. We next really hear of Willie in summer 1966 in the USA. Jim Craig was left behind to do his dentistry exams, Ian Young returned early to Scotland to get married and the only two full backs were Tommy Gemmell and Willie O’Neill, both left backs.

But Tommy was willing to try anything and moved to the right where he was also encouraged to move up and “have a go” now and again, while Willie the defensive minded left sided player stayed back. So successful was this move that Stein persevered with it, until a bad day at Tannadice on Hogmanay 1966 made him realise that Tommy Gemmell was really a left back, and that Jim Craig was an excellent right back.

Thus, through no real fault of his own, Willie was ousted – with grateful thanks, as it were – but he remained always available, if required.

Mention must be made, of course, of his goal line clearance at Hampden in the League Cup final against Rangers when he appeared from nowhere to save the day, and earned a pat on the head from Ronnie Simpson as the team lined up for the corner kick. It was his only real big Hampden appearance, and one has to wonder what might have happened in 1967 if that one had gone in? Things might have been different.

He was also given a different and unusual job by Jock Stein – that of sitting beside Jimmy Johnstone on aeroplanes to tell him jokes, keep him happy and prevent Jimmy from freaking out because of his fear of flying! Willie had a great sense of humour – very dry and straight faced most of the time – and his talent was needed. No doubt he told the old ones about how he wasn’t really afraid of flying… but crashing really upset him! Or in answer to the questions about how often do these planes crash, “just the once” normally!

It was a shame that he did not play oftener, but his contribution to Celtic did not stop when his playing career was over. He worked in Baird’s Bar in the Gallowgate as a barman where he could always be relied upon to cheer everyone up. On one occasion after the team had defeated Rangers, he showered everyone with champagne as they came in the door. Now that doesn’t happen very often to anyone in pubs!

But then again Willie O’Neill was a remarkable man! And a genuine Celt!

David Potter

About Author

David was a distinguished Celtic author and historian and writer for The Celtic Star. He lived in Kirkcaldy and followed Celtic all my life, having seen them first at Dundee in March 1958. He was a retired teacher and his other interests were cricket, drama and the poetry of Robert Burns. David Potter passed away on 29 July 2023 after a short illness. He was posthumously awarded a Special Recognition award by Celtic FC at the club's Player of the Year awards in May 2024. David's widow Rosemary accepted the award to huge applause from the Celtic Supporters in the Hydro.

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