Living the Dream in the 1950s – Celtic’s Billy Craig who recently turned 90 | OneFootball

Living the dream in the Fabulous Fifties!

Peter Goldie (left) – Billy Craig (right). Photo Matt Corr

A slightly belated happy 90th birthday to Billy Craig, Celtic’s eldest cup-finalist.

Well, that was a huge weekend for those of us with Celtic in our blood, as the Hoops turned in a sensational display to tear previously unbeaten Aberdeen apart with a 6-0 win at Hampden and qualify for a seventh League Cup final in nine years.

It was also a very special weekend for a man who knows all about Celtic, Hampden and cup finals. Billy Craig turned 90 years young on Friday, 1 November, 48 hours before that thrilling performance from Brendan Rodgers’ men. Since New Year’s Day 2019, Billy has been the sole survivor of the 22 players who ran down the Hampden tunnel in front of 133,000 spectators for the Scottish Cup final of April 1956 between Celtic and Hearts.

As often happens, I stumbled upon Billy’s story almost by accident.

Back in the spring of 2023, I was working on a book covering Celtic in the 1930s, with the unmatched combination of triumphs and tragedies that involved, which was actually published last week. With the main block of research and writing complete, I was adding a few finishing touches, one of which involved compiling a list of ‘future Celts’ who were born in that decade. I picked up on Billy, who was shown in reference books as being born in 1936 but that didn’t quite fit in with the timeline.

I was aware that Billy had married Sean Fallon’s sister Myra, so I checked with Sean junior, a friend of mine from his time at Celtic FC Foundation. Sure enough, Sean confirmed with his Uncle Billy that his correct date of birth was 1 November 1934 and said he would be up for a chat about his time at Celtic. I’m also friendly with Peter Goldie, a contemporary of Billy’s at Celtic Park, and thought the two gents might enjoy a wee catch-up together. A few phone calls and e-mails later, we have a lunch date at Billy’s Ayrshire home, the outcome of which was an article for The Celtic Star headed When Peter met Billy…a tale of two Celts reunited.

William Paul Craig was born in Shettleston in the shadow of Celtic Park on Thursday, 1 November 1934. He was educated at St Joseph’s College in Dumfries, the final resting place of Brother Walfrid, where he built up a reputation as a fantastic sprinter. Billy was playing with St Anthony’s when he was given a trial and signed provisionally by Celtic at the end of September 1953, the 18-year-old winger staying with the Govan junior side until the summer of 1955 when he received the call-up to senior football at Parkhead. He would meet Peter Goldie for the first time as the squad assembled for pre-season, both young hopefuls captured together in an iconic photo taken before the public trial match at Celtic Park in August 1955.

The Celtic players line-up ahead of the pre-season Public Trial in August 1955. Billy Craig is standing fourth from left in the middle row and Peter Goldie is a further three to the right.

Billy would receive his first-team debut the following month, as Celts opened up their League campaign against Falkirk at Brockville on Saturday, 10 September 1955. That would be the first of nine competitive appearances he made in the Hoops, so one for each decade so far. Let’s take a look at how Billy lived the dream in those Fabulous Fifties.

Game 1: Saturday, 10 September 1955; Scottish League; Brockville; Falkirk 3 Celtic 1

Just seven days earlier a League Cup match between the sides at the same venue had been marred by trouble both on and off the pitch, the resulting fallout from that seeing many official Celtic supporters’ clubs boycott the League match. And the previous night, Celtic had defeated Partick Thistle 2-0 at Firhill to knock the holders out of the Glasgow Cup and set up a final with Rangers later that month. Unsurprisingly, Celtic made five changes from the Firhill line-up for the following afternoon’s match in Falkirk, lining up on Billy’s big day as follows.

Neil Mochan opened the scoring for Celtic, but the Bairns hit back to win 3-1. In an era of somewhat bizarre selection decisions at Parkhead, defender Alex Boden was Billy’s right-wing partner, the first but not the last time that would happen that season.

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Game 2: Saturday, 10 March 1956; Scottish League; Bayview; East Fife 3 Celtic 0

Billy’s second Celtic appearance came at Bayview exactly six months after his debut and again ended in defeat, despite the inclusion of some of the greatest players in our history in the following line-up.

Game 3: Wednesday, 28 March 1956; Scottish League; Love Street; St Mirren 0 Celtic 2

Peter Goldie and Billy Craig played together four times competitively, the first of those being in a League match against St Mirren at Love Street on Wednesday, 28 March 1956. Four days earlier, Celtic had taken a degree of revenge for their Scottish Cup final defeat by Clyde the previous season by beating the Bully Wee 2-1 at Hampden to qualify for a third successive final, this time against either Hearts or Raith Rovers.

Peter and Billy stepped in for injured duo Sean Fallon and Jimmy Walsh as the Celts won 2-0 in Paisley on the night a young Tommy Bryceland made his St Mirren debut, thanks to second-half goals from Bertie Peacock and Neil Mochan. Hearts beat Raith Rovers 3-0 in their semi-final replay at Easter Road the same evening to set up a clash with Celtic in the final.

The Celtic side at Love Street that evening was as follows

Game 4: Tuesday, 10 April 1956; Scottish League; Celtic Park; Celtic 1 Aberdeen 1

The duo appeared together again two weeks later, this time against defending champions and League Cup-holders Aberdeen at Celtic Park on Tuesday, 10 April 1956. Billy replaced the injured Bobby Collins at inside-right to make his home debut in the following line-up.

A disappointing match ended 1-1, John McAlindon having opened the scoring for Celtic early in the second half.

Peter and Billy then appeared for 45 minutes together in a very special match on Monday, 16 April, five days before the Scottish Cup final, a 2-2 draw with newly crowned English champions Manchester United at Celtic Park. The ‘Busby Babes’ were in Glasgow to play a charity fundraiser, the Hoops lining up as follows.

Celtic’s plans to use the match as a warm-up for the upcoming Scottish Cup final were thrown into disarray by the interval, as Dick Beattie and Charlie Tully limped off to join Sean Fallon and Bobby Collins on the doubtful list for the big game. John Bonnar and Billy Craig were the replacements, as Celtic’s 2-0 lead courtesy of Neil Mochan and a Mike Haughney penalty was cancelled out by headers from Albert Scanlon and John Doherty in the closing quarter of the match. Billy recalls making a challenge on Duncan Edwards which he did not take too kindly to, the powerful Englishman threatening “to break me in half next time.”

There would be the saddest of footnotes to that night. Within two years, six of that United team would perish in the aftermath of the tragic air crash at Munich Airport, captain Roger Byrne, the entire half-back line of Eddie Colman, Mark Jones and Edwards, plus forwards Tommy Taylor and David Pegg.

Goalscorer Scanlon was one of three players from that evening who miraculously survived the crash, goalkeeper Ray Wood and striker Dennis Viollet being the others. Almost 67 years later, the events of 6 February 1958 in Munich still bring a chill to the heart.

Game 5: Saturday, 21 April 1956; Scottish Cup Final; Hampden Park; Hearts 3 Celtic 1

Hearts’ Freddie Glidden shakes hands with Celtic’s Bobby Evans before the Hearts v Celtic Scottish Cup Final at Hampden in April 1956.

Billy was included in the cup final line-up a few days later, replacing the injured John Higgins, but another bizarre team selection saw left-back Frank Meechan picked at right-back, whilst the normal occupant of that slot, Mike Haughney, was listed at inside-right to partner Billy on that flank! It was yet another example of the haphazard management style of the era, which would cost Celtic a realistic chance of success. Billy remembers it well.

Match ticket

“It was a warm, warm day at Hampden but there was no water, and my tongue was hanging out racing up and down that flank. We all expected Jim Sharkey to be playing at inside-right. He was a smashing player. Looking back, presumably Mike Haughney was stuck up front as he had a powerful shot, and perhaps the idea was that I would get to the line to pull the ball back for him to strike, but we didn’t really have any tactical discussions or explanations back then. You sort of just went out and got on with it. It was a difficult afternoon.”

Programme

For completeness, the Celtic team at Hampden on Saturday, 21 April 1956 was as follows.

Game 6: Monday, 23 April 1956; Scottish League; Firhill; Partick Thistle 2 Celtic 0

Celtic’s visit to Firhill on League duty two nights later saw Mike Haughney restored to right-back, Eric Smith to inside-right and Peter Goldie at right-half! With Sean Fallon and Frank Meechan both hurt at Hampden, former Duntocher Hibs defender Jim Kennedy made his debut at left-back. Haughney sent a passback beyond his own keeper Dick Beattie six minutes from time for Thistle’s second goal in a 2-0 defeat.

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The Celts team that night was as follows.

Game 7: Wednesday, 25 April 1956; Scottish League; Celtic Park; Celtic 0 Hibernian 3

A League campaign which had earlier promised so much concluded with a whimper 48 hours later. John Bonnar made his comeback from injury as Hibs ensured they would finish above Celtic in the League table by winning 3-0 at Parkhead, ‘Last-minute Lawrie’ Reilly becoming one of the select group of players to net a hat-trick for a visiting team at the old ground. This would be the last time Peter Goldie and Billy Craig appeared in a Celtic first team together.

Billy did not feature in the Charity Cup campaign which followed, but he was part of the Celtic party which travelled to Ireland for a short tour. He set up John McAlindon’s second goal in a 2-1 win over Coleraine on Monday, 15 May 1956, a match which saw Jock Stein stretchered off with a bad knee injury.

Billy played two matches in Celtic’s 1956/57 campaign, both in October, the month in which the Hoops would finally lay their League Cup bogey to rest by defeating Partick Thistle 3-0 in a Hampden replay. The first of those was at Brockville, where Billy’s senior career had commenced the previous autumn.

Game 8: Saturday, 13 October 1956; Scottish League; Brockville; Falkirk 0 Celtic 1

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The only goal of a tough, end-to-end battle came with 20 minutes remaining, great work from the man who would become Celtic’s League Cup-winning hero Billy McPhail setting up Bobby Collins for a tap-in. The team had lined up as follows.

Game 9: Saturday, 20 October 1956; Scottish League; Celtic Park; Celtic 1 Raith Rovers 1

With Willie Fernie and Bobby Collins on Scotland duty in Cardiff, Jimmy McGrory reshuffled his attack for the visit of high-flying Raith Rovers to Celtic Park. The Kirkcaldy side had won all of their previous away matches that season but had to settle for a draw in Glasgow’s east end, Billy McPhail having opened the scoring midway through the first half. The Celtic side that afternoon was as follows.

The international duo would return for the League Cup final the following Saturday, Billie and Eric Smith the players making way. Indeed, the draw with Raith would prove to be Billy’s last first-team appearance for Celtic, the speedy winger being freed in April 1957. Two months earlier, he had gone with teammate Sean Fallon to the Irishman’s sister Myra’s 21st birthday party, the subsequent introduction and romance ending with the marriage of the couple in 1959. By that time Billy had enjoyed a successful two-year spell with Third Lanark before joining Morton. He would end his senior career at Berwick Rangers before following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a bookmaker.

As an author, this story brings it home to me yet again how important it is that we cherish and share these memories from our club’s past and acknowledge those who created them. Peter Goldie and Billy Craig are just two of around 300 Celts who will feature in my book on the 1930s, published today, from those who signed for Celtic but perhaps never received a first-team opportunity to the legends we already revere. Those who were part of the backroom team or served on the board. It will also include those who came into the world during that time, including Billy, Peter and the first batch of Lisbon Lions, or who sadly bade farewell, either as young men in their prime or as older Celts who had played their part in our incredible history many years earlier.

Who knows, we may even have marked the 90th birthdays of Billy and Peter in a rather special way in the book!

Hail, Hail!

Matt Corr

Follow or contact Matt on Twitter @Boola_vogue

Matt Corr’s wonderful new books, Celtic in the Thirties, Volumes One & Two are both out now on Celtic Star Books and you can order a signed copies by clicking on the links below…

CELTIC IN THE THIRTIES, VOLUMES ONE & TWO BY MATT CORR – OUT NOW! Order your signed copies below…

Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books. OUT NOW!

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