Gallaghers and the Glasgow Celtic F.C. Connection.
Gallaghers – With Celtic from the Start
1888: The First — Paddy Gallagher
Paddy Gallagher was one of the earliest Gallaghers associated with Glasgow Celtic.
In 1888, Celtic lured him away from Hibernian, along with a number of other players. The move came shortly after Hibernian had won the Scottish Cup in 1887 and defeated Preston North End, the famed “Invincibles”, for the Association Football Championship of the World.
Paddy played as No. 4 for Celtic from 1888–1889 through to the 1892–93 season.
Note: In one League match on 20 August 1892, the No. 7 player was reported as A. Gallagher.
Does anyone know who this player might have been?
Patsy Gallagher — “The Mighty Atom”
Born in No. 1 Bridge Street, Ramelton, Co. Donegal, in 1893, Patsy Gallagher served his trade as a shipwright before joining Celtic Football Club in 1911.
- Position: No. 8, Inside Right
- Appearances: 432
- Goals: 187
In 1926, Patsy transferred from Celtic to Falkirk for £1,500, after Celtic deemed him “past it” and offered only the minimum wage. He continued playing with Falkirk until 1932.
Patsy Gallagher — “The Maradona of His Age”
Celtic, Scottish Cup Winners 1914
(Patsy Gallagher is second from the left, front row)
Patsy Gallagher’s Honours
Scottish Cup
- 1911
- 1913
- 1922
- 1924
League Championships
- 1913
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1918
- 1921
- 1925
Glasgow Cup
- 1911
- 1912
- 1913
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1919
- 1920
- 1923
- 1925
International Honours
v. Scotland
- 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927
v. England
- 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925
v. Wales
- 1923, 1924, 1925
Other
- Irish Free State v. Spain — 1931
- Scottish Tour of Canada — 1927
Magic Moment — Scottish Cup Final 1925
From “The World’s Greatest Soccer Player, Patsy Gallagher”:
“Dundee were leading 1–0 and despondency was creeping into the fans when Patsy, as so often before, produced a moment of pure elation. Getting the ball just inside the Dundee half, he rolled past challenge after challenge, sometimes appearing in danger of toppling over as he swerved and swayed dangerously close to the ground.
No Dundee boot or body could stop him as he veered, sure-footed as a young deer, towards their goalmouth. Finally, a desperate tackle grounded him inside the six-yard box. For an instant it seemed his brave effort was at an end — but the ball remained between his feet.
A quick somersault later, both Patsy and the ball ended up in the Dundee net for the most unorthodox goal ever seen in a Scottish Cup Final.
“There was something magical — out of this world — about it,” the Dundee players said. “It was the greatest feat of skill and determination we had ever seen on a football field.”
Patsy Gallagher was 32 years old at the time.
“Anyone who treated Gallagher badly got his own medicine back — and the bigger they were, the harder they fell.”
Other Gallaghers
Hughie Gallagher
Hughie Gallagher starred for Airdrie around 1923–24, helping them win the Cup and finish runner-up in the First Division four times. He also played for Scotland, Newcastle United, and Chelsea.
Tommy and Willie Gallagher
Tommy Gallagher (Dundee) and Willie Gallagher (Celtic, Inside Left) — sons of Patsy — famously played against each other in 1948.
Charlie Gallagher
With strong family ties to Donegal, Charlie Gallagher was provisionally signed by Celtic on 25 September 1958, making his full debut on 6 March 1959, the same day Jock Stein signed him as a full professional.
He is best remembered for his role in the legendary “Lisbon Lions” squad that won the 1967 European Cup Final.
Although the iconic final team is remembered as:
Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, and Lennox —
many others played key roles during the campaign.
- European Cup Appearances:
- Charlie Gallagher: 2
- Willie O’Neill: 4
- John Hughes: 5
- Joe McBride: 2 (2 goals)
Charlie played in European matches against Nantes and Vojvodina (Belgrade), setting up the winning goal against Vojvodina with a superb pass to Billy McNeill.
International Recognition
In 1967, Charlie became the first Scottish-born player to represent the Republic of Ireland, playing against Turkey in Ankara on 22 February 1967.
Later Career
Charlie remained with Celtic for over ten years, making:
- 171 total appearances
- 32 goals
- 106 Scottish League appearances
- 13 European games
He transferred to Dumbarton F.C. on 1 May 1970, retiring from playing in April 1973.
He later worked as a scout for Celtic (1976–1978) and subsequently became a taxi driver in Glasgow.
At the beginning of his professional career, Charlie earned £45 per week — a far cry from today’s football wages.
A Footballing Family Legacy
Charlie’s cousin, Pat Crerand, was also part of a European Cup–winning side, playing for Manchester United when they lifted the trophy in 1968, one year after Celtic’s triumph.