In compiling this section on the history of The Celtic Boys Club to date, the author has researched various publications and newspapers. We would like to acknowledge their contribution and thank them for it. We apologise in advance for any errors or omissions. We will continually update the history as appropriate. Permission to use photographs has been requested where appropriate and the author was able to do so.
In November 1990, ‘Scottish Football Today’ published an article on The Celtic Boys Club some of which we have reproduced here. The article was written at a time when the New Firm were considered the dominant force in Scottish football when it came to producing home grown talent for the senior game. The author, Charles Stewart, put forward an alternative view. We have added the photographs.
New Firm clubs, Aberdeen and Dundee United are the names first to the lips of anyone discussing the development of young talent in the Scottish game; but the suggestion they leave the rest trailing can reasonably be challenged by Celtic.
The Club from the East End of Glasgow can justifiably claim to have produced as many quality players – and by far the outstanding talents – of the past couple of decades.
The Celtic side which thoroughly demolished Dundee United in the Skol Cup semi-final, -even discounting John Collins and Joe Miller, who were Celtic Boys Club players but only found ‘Paradise’ after big money moves – contained no fewer than FIVE players who joined the Club direct from the Boys’ Club. They were Scottish Internationalists Paul McStay, Peter Grant & Derek Whyte; U21 star Steve Fulton and Gerry Creaney.
The critics point to the fact that such exhilarating talents as Miller and Collins were somehow missed by the Celtic scouting system, as the biggest crime of all. The two can be joined on the ‘slipped the net’ list by such as Alan Brazil ( Ipswich Town ), Pat Nevin ( Chelsea ) and, current Motherwell captain, Tom Boyd.
The criticism cannot be avoided; what it cannot be, however, is a criticism of The Celtic Boys Club. It will be all the better if the lesson has been learned and such talent is never again allowed to slip the net.
The Celtic Boys Club was founded in 1966 with permission from the late Sir Robert Kelly and Jock Stein. Mr Stein, then Manager of Celtic FC, took an increasing interest in the newly-formed Club and it was decided that the Boys Club should be given full facilities at Barrowfield. It was the Club’s Chief Scout, John Higgins, who suggested that the link should be strengthened. He wanted the Boys Club to operate an under-16 side in which boys signed by Celtic could be introduced to "the Celtic way" and filter through the system. The future success of the Boys Club was probably secured when Frank Cairney was appointed General Manager in 1970. Cairney was about to be appointed Assistant Manager at Hamilton when Higgins suggested to Stein that he be given charge of the Boys Club under-16 side. Cairney’s brief was to develop and recruit players for Celtic FC. Higgins, a member of the Celtic double-winning side captained by Jock Stein in the early 1950’s, had been brought to Celtic Park by Sir Robert Kelly and appointed Chief Scout by Stein. He was responsible for signing most of the " Quality Street Kids" like Dalglish, McGrain, Hay, Macari and Connelly.
Charlie Nicholas and Paul McStay are arguably the most gifted players to arrive on the Scottish scene in the past decade and the Celtic Boys Club was also responsible for such magnificent talents as Tommy Burns, George McCluskey, Roy Aitken and Jim McInally as well.
The Celtic Boys Club role of honour is as long as it is impressive in terms of the quality of player produced. The first Celtic team player to come through the ranks was Andy Ritchie, later to become Scottish Footballer of the Year. Next on the scene was Tommy Burns from a side which also contained Jim Casey and Jim Murphy.
The following year saw the arrival of George McCluskey and Peter Mackie before the side which boasted Roy Aitken and John McCluskey, the immensely talented younger brother of George, whose career was sadly ended by serious injury.
Charlie Nicholas eventually exploded on the scene from the following year’s side which also included Mark Reid, Danny Crainie and Willie McStay. Peter Shields, who joined Hearts, and Forfar’s Ray Lorimer came through a year later and 1978/79’s team included Pat Nevin and Jim McInally.
David Moyes and David Kenny were next followed by Paul McStay’s 1980/81 team. McStay and teammates Paul Nicholas and Ronnie Coyle all played for Scotland ’s schoolboys in the famous 5-4 win at Wembley while another team member was Tosh McKinlay.
The following year’s team, captained by Peter Grant, included Owen Archdeacon and Tommy Boyd, Dougie Mills (Queen of the South) and Raymond Deans (Chelsea). Indeed, all 13 members of that side got their chance to make the grade in senior football.
1982/83 saw a Celtic BC side containing Tony Shepherd, Chris McCart, John Traynor, Dougie McGuire and Jimmy Boyle …
then came the team that included Joe Miller, Stevie Kean and Derek Mills.
Derek Whyte, Tommy McEntaggart, Alex Mathie and Peter Feeney joined Celtic from the 1984/85 team as did Raymond McStay and Gerry Creaney a year later.
Steve Fulton, Gerry Britton and Mark McNally came from the 1986/87 side and Sean McBride from the team of 1987/88.
Brian O’Neil, Mark Donaghy, Peter Cheney , Billy Dolan, Jim Beattie and Kenny Campbell stepped up in 1989.
With thanks to ‘Scottish Football Today’ and Charles Stewart. (November 1990)
