Kenneth Brannan says he enjoyed a July article, which asked if any non-Scots were involved during the Celtic’s nine in a row era.
He continued: “I am not a Celtic fan. However, I acknowledge they had a great team during Jock Stein’s reign as manager.
“He deserved a knighthood and never got the recognition that he deserved.”
Returning to the original query, Kenneth went on: “Although he did not actually play during Celtic’s nine-in-a-row era, Sean Fallon, who was born in the Republic of Ireland, was very much a non-Scot who was an integral part of Celtic’s success under Stein. He was Stein’s right-hand man.
“Fallon’s powers of persuasion were often called upon to secure the signatures of promising young players who would go on to become Celtic legends, such as David Hay, Danny McGrain, Kenny Dalglish and Pat Bonner.
“When Jock Stein (and Bob Shankly – and both of their wives) suffered severe injuries in a near-fatal car crash in 1975, Fallon took over as caretaker-manager of Celtic until Stein came back to duty a year or so later.
“Fallon was asked to unfurl the league flag at Celtic Park on August 4, 2012, but, sadly, died in January the following year, aged 90.”
Staying with Celtic, our June 30 edition mentioned Parkhead icon Bertie Auld signed for the club on two different occasions.
Lochee resident Andy Walker begged to differ.
Andy’s offering is a trifle pedantic, but quite revealing in another way.
“Bertie Auld actually ‘signed’ for Celtic on three occasions,” said Andy, a lifelong Celtic fan.
“When he was first signed by Celtic, he was put out to Dumbarton on loan for season 1956-57.
“There was no on-loan agreements in place in those days, so he actually had to sign a proper form for Dumbarton.
“At the end of the agreed loan term, he signed once again for Celtic. Then it was off to Birmingham, then returned to Celtic in 1965, putting pen to paper for a third time.”
Andy continued: “Around the same time, Celtic’s Charlie Tully was invited to play for Rangers in a testimonial game.
“Again, the only way he could do this was to ‘sign’ for Rangers, then be ‘transferred’ back to Celtic. This was done.
“In later years, Charlie used to mischievously sign his autograph ‘Charlie Tully . . . Celtic, Rangers and Ireland’!”
When you talk to Andy, he gets on a roll, and there’s no stopping him.
His other piece of information in this particular conversation concerned a recent massive game in the city, and he continued: “When Lochee United played Auchinleck Talbot at Thomson Park in the semi-final second leg of the Scottish Junior Cup, it was 50 years exactly to the day when near- neighbours Lochee Harp lost to eventual winners Johnston Burgh in the last four of the national competition.”
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