“I clearly remember the first time I heard of John Clark,” Mike Maher | OneFootball

In what was an appropriate coincidence I had just finished posting a comment on your story about Jim McGinley’s exploits in getting thousands of Celtic fans to Lisbon, and was heading for bed when my phone pinged.

It was a message in the Whats App group I share with Neil Houston, Michael Sherry and Alex Owens. We were four “Baillieston Bhoys” who had gone to Lisbon and witnessed the greatest day in Celtic’s history. And now we had learned that another of those “Lions” had died.

Generations of Celtic fans who were born in later decades still revere the Lisbon Lions and mourn the loss when any of them pass away. However for people like Neil, Michael, Alex and myself, who were fortunate enough to see these players in their prime, the memories evoked at times like these are not just about football games – there are also more personal recollections.

John Clark scores the winner in Celtic’s 1-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road in the Scottish cup replay in March 1961. Photo The Celtic Wiki

I clearly remember the first time I heard of John Clark. Wednesday 15 March 1961. On the previous Saturday my father had taken my brother Gerry and myself to Celtic Park for the Cup Quarter Final tie against Hibs. Celtic never challenged for the title in those years and this was reflected in the average league attendance which was under 20,000. The Cup was different though. On that day there was a crowd of 56,000. I had to stand on my tiptoes at times to see the game and in fact relied on the roar of the crowd to confirm that a late shot from Stevie Chalmers had gone into the net to give us a replay at Easter Road.

Being a school day on the Thursday meant that Gerry and I were in our beds before the game finished. Not that we were sleeping as we discussed what was likely happening through in Edinburgh. Eventually we heard the bedroom door softly open. Dad came into the room and told us the great news – Celtic had won 1-0! “Guess who scored ” he asked.

We started off with the obvious candidates – “John Hughes?, Stevie Chalmers? Willie Fernie?” All of these were met with a shake of the head from Dad. So we moved back down the park. “Pat Crerand?, Bertie Peacock?”

“No” said Dad “Bertie was injured and didn’t even play”. In those days there were no substitutes and no bloated first team squads. If Bertie Peacock was injured then it would likely be the reserve team left half who would have taken his place. But who was he? My brother and I didn’t know so gave up answering.

John Clark, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki

“It was John Clark” Dad explained with a very satisfied smile on his face. Happy that Celtic had won and that he had stumped us with his question.

Even when Bertie Peacock recovered from his injury John kept his place in the first team for the rest of the season including a Cup Final defeat at the hands of Dunfermline, who were managed by a certain Jock Stein.

John played in the opening games of the following season but over the course of that term Billy Price began to secure the left half slot, although John did occasionally feature at right half.

1962/63 saw John’s appearances very limited. Only a couple of League games and an outing in Celtic’s very first home European tie against Valencia. That was an unfortunate occasion for John though. Celtic were awarded a penalty early on which gave them a great opportunity to reduce the two goal deficit from the first leg. There didn’t seem to be any great rush from the rest of the players to take the kick and even from our vantage point on the terracing behind the goal Dad and I could see there was a bit of nervousness from John as he stepped up to the spot. Not surprisingly the penalty was missed.

1963/64 saw John establish himself in the Celtic starting XI. This included an exciting run to the semi finals of the European Cup Winners Cup which ended in Budapest with a defeat that owed a lot to tactical naivety. At that time John was playing on the right of the half back line made up of Clark, McNeill and Kennedy which a famous song of the time told us was “the best there’s ever been “. Those of us going to the games realised though that those lyrics owed more to poetic licence and rhyme to actuality!

Celtic 3 Rangers 1 – September 1964 – A rare Celtic win over Rangers, the first in the league since 1957. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The following season John continued in his right half role. The season started reasonably well. For the first time in my Celtic supporting life we actually won our League Cup section. We even beat Rangers in a League game for the first time since 1957! However the Ibrox men beat us in the League Cup final and our League form nosedived.

The Scottish Cup was once again our only hope of silverware. By the time that tournament got underway we knew that Jock Stein would be taking over as manager. Among Big Jock’s skills was his ability to see what players were capable of doing and getting them to do it. Simple really.

I reckon that three players more than others really benefited from Big Jock’s arrival – Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch and John Clark.

John Clark, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Prior to Jock Stein, team selections could be odd. Even when we had a settled team you were never really sure of players’ roles. The first thing Jock did was to move Bobby Murdoch from inside right half and switch John Clark to left half. But for John that was not just a move to the other side of the field. Jock recognised what John’s ability was, and how best to use it for the team’s benefit.

“Luggy” wasn’t particularly fast. He did not need to be. His awareness and reading of the game more than compensated. In the 1965 Scottish Cup Final with Celtic desperate to cling on for a first Cup of 11 years it was John Clark who was in place to clear a net bound shot from Dunfermline.

John Clark in action as John Fallon gathers the ball in the 1965 Scottish Cup final win over Dunfermline. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The players and the fans celebrated that as if he had scored for Celtic. And a couple of years later, in the Estadio Nacional, when we all held our breath as Ronnie Simpson came way off his goal line to challenge an Inter player – who was there to pick up his back heel flick ? John Clark.

READ THIS…God bless John Clark, Celtic to the Core – John’s Celtic Story

John Clark in Lisbon during the 1967 European Cup Final, Celtic 2 Inter Milan 1. Photo The Celtic Wiki

In a team with many flamboyant characters John Clark may have appeared a quiet man but his impact on the team was immense. And of course he was a nice guy too.

I was lucky to have met John on several occasions. The first was at my Uncle John’s funeral in Holytown. My aunt Meg, uncle John’s wife, was from Chapelhall and was friendly with John and he had got to know my uncle and his two sons who were all big Celtic fans.

By coincidence the next time I met John was shortly after Meg’s funeral in 2000. I was back over in Scotland for a few weeks and had called into Big Billy’s pub in Torrisdale Street for a pint and a blether. Billy had to leave as he had an appointment at Celtic Park. He suggested that I come with him so we could continue our chat.

READ THIS….God bless John Clark, John the Brush – John’s Celtic Story

John Clark at training with Jock Stein watching on. Photo The Celtic Wiki

When we arrived at the Park John Clark met us and took us into the home dressing room. After expressing his condolences about Meg, he showed me around the place and after that the three of us sat in the dressing room having tea and biscuits and I was able to listen to two Lisbon Lions discussing some of their great European experiences.

In 2010 I was back on another trip this time with my son, Sean. It was his first visit to Scotland , and his first chance to see Celtic in the flesh. We had arranged to meet with Jim Craig prior to a home game with Kilmarnock and he took us into the players lounge where we met several former players including John who recalled my previous visit 15 years earlier.

READ THIS…John Clark – A life worth remembering, the key to immortality

John Clark, reminding everyone of the score in the 1967 European Cup Final in Lisbon. Photo IMAGO

And despite not being born until 1990 my son knew all about the Lisbon Lions and was thrilled to meet John and the others. The last time I met John was in 2017 at the Lisbon Anniversary Mass in St Mary’s. I managed to get a brief chat with him at the end of the service.

John’s passing is a sad moment but it also brings back so many wonderful memories. Thank you John for all you did for Celtic and for us Celtic Supporters.

Requiescat in Pace

Mike Maher – New Zealand CSC

Spurs striker Jimmy Greaves (c) challenges John Clark of Celtic during a friendly match at Hampden Park between Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic on August 5, 1967 (Photo by Don Morley/Allsport /Getty Images)

Up next on The Celtic Star – Eddie Murray’s tribute to John Clark from the Brisbane CSC, Australia.