Happy 91st birthday, Billy – One of Celtic’s Class of ’55

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The Celtic Star

·1 de noviembre de 2025

Happy 91st birthday, Billy – One of Celtic’s Class of ’55

Today marks the 91st birthday of one of our oldest former Celtic players, the lovely Billy Craig…

Born in Shettleston on 1 November 1934, Billy was signed provisionally from St Anthony’s in September 1953, the winger then called up to Celtic Park in the summer of 1955, when this iconic photograph was taken ahead of the annual public trial match. Billy is fourth from the left in the middle row wearing that magical shamrock kit.

Celtic FC – Class of 55. Photo: Via Matt Corr, The Celtic Star

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Billy made his senior debut the following month, a visit to Brockville for the opening League game of the season on Saturday, 10 September 1955. Sadly, Celts lost 3-1, despite local Bhoy Neil Mochan having opened the scoring early on.

The highlight of Billy’s nine competitive matches for Celtic took place at the end of that first season, when he lined up in the Scottish Cup final against Hearts in front of 134,000 spectators on Saturday, 21 April 1956. Again, the youngster would be disappointed, as the cup went to Gorgie for the first time in half a century following Hearts’ 3-1 victory. Billy is the only surviving player of the 22 from that afternoon and is the oldest Celt living to have played in a cup final.

Another disappointed Celt that day was Peter Goldie, who pips Billy by a few months as the oldest surviving first-team player. Born in Dumbarton on 7 June 1934, Peter joined Celtic from Duntocher Hibs in May 1953, just 24 hours after Neil Mochan signed from Middlesbrough. Within weeks, the young Goldie would stand on the Hampden terracing as a signed Celtic player watching Mochan’s rocket fly past Hibernian goalkeeper Tommy Younger to give the Hoops the lead in the Coronation Cup final before 117,000 supporters.

He would later send me photos of that moment. Like Billy, he was called up in the summer of 1955 and appears in the photo above. Powerful defender or wing-half Peter is standing seventh from the left in the middle row, just along from Billy and next to Sean Fallon. As an aside, Sean later married Billy’s sister Myra after the winger made the introduction at a family celebration.

Peter made 10 appearances in that 1955/56 season but the Scottish Cup final was the backdrop for huge personal disappointment, when despite being told a few days before the match that he would be playing, and his name appearing in the match programme, he turned up for the pre-match meal to see Eric Smith’s name against the right-half berth instead of his. Ever magnanimous, Peter insists he would have chosen Eric ahead of himself that day.

A couple of years back, I had the pleasure of meeting both men then getting them both together for a lovely, memorable afternoon.

You can read all about that meeting on the following link.

When Peter Goldie met Billy Craig – Two Celtic stars reunited

Former Celts Peter Goldie and Billy Craig meet up. Photo Matt Corr, The Celtic Star

So Peter is the oldest living first-team player and Billy the eldest to play for Celtic in a cup final, but there is a third gent in that iconic photograph whom I believe to be the oldest Celt to have signed senior forms. That man is David Duffy, who is standing fourth from left in the back row, next to Bobby Evans.

David was born in Dundee on 16 August 1932, so celebrated his 93rd birthday in the summer. He signed for Celtic from local junior outfit St Joseph’s in 1950, but National Service seriously curtailed his career at Parkhead. David finally turned professional in 1955, but he was released shortly after that Scottish Cup final of April 1956 without making a competitive first-team appearance. David’s story is captured in this link.

So just who were the Class of ‘55? Epilogue – Celtic’s David Duffy

Former Celtic player David Duffy. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Former Celtic player David Duffy. Photo The Celtic Star

There is one final gentleman I want to introduce, as recent research I carried out suggests he may be the oldest living Celt to have signed provisional forms for the club. That gent is Chris Mullen, who like Billy was playing with St Anthony’s when Jimmy McGrory offered him provisional terms in October 1950. Born on 28 August 1950, Chris is now 95 years young and is actually someone I have met several times, as he is often seen in the Sports Bar at Celtic Park happily issuing autographed bookmarks with his photo wearing the green and white Hoops of St Anthony’s.

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I have work still to do on Chris’ story, but this is as good a time as any to get his name out there.

So there you have it.

Birthday Bhoy Billy Craig and the lovely gentlemen that are Peter Goldie, David Duffy and Chris Mullen.

All men who lived the dream by signing for Celtic and still proudly celebrating that fact in their tenth decade.

They are part of the wonderful Celtic story.

God bless them all.

Hail, Hail!

Matt Corr

Follow Matt on X @Boola_vogue

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