The Celtic Star
·7 Oktober 2025
Celebrating Jim Craig who made his Celtic debut 60 years ago today
Celebrating Jim Craig who made his Celtic debut 60 years ago today | OneFootball
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60 years today, one famous Celt made his debut for the Bhoys. He went on to be renowned player – despite the fact that he has scored for Rangers against Celtic on more than one occasion!
Celtic players Jim Craig and John Clark right about to take the ball off Tommy Rae the Partick Thistle forward, during the Scottish League Division 1 match.. Celtic were bang on form again, defeating their opponents by 5 -1 on 16 October 1967. Photo Top Fotox
This man is a significant name in Celtic’s history. Not only did he enjoy major success as a player, he is also a Lisbon Lion – and a dentist! This is the story of Celtic’s Jim Craig.
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To say the least, Craig took an unusual route to becoming a Celtic hero. He was born in Govan in 1943, in the midst of World War Two. There is often a stereotype about footballers that they are talented on the pitch but otherwise lacking intelligence. When it comes to Craig, this could not have been further from the truth.
After attending St Gerard’s school in Govan, he crossed the River Clyde to continue his education. This entailed becoming a Glasgow University student, working towards being a dentist, an activity that would define much of his life. At the same time as he was achieving academic excellence, Craig was also making a name for himself on the football pitch. He played schoolboy football and later turned out for the Glasgow University team.
These performances brought him to attention of Celtic’s scouts, and they wanted to bring him to Celtic Park. But Craig had certain worries, not least about this getting in the way of his studies. As such, he initially rejected Celtic’s approaches.
As an intelligent man, Craig that knew that football careers could be fleeting, with injury always a threat. And in the 1960s – unlike nowadays – footballers did not earn exorbitant salaries. Therefore, it made sense to think of the long-term picture. However, his father had a big influence in changing these feelings. Craig’s dad once told him that: “There are a lot of dentists, son, but not everyone gets the chance to sign for Celtic!”
1967 European Cup Final Celtic v Inter Milan. The Celtic team line up, before defeating Inter Milan to win the European Cup. Back Row Left to Right: Jim Craig; Tommy Gemmell; Ronnie Simpson; Billy McNeill; Bobby Murdoch; and John Clark. In front, left to right: Stevie Chalmers; Willie Wallace, Jimmy Johnstone; Bobby Lennox; and Bertie Auld. 25 May 1967. Portugal Photo: Top Foto
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Thanks to this advice, a deal was reached. In 1963, Jim Craig signed for Celtic as an amateur. This meant that he was on the Bhoys’ books but could also complete his dental degree.
Craig had to study by day, and then train and revise his lessons at night. It was made more difficult by not having a car and having to travel everywhere by bus, meaning he was often late. This could make him unpopular with lots of people in football and healthcare!
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By early-1965, Jim Craig was ready to officially sign on at Celtic Park. This gave him the immediate experience of two different managers. At the start of 1965, legendary player and manager Jimmy McGrory was departing the club, and he was soon replaced by Jock Stein.
At first, Craig was part of the Celtic reserves, before moving up to the senior squad. In October of that same year, Jim Craig first ran out as a player in the Celtic first team. The Bhoys played Go-Ahead in the Cup-Winners’ Cup and claimed a 1-0 victory, winning 7-0 on aggregate. Celtic would go on to controversially lose to Liverpool at the semi-final stage.
Celtic legends and Lisbon Lions Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Whilst Jim Craig may have been disappointed at the eventual European outcome, this season was otherwise a huge success for him. Not only did he become an important first team player, he was also part of the Celts’ first league-winning team for 12 years.
Now that Craig was in the first team, he has described the strange insights he picked up, including other players’ pre-match routines. Some were particular about the order in which they put on their socks, whilst others had a sip of brandy to steady their nerves!
Jim Craig was now a very popular figure, although he was not generally known by this name, even to Jock Stein. A TV show in this era was called “This man Craig”, with the lead actor being played by John Cairney. As such, ‘Cairney’ became Craig’s nickname.
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
League success in 1966 opened up the door to the club’s greatest season. In the summer of 1966, Celtic took part in an American tour that was an important bonding event for the squad, although Craig could not attend owing to his dental studies.
Despite this, he was still a big part of the team through season 1966-67. And what a season it was! The Bhoys swept aside all Scottish opponents, claiming the League, Scottish Cup, League Cup and Glasgow Cup.
And then, of course, came Europe. Celtic overcame Zurich, Nantes, Vojvodina and Dukla Prague, setting up a date with Inter Milan. On 25 May 1967, the two sides faced off in Lisbon, and it started with a disaster for Jim Craig.
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Early in the game, he went to make a tackle in the box. Although he made minimal contact with an Inter player, the referee pointed to the spot. In the years since, Craig has repeatedly said that this was the wrong decision. Soon the Celts were one-down, and faced the tough challenge of breaking down the hyper-defensive Italian team.
At half-time, Cairney’s teammates and manager backed him up, and told him to make sure the second half changed things. And that’s exactly what happened. Just after 60 minutes had elapsed, Craig played the ball into Tommy Gemmell who smashed home the equaliser. Later on, Stevie Chalmers ensured that the Lisbon Lions were born.
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This tale of triumph and success marked the high point of Craig’s time at Celtic Park, although these experiences were not reflected in his international career. He made only one Scotland appearance, coming in a 3-2 victory over Wales at Hampden Park in 1967.
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Given Scotland’s general lack of success in this era – between 1958 and 1974, they failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals – Craig once suggested that they should simply have played the Lisbon Lions to boost their hopes. It’s a logic with which it’s hard to argue.
In his 231 games for the Bhoys, Jim Craig managed to find the net for Celtic on six occasions. His first came against Aberdeen in 1967, and his last helped the Bhoys win a trophy. In this case, his was one of Celtic’s six goals when the Bhoys beat Hibs 6-2 in the April 1969 League Cup Final.
Not everything always went well for Craig, and he was sent off on more than one occasion. In his first season, Craig was ordered off in the Soviet Union, following a fight with a Dynamo Kiev player. It even saw both men being escorted off by army guards!
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
This sending off played a part in changing Celtic history. Up to this point, the Celtic Board often made decisions about players and tactics. Chairman Robert Kelly was angry at Craig and stopped him playing, which was seen to be a mistake. Jock Stein later told Craig that this helped ensure that Stein was given more control and would not be overruled by the Board.
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Another dismissal came against Rangers in 1969. Following a bad tackle on Willie Johnston, Craig left the field, but the Celts still held on for a 1-0 victory, en route to a fifth successive title.
This was not the only bad luck that Cairney had against Rangers. The 1970s saw Craig twice score for the Ibrox side against the Celts – and one of these was in a cup final!
In February 1970, the Celts hosted Rangers in the Scottish Cup. It was a big game with a glamorous audience – Hollywood stars Sean Connery and his wife, Diane Cilento were in attendance. They watched as a Jim Craig own-goal put the Celts behind after only five minutes, although the Bhoys rallied to claim a 3-1 victory.
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Three months later, the Celts played in their second European Cup Final. However, this time Craig was not on the pitch. Instead he was a substitute as the Bhoys lost to Feyenoord. Celtic’s dentist was beginning to play less often, although he was still an important squad player.
The following year, Craig’s unfortunate scoring streak for Rangers continued. Celtic met the Light Blues in the 1971 Scottish Cup Final. In a replay, the Celts gained a strong advantage thanks to two goals in a minute from Macari and Hood. However, in the second half, Jim Craig knocked into his own net. Once again, it mattered not as the Celts still triumphed.
And on one occasion, Craig proved that he was the cleverest player in the Celtic team. The Bhoys famously won the TV sports show Quizball in 1970. As the Bhoys stormed to victory in the final, it was Cairney who answered the vast majority of the team’s questions.
Jim Craig had enjoyed a remarkable run of success in his time in green-and-white hoops, however, his 1971 final own-goal came when he had only one year left at the club. By 1972, Craig’s time at Celtic was over, with a new generation of players coming into club.
May 21st 2017, Celtic Park, ; Scottish Premiership Celtic FC vs Hearts; Tom Boyd, Jim Craig and Willie Wallace stand behind the trophy Photo Vagelis Georgariou
His final game was a fantastic send-off. In 1972, the Bhoys enjoyed their biggest ever Scottish Cup Final win as Hibs were hammered 6-1. In a fitting tribute to the significant role he had played at Celtic over the years, Craig set up two of the goals.
The eventual trophy haul claimed by Craig was extremely impressive. As well as the 1967 European Cup, he also helped the club to seven league titles, four Scottish Cups and three League Cups. The only question was whether, age 29, he left the club too soon.
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Whether or not it was the right choice is up for debate, but it was not the end of Craig’s time in football. After leaving Celtic he emigrated to South Africa, where he turned out for Hellenic. However, he did not settle well in this new continent and soon returned to Britain where he made some appearances for Sheffield Wednesday. In 1974, there was even a short spell in Ireland as player/manager for Waterford.
Jim Craig with members of the Jim Craig CSC Belfast, Photo from the CSC.
Soon though, Craig was back in full-time dentistry, the career with which he had been connected since even before he was a footballer. However, this was not his only post-football activity.
Craig featured regularly on TV and radio shows. In the 1980s, he was one of the presenters of Sportscene and appeared on other shows too. However, his BBC connection came to an end in the early-1990s, in relation to another notable club event.
The takeover of Celtic by Fergus McCann in 1994 is well-remembered by fans. Craig knew the Board very well because he was married to Elizabeth Farrell, daughter of Board member and shareholder, Jimmy Farrell.
Before McCann’s takeover, Jim Craig was involved in efforts to negotiate new leadership at Celtic. However, this saw him being removed from working at BBC Radio Scotland due to claims that he was not impartial.
It certainly did not dissuade him from ensuring that Celtic’s old Board were brought down. Craig continued to be part of these campaigns, including speaking at Celts for Change events. And, like the rest of the Celtic support, he cheered as the takeover went ahead.
Celtic’s Lisbon Lion, Jim Craig unfurled the league flag ahead of the kick-off against Kilmarnock. before the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Kilmarnock FC at Celtic Park on August 4, 2024. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)
After this, he had various other club connections. Craig is particularly interested in Celtic history. As well as publishing several online articles, he has also written various books telling tales of Celtic and Scottish football, as well as supporting the work of the Celtic Graves Society.
In 2019, he was also appointed as an official Celtic ambassador. At various times, Cairney has been part of official club celebrations, including unfurling the League flag in 2024, and once bringing the League trophy to Celtic Park via a River Clyde speedboat!
Jim Craig’s part in Celtic’s greatest ever day in 1967 is more than enough to ensure his immortality in the club’s record books. However, his wider contributions to the Bhoys – spanning decades since he first joined the Hoops – help cement his reputation.
An important and intelligent player who was at the heart of so much Celtic success, the dentist Jim Craig will always be cheered by Celtic supporters – despite those goals for Rangers!
Matthew Marr
If you want to learn more about Celtic history, follow Hail Hail History on Twitter/X. You can also take part in a FREE Celtic history walking tour. Visit celticwalkingtours.wordpress.com for more information.
Matthew’s debut Celtic book titled ‘The Bould Bhoys – Glory to their name’ was published by Celtic Star Books last year and is available to order HERE. This brilliant book is also available on Amazon Kindle for just £3.49 and includes all photo sections that appear in the hardback edition.
Matthew Marr with his debut Celtic book, Glory to their name, which tells the story of Celtic’s first ever title win. Photo The Celtic Star
Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books.
Readers of The Celtic Star and indeed all Celtic supporters joining the Celtic Pools Weekly Lottery and paying by direct debit will be able to claim a free stadium tour worth £18.50. This promotion will run from now until the 20th October 2025. Click on image to join.
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