Celtic stories and songs with Loch Lomond connections

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The Celtic Star

·3 September 2024

Celtic stories and songs with Loch Lomond connections

During a recent trip to Loch Lomond, specifically climbing Ben Lomond, it got me thinking about Celtic’s connections to the area, of which there are different examples.

The most obvious link concerns players. Various Celts have been born in the area, or played for local teams. In the early years, this was most notably people like Neil McCallum and James Kelly.

Neil McCallum

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Kelly (first captain) and McCallum (first scorer) both played for Renton. This includes being part of a team that was crowned ‘World Champions’ in 1888. Both men were born locally too; Kelly in Renton and McCallum in Alexandria.

Anefo photo collection. Arrival of Celtic football team from Glasgow, Scotland at Schiphol. V.l.n.r. William Billy McNeill, Davie Hay, Evan Williams. March 9, 1971. Photo piemags pienatarchpar

In more recent times, Evan Williams had strong ‘Vale’ links. As well as being born in Dumbarton, Celtic’s 1970 European Cup Final goalkeeper later managed local side, Vale of Leven.

There are also some Celts buried in the vicinity of Loch Lomond. Neil McCallum (mentioned above) lies in Bonhill cemetery, near his hometown of Alexandria. Johnny Browning (a Celt from 1911-19) is buried in Alexandria Cemetery. Also, Alec Brady, part of Celtic’s first ever Scottish Cup-winning team is buried in Millburn cemetery in Renton.

Celtic have played in the Loch Lomond area on various occasions. ‘The Vale’ area was home to the Renton and Vale of Leven clubs. The Bhoys’ first game in Alexandria was a friendly in 1888; the first Renton visit came in an 1892 league match.

Renton have an interesting place in Celtic history – they were the first away side to play at the current Celtic Park location. In August 1892, the Bhoys opened the league season at their new ground, beating Renton 4-3.

There were different firsts in this game. Jock Bell of Renton scored the first ever goal at the second Celtic Park; Johnny Campbell then became the first Celt to score at the ground. And sadly for Johnny Madden, he became the first Celt sent off at the ground!

Johnny Madden was born in Dumbarton. He was Celtic’s first ever centre forward and known to frequent the Loch Lomond area. One newspaper once wrote: “Madden, of the Celtic, has been a frequent flyer over Loch Lomond, mounted on his bike.”

The Loch Lomond area has also been used by Celtic as part of the club’s training and pre-match preparation. This happened at various times, from the early 1900s until the 1990s; one great historical image shows Jock Stein training on Ben Lomond in 1950s.

These training sessions even once helped stop a ten-in-a-row attempt. In the 1997-98 – when Celtic needed a dramatic last day win to claim the title – there were various breaks to Loch Lomond. Some of the Celtic team credited these with helping the club win that league.

The Loch Lomond district and its well-known beauty has also helped the Bhoys sign players. Some former Celts – including Harald Brattbakk and Erik Sviatchenko – have mentioned visits to the area as helping them settle in and enjoy Scotland.

Erik Sviatchenko

In fact, it’s not just Celtic but also their opponents that have been attracted to the area. In March 1971, Celtic faced faced Ajax in the European Cup quarter-finals; the Dutch side eventually won 3-1 on aggregate. During their Scottish visit, the Ajax team stopped for fish suppers at Molloy’s chip shop (now Palombo’s) in Balloch.

Loch Lomond has even given Celtic some silverware, albeit at youth level. In 2015, the Bhoys’ under-17 team won the Loch Lomond Cup, played at Stirling University; included in this side was Tony Ralston and Jack Aitchison (Celtic’s youngest player).

Jack Aitchison

Current Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers also has a real connection with the area. He was married beside Loch Lomond, and also used to bring Leicester City for team-building breaks, enjoying the local golf facilities.

One Celtic manager had a trophy connection to the area. In 1971, Jock Stein was on hand to present the league trophy to Vale of Leven, who had just won the Evening Times League Championship for that season.

There was even one famous Celtic fan connected to Loch Lomond. Matt McGinn – from the Calton – was a well-known Scottish folk singer. One of his better known songs was Loch Lomond, and he also sang Celtic songs too, such as The Boys From Lisbon.

The climb up Ben Lomond (974 metres) gives spectacular views around the Loch Lomond area. It lets you see for miles with sights such as The Trossachs, Loch Katrine and the Arrochar Alps.

Still, even from that height, you can’t see theRangers coming…

Matthew Marr

Follow Matthew on Twitter @hailhailhistory

Click on cover to order hardback copy for only £10 plus postage.

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.