John Fallon’s Celtic Story – The Original Holy Goalie

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·18 August 2025

John Fallon’s Celtic Story – The Original Holy Goalie

Happy Heavenly Birthday to the Original Holy Goalie

Part 1: Early days

Celtic goalkeeper John Fallon, New Year’s Day 1967. Photo IMAGO (The Celtic Star)

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What a time this has been recently as we said farewell to so many wonderful Celts.

On Monday it was the turn of the Original Holy Goalie, the force of nature that was John Fallon. I was actually pulling together this tribute when I received the news about Pat Woods, a dear friend and together with John part of the ‘Fried Breid CSC’ who meet regularly to talk all things Celtic. So the tribute went on hold and with John’s 85th birthday due on Saturday, then I thought that it might be more appropriate to hold off until then.

John James Fallon was a War Baby, born in Cambuslang on Friday, 16 August 1940. The following day, a Celtic side under the club’s second manager Jimmy McStay, and featuring Empire Exhibition legends such as Bobby Hogg, Chic Geatons, George Paterson, Johnny Crum and Frank Murphy, lost 2-0 to Morton at Cappielow in the second Regional League match of the new season. In goal for Celtic was George Johnstone, a loan signing who had played and lost against Willie Maley’s Hoops in the 1937 Scottish Cup final for Aberdeen and who would win the trophy with the Dons a decade later. Who knew that the infant Fallon would represent Celtic with distinction in that same showpiece event of 1965 and 1969, or that he would get into trouble with the police whilst celebrating a Celtic goal at Cappielow in 1964!

Celtic goalkeeper John Fallon. Photo The Celtic Wiki

John Fallon would enjoy a traditional Celtic rite of passage via his father Patrick, and in his autobiography Keeping in Paradise, written with his late, great friend David Potter, he talks about “sometimes walking, sometimes taking a number 17 tram from my home in Cambuslang, and paying my sevenpence to get in at the boys’ gate at the old Rangers End of the ground before walking round to a suitable vantage point.” John watched Celtic’s Coronation Cup triumph with his brother from the centre of the main Hampden stand in May 1953, having the perfect view of captain Jock Stein holding the magnificent trophy aloft. Stein and Celtic would both play a major role in the rest of his life.

By October 1957, John was a member of the James Kelly CSC in Blantyre, rolling up to Hampden in the Sun to watch Willie Fernie unleash his magic ‘as Celtic beat the Rangers 7-1.’ He was also making a name for himself as a goalkeeper with Fauldhouse United, whose main claim to fame had been winning the Scottish Junior Cup in May 1946 by beating Arthurlie 2-0 at Hampden. John signed for the West Lothian club in early August 1958, a brief mention in the West Lothian Courier of Friday, 8 August confirming that “Two more players have been signed by Fauldhouse United. They are goalkeeper John Fallon, who was unattached and lives at Cambuslang, and former Alva Albion Rangers outside-left Neil O’Donnell, who had a trial with Stenhousemuir last week.”

John made his debut for Fauldhouse seven days later, on Friday, 15 August 1958, the eve of his 18th birthday, in a League match against Bathgate Thistle at West End Park. He produced an ‘outstanding performance’ as United won 2-1 for a first victory of the season, both goals coming from the other new boy O’Donnell. The following day, John would no doubt enjoy a happy birthday as Jimmy McGrory’s Celtic continued the defence of their League Cup by beating St Mirren 3-0 at Parkhead, with Bobby Collins, Jim Conway and Charlie Tully on target.

Celtic goalkeeper John Fallon holding his biography which was written by David Potter with John’s significant input! Photo The Celtic Wiki

The following week, as Billy McNeill began his glorious senior career at Celtic against Clyde, United suffered a 5-2 defeat at Newtown Park, Bo’ness, however the Linlithgowshire Gazette states that “it could have been a lot more and certainly would have been but for the inspired display of goalkeeping by Fallon. The Fauldhouse custodian brought off at least three saves which would have beaten any normal keeper and his work in general bore the stamp of class.”

John continued to excel in the Fauldhouse United goal, the report of a 2-1 defeat to Linlithgow Rose in mid-September commenting that “he played a hero’s part” and “only the woodwork and the brilliance of goalkeeper Fallon saved them from a trouncing.” By the end of that month, the narrative was clear, “Starring for Fauldhouse was keeper Fallon, who is attracting the attention of Celtic.”

That attention developed into a formal trial, John turning out as a Celt for the first time in a Reserve League fixture at Fir Park, Motherwell on Saturday, 6 December 1958. At that time, the second-string was under the tutelage of Reserve Team coach Jock Stein, supported by his former teammates Sean Fallon, Alex Boden and John Jack. They sent out the following team for John’s big day.

John Fallon; John Donnelly & Jim Kennedy; Pat Crerand, Billy McNeill & John Clark; Malcolm Slater, Charlie Tully, Jim Conway, Sammy Wilson & Alec Byrne.

Not too shabby that, John. Just the four European Cup winners and the Belfast Bhoy in there!

John Fallon, John Hughes, Charlie Gallagher and Willie Wallace at the Greenock CSC in May 2017. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

And speaking of 1967, the first goal John lost as a Celt, five minutes before the break, was scored by Motherwell’s inside-right Sammy Reid, who would later become famous for scoring a Scottish Cup goal in Berwick that year! Reid scored twice and was denied a hat-trick by a controversial offside decision as Celtic’s colts lost 3-2 to Motherwell’s reserves that afternoon. A few miles away at Celtic Park, the senior clash between the sides was abandoned with eight minutes remaining due to severe fog, not great news for Jimmy McGrory, whose side led 2-0 at that time, Bertie Auld and John Divers on target in the first half.

The Sunday Mail picked up on John and his link with another Celt of the same name, former captain and current reserve coach, Sean, the following day.

“Another Fallon is likely to join Celtic – Fauldhouse ‘keeper John, who was on trial with them yesterday.”

John’s performance was enough to convince Celtic to offer a deal, although he did not accept the initial offer. The West Lothian Courier reported on Friday, 12 December 1958 that “Despite rumours to the contrary, J Fallon, Fauldhouse United keeper, did not sign for Celtic on Tuesday evening. Fallon, with some of the United officials, did visit Parkhead on that evening but failed to come to terms. Another meeting was arranged for last night (Thursday) when, it seemed certain, the deal would be completed.”

That deal was indeed completed, and John joined his boyhood club on Thursday, 11 December 1958. He was in the Reserve team which thrashed Stirling Albion 9-3 at Annfield 48 hours later, coach John Jack replacing Jim Kennedy at left-back whilst John Kurila and Ian Lochhead came in for Billy McNeill and Jim Conway. At right-back for Albion was Frank Meechan, who had commenced a loan spell from Celtic the previous month. The Celtic first team didn’t do too badly either that snowy afternoon, 6-0 up early in the second half before eventually settling for a 7-3 win over Stirling. John Colrain hit a hat-trick whilst John Divers netted a double.

imago/Colorsport – 1969 Scottish FA Cup Final (26/4/69) – Celtic goalkeeper John Fallon

Dick Beattie was first choice in the Celtic goal, but now there was a new kid on the block seeking to win those gloves. A Cambuslang lad who had watched Beattie hold seven fingers aloft in triumph at Hampden in the Sun on that incredible day in October 1957.

John Fallon’s time to celebrate a Celtic victory on that famous arena would surely come.

To be continued…

Matt Corr