Ronnie Simpson - The last Lion of defence

Celtic F.C.

·19 April 2024

Ronnie Simpson - The last Lion of defence

“He’s got Ronnie Simpson, No.1” sang the Celtic crowd in homage to Jock Stein before running through the entire team…and what better place to start the song than with the elder statesman of the team who sadly passed away on this day (April 19) 20 years ago.

It was on October 11, 1930 that Ronnie Simpson was born in Glasgow, and, practically a full 37 years later, when the Lisbon Lions ruled supreme in 1967, they were able to rely on a calm, talented and incredibly experienced performer between the sticks.

OneFootball Videos

That year, the 36-year-old Ronnie Simpson was entering the 22nd year of a career which had seen triumphs on both sides of the border.

As his nickname ‘Faither’ implies, he was immediately recognised as the senior figure of the side, one who commanded the respect of his team-mates, but was also an approachable and encouraging presence, always on hand to give his advice.

He was recognised as one of the Greatest Ever Celts by the supporters in 2002 and remained a regular at Celtic Park up until his death on April 19, 2004.

That recognition was a worthy accolade for a true great and here we look at his extraordinary career.

Ronnie was sitting in school late one Friday afternoon in 1945 when he was urgently summoned to the headmaster’s office. Half-expecting trouble, the 14-year-old entered the room with some trepidation to see his headteacher standing alongside the chairman of Queen’s Park. Ronnie was ‘signed’ up to his local club as a youth player, with the Simpson house actually overlooking the Spiders’ Hampden home. With their regular keeper, Bobby Brown, on duty with the Navy, the chairman had actually come to seek the school’s permission to play Ronnie in the following day’s Summer Cup meeting with Clyde. Less than 24 hours later the schoolboy was running out at the National Stadium to make his debut at the age of 14 years and 243 days in a 5-2 win watched by over 25,000

The Olympic Games were held in London in 1948 when Ronnie lined up in an amateur select team led by the legendary Matt Busby. Ronnie actually represented Britain four times as an amateur and so impressed was Busby with the young keeper that he told him to give him a call at Manchester United if he ever fancied turning professional. As it transpired Simpson would have to wait before joining the professional ranks after being called up for National Service with the Royal Armoured Corps in Catterick. He then joined Third Lanark in 1950, spending a year with the Southside club before Newcastle United came calling.
The years 1952 and ’55 were the seasons of Simpson’s triumphs in the English FA Cup with Newcastle United. This was the Magpies’ golden era and Ronnie was actually involved in three FA Cup finals, taking his place on the bench as substitute keeper in a 2-0 win over Blackpool in 1951. Ronnie was in the team for the 1-0 win over Arsenal in 1952 and again, for the 3-1 win over Manchester City in 1955. He was a regular for seven seasons on Tyneside, but his career there effectively ended when he missed the whole of the 1958/59 campaign with a serious injury. During that time he helped coach Newcastle’s third team and there was an outcry from the fans when he was released the following season at the age of 30. He is still remembered as a Newcastle United great

Having moved on to Hibernian, spending four years at Easter Road, Ronnie was promptly sold by new manager Jock Stein. When Stein followed Ronnie to Celtic Park just five months later in 1965, the keeper thought his Celtic career was over. Instead, Simpson established himself as Stein’s first choice, with his boss recognising the value of his experience and the calming effect he had on the team. Rather than finding that his top-class career was finished, Simpson was instead embarking on his most glorious chapter.
The year of 1967 may have been the greatest in Celtic’s history, but it was also Simpson’s unexpected triumph. Aged 36, he played his part in all of the victories of the clean sweep season, winning the league, League Cup, Scottish Cup and European Cup. There were many stars that year. In fact, going through that squad you were faced by a team of prodigiously talented footballers, but it was the unassuming Ronnie, who had been christened ‘Faither’ by his youthful team-mates, who was voted Scotland’s Player of the Year.

Jock Stein said that they did it ‘playing pure, beautiful, inventive football’ and if one little moment captured the flair, style and precocious sense of entertainment in Celtic’s win over Inter Milan, Simpson’s cameo was it. With Celtic playing Inter off the park the ball was played back to Ronnie, who was well outside his area, some 25 yards from goal. With one striker bearing down on him, he waited to the last second before back-heeling the ball to team-mate John Clark. It was typical Simpson, coolness personified and years later Billy McNeill commented: “He was as much a footballer as he was a keeper. Anything that went behind the defenders, Ronnie dealt with it.”

On April 15, 1967, Ronnie made his return to Wembley and took his international bow at the ripe old age of 36. Just how this talented player was overlooked by the selectors before then beggars belief. His debut turned out to be worth waiting for as Scotland humbled World Champions England on their own turf, with the 3-2 win still regarded as one of the national team’s finest moments. Ronnie earned five caps in all for Scotland.

Ronnie Simpson factfile

Born: October 11, 1930

Died: April 19, 2004

CAREER

CELTIC PLAYING STATS

CELTIC DEBUTNovember 18, 1964, Fairs Cities’ Cup (UEFA) v Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Celtic lost 3-1.

FINAL GAMEOctober 13, 1969, League Cup v Ayr United at Hampden in semi-final replay, Celtic won 2-1. (Just 12 minutes from the end of the game, Ronnie was injured while making a fantastic save from Alex Ingram. Willie Wallace came off the bench and Tommy Gemmell took over in goal)

CELTIC PLAYING HONOURSScottish League Champions: 1965/66, 1966/67, 1967/68, 1968/69Scottish Cup Winners: 1966/67League Cup Winners: 1965/66, 1967/68European Cup: 1966/67

SCOTLAND PLAYING HONOURSFive international caps.