Celtic Player of the Day – Celtic’s Ultimate Unsung Hero, Jim Brogan

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·7 luglio 2025

Celtic Player of the Day – Celtic’s Ultimate Unsung Hero, Jim Brogan

Jim Brogan was the younger brother of Frank, but their paths barely crossed at Celtic Park. Jim was a different kind of player from Frank, being a defensive minded, left sided midfielder and he later became a full back.

He was a gritty, determined kind of player, not without his moments of attacking glory (he scored the goal that beat Rangers at the New Year in 1972) but he was mainly a defender, sometimes rugged, sometimes classy.

OneFootball Video

CELTIC V ATLETICO MADRID EUROPEAN CUP SEMI-FINAL 1974 AT PARKHEADL/R DAVIE HAY,JIM BROGAN ,KENNY DALGLISH & HARRY HOOD (11)PIC ERIC MCCOWAT

He earned his spurs in the game on 5 September 1964 when an understrength Celtic side beat Rangers 3-1 at a rainy Parkhead, but then he disappeared from the first team scene, apart from the occasional outing, until 1968 when he ousted John Clark from the side, the first player to dislodge a Lisbon Lion.

Jim Brogan, Celtic FC

From then on he was an integral person in the Celtic team, and he won seven League medals in a row, four Scottish Cup medals and three Scottish League Cup medals. He was also good enough to earn four caps for Scotland, and there were few better players than Jim Brogan, although he was unfortunate to lose in Milan in 1970.

He died in 2018 of dementia and this was put down to his football career, in particular the heading of a heavy ball.

“As a player, Jim Brogan is perhaps the definition of ‘unsung hero’.” Celtic FC (September 2018)

David Potter

Jim Brogan was not noted for goalscoring but three goals stand out, and wonderfully they were all winning goals late in the game.

Jim Brogan scores a late winner for Celtic at Pittodrie in October 1969

1. A late winner in the 83rd minute against Aberdeen in October 1969 at Pittodrie when Celtic came from behind to win after Jim had gone up or a corner.

2. A late winner in extra time in July 1974 at Dens Park against Dundee in the Drybrough Cup final, a fine shot from the edge of the area in extra time in a 2-1 win.

Jim Brogan scores the winner against Rangers at Celtic Park on 3 January 1974. Photo The Celtic Wiki

3. However Jim will best be remembered for his dramatic winner against Rangers on 3rd January 1972. With the game at 1-1 and in the 90th minute Harry Hood superbly controlled a ball and lobbed it across goals where Jim stole in to glance the ball past Peter McCloy to give Celtic victory.

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