The wonderful Pat Woods – A personal perspective from Matt Corr | OneFootball

So many lovely words spoken by the folk who knew and loved Pat Woods since news broke of his sad passing on Monday evening that it’s difficult to know what to add.

Pat Woods

Like two other fabulous Celts who left us in recent years, David Potter and Tommy Callaghan, I was aware of Pat and his work for many years before we became friends. Happened a bit by accident really. I was looking for a contact point at St Roch’s Juniors to try and nail down the time spent by Harry Hood and his elder brother Jackie with ‘The Candy’ as part of my research for Harry’s biography, back in 2021. My good friend Bobby Harvey from the Football Memories Group at Hampden suggested that Pat was my man. So a bit nervously, I reached out and sent an email by way of introduction. Pat replied promptly to say that he couldn’t help but gave me the name of someone he felt may have that information. That was Pat. More than happy to help a complete stranger. To go the extra mile.

When we were properly introduced a few months later, Harry Hood was again the connection, or Harry’s son was, to be precise. Nicky invited me to an evening with Martin O’Neill at Dalziel Park, and I was sitting at the table when another lovely Celt, John McLachlan, said he wanted to introduce me to Pat. You did me a huge favour there, John. Pat was at a table with, amongst others, John Fallon, and John Mc duly did the honours. In a strange quirk of fate, I was actually working on a tribute to the Holy Goalie on Monday when I received the dreadful news about Pat. I’ve set that aside for a day or so, but I will complete it.

Pat Woods, Celtic Historian

Back with Pat, next thing there is an invitation to join him at Celtic Park to view his incredible Lisbon collection. Among his guests that afternoon was Terry Dick, to whom I took an immediate liking. Sometimes it just clicks. It was nice to share stories of seeing his dad Glen Daly in camel coat holding court in the old supporters’ hall in Kinloch Street or to tell him that my mum and dad watched his dad play at the Ashfield Club, a mile or so from our home, back in the day. Anyway, I’m blaming Terry for the fact that we spent about four hours at Celtic Park and managed to look at the grand total of four out of 59 folders of memorabilia! Every photo or article had a backstory, and we were in the hands of the master storyteller. A cracking day.

Tom Campbell and Pat Woods, co-authors of The Glory and The Dream. Photo The Celtic Star

And that was that. Friendship established, it was tea, goodies and Celtic, then more Celtic from that point. Pat had an endless supply of anecdotes and articles, and he seemed to know everyone who was anyone where Celtic were concerned. A grandfather myself, I revert to wee boy mode in awe of his stories of the great and the good. Of his family connections where Celtic of the 1930s or 1950s were involved, of how Pat grew up fascinated by those stories then witnessed himself our greatest era, and how he had then spent a lifetime sharing the glories and the dreams with others. Of the fabulous folk he worked with to get those stories out. To watch Pat come to life as he described an event half a century ago was something else.

As a mentor he was without equal. Pat proofread my 1930s volumes and very kindly wrote the foreword for those. Reading a chapter or piece I’d written and feeding in complementary information or an alternative angle which made it better. Providing articles and suggestions far more quickly than I could possibly do them justice, and when I apologised for not getting through them quickly enough and pleading with him to stop…

Jerry Woods and Pat Woods talking about the 1967 European Cup Final in Lisbon

“Ah you’re as well having this for when you have got time.”

Debate over.

Thankfully, some of those articles did see the light of day. There were pieces on Jimmy Gribben and Helenio Herrera – a real fascination of Pat’s – Charlie Tully and John Clark. I finally get to give something back, and Pat is my guest at the book launch for Majic, Stan and the King of Japan, chewing the fat with Celts of the Fifties and Sixties, and no doubt sharing information on that era, his era, that the players themselves were unaware of. Accompanying me to see the families of John Divers and Jimmy Gribben, always adding something of value for them to take away and treasure. That was his gift. One of many.

Pat Woods, Celtic Historian

In the last week of February this year, as I prepared to fly out on holiday, Pat sent me a link to Herrera’s biography. Fascinating stuff. When I asked how he was doing he replied that other than some mobility issues he was coping. But within a couple of days he was in hospital, and tragically he would not return home. Those last months must have been a trial for him, his family and his close circle of friends, some of whom visited him daily, hoping for a recovery that never came. Even through that, his love and passion for Celtic and sharing those stories seemed to be the thing which kept him going, which kept him Pat. Any opportunity to trigger that response is taken, and suddenly we have Pat back for a time.

“Did you know…”

“Have I told you…”

Well, you’re at peace now my friend and hopefully enlightening others in a better place.

It has been lovely, despite the circumstances, to see such an outpouring of love and respect from across the board.

So well-earned and so very richly deserved.

You were one in a million, Pat, and I will never forget you.

Matt

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