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See the full story · 1 sourcesBilly McPhail’s Celtic debut, 70 years ago today – This is his story
70 years ago today (11 August 1956), one Celtic player made his debut before departing two years later. Yet in that short time, he wrote himself into club folklore. To this day, songs continue to be sung about his time in green-and-white…
Billy McPhail, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki
And even after his death, he continues to have an influence in modern day sporting discussions concerning the health and safety of footballers.
This is the story of Billy McPhail, scorer of arguably the most famous Celtic hat-trick of them all.
William Simeon McPhail – more simply and better known as Billy – was born in the north of Glasgow on 2 February 1928. He loved football, especially playing with his older brother John, who also went on to star for Celtic.
After being educated at St Mungo’s Academy, Billy’s first footballing destination took him south of the River Clyde where he turned out for Queen’s Park, first doing so in 1944 when aged 16.
Billy McPhail, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Playing at Hampden Park, McPhail showed huge promise and was clearly destined for bigger and better things. During this early stage of his career, he was given the nickname “Teazy Weazy,” a reflection of his agile movement and ability to evade defenders.
For most of his time at Queen’s Park, the wartime regional league system was still in place, although he did play one season in the national Scottish League, scoring twice in 12 games.
In 1947, McPhail made the short journey to Shawfield to sign for Clyde, a transfer that marked a significant step up in his career and one that gave him the taste of success.
At this point, Clyde would have been a better prospect for McPhail than Celtic. In season 1947-48, the Bully Wee finished sixth in the league whilst the Bhoys needed a final day victory to definitely avoid relegation!
Billy established himself as a prolific scorer, netting 90 goals in 137 league appearances. During the 1951–52 season, he finished as the top scorer in Division Two and his team won three cups: the Glasgow Cup, the Charity Cup and the Supplementary Cup.
Billy McPhail, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki
In fact, McPhail achieved the unusual feat of scoring in all three cup finals! It was not to be the only cup final treble with which he would be associated.
Despite these positive experiences, his time at Shawfield was not without difficulty. Recurring injuries interrupted his progress, an issue that would remain constant throughout his career.
Anecdotally, this issue stands out when researching McPhail’s life. When investigating Billy’s time at Clyde, the very first search items returned on the British Newspaper Archive describe him being taken to hospital with a “badly swollen knee” and, on another occasion, cracking “an ankle bone.”
One game that he had to miss turned out to be bad news for Celtic as well as Billy. In 1955, McPhail’s Clyde teammates faced the Bhoys in the Scottish Cup Final, with the Shawfield men claiming the trophy following a replay.
Injury also prevented McPhail from receiving international honours. He was never capped for Scotland and, on the one occasion that he was called up, had to withdraw owing to an ailment.
He did, however, turn out for various other sides, including the Scottish B League XI and a Scotland XI, scoring goals in those appearances.
Billy McPhail, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki
It was not just Clyde that McPhail represented. In an era of national service, he was called up to the army in 1948. During this time, he played for military teams as well.
Billy’s showings at Clyde made him hot property and various teams were interested in securing his signature. He was linked with Hearts and turned down a big money move to East Fife, at a time when the Methil men were one of Scotland’s most successful clubs.
McPhail himself put in a transfer request although was said to have told the Clyde directors that he did not want to go to England, despite interest from down south. Instead, like his previous transfer, he made a very short journey, one that included a family connection.
In May 1956, McPhail signed for Celtic for a fee of £2,500. The move was significant both professionally and personally because his elder brother, John McPhail, had previously captained the club. However, rather like ships passing in the night, the two men did not get to play together as John departed the club at the same time as his younger brother arrived.
Billy McPhail, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki
John’s popularity with fans ensured that Billy would receive a warm welcome at Celtic Park, although there were concerns about his injury record and the impact this might have.
McPhail’s first season at Celtic proved highly significant. Although the Celts did not win the League or Scottish Cup, they did celebrate their first League Cup trophy. This competition would define Billy’s Celtic experiences.
It was in the League Cup that that he made his Celtic debut, doing so in a 2-1 victory for the Celts against Aberdeen in August 1956. Within a week, he had his first goal, coming in a victory over East Fife in this tournament.
Billy McPhail, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Billy’s goals helped take the Celts to the League Cup Final, where they faced Partick Thistle. The first tie ended in a scoreless draw meaning a replay was needed. Celtic made no mistake this time and won 3-0. McPhail scored two of the goals.
His League Cup experiences gave him acclaim from the supporters. As well as his cup final double, Billy scored eight times across 11 matches, emphasising his importance.
However, the same old problems also reared their head. As much as McPhail had settled well into the team, he also missed large parts of the season owing to an ankle issue, which made it harder to build a proper partnership with his teammates.
Still, helping Celtic win the League Cup meant he could look back with satis...
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