Celtic Player of the Day – Johnny Doyle on the wing

He signed in 1976, just too late to resurrect Celtic in the season that Jock Stein was recovering from his road accident.

His best season was probably 1976/77 when, after a rocky start, the team hit form at the turn of the year and won a League and Cup Double with Doyle unfortunate to miss out on the Scottish Cup final.

He was also very unfortunate to be sent off at a game at his old stamping ground of Somerset Park when he kicked a ball which hit the referee in the face, and the stunned referee did not realise it was accidental.

There was, however, nothing accidental about his sending off at Celtic Park on the night that ten men won the League – and Johnny was the reason why there were only ten Celts!

1980 was a good season for Johnny with a Scottish Cup medal. He scored a brilliant goal at St Mirren on the way there. In season 1980/1 Johnny was more of a substitute than anything else. He met his death in October 1981 in a hideous manner by electrocution while working in his own house.

Not one of Celtic’s greatest ever players, but one of the most whole-hearted, and one of the best loved.

David Potter

*The above article by the late David Potter is from The Celtic Star archives. Here’s ’s tribute to Johnny Doyle for you to enjoy…

There was no Italian Job hangover for Celtic on the first Saturday of October 1981 up at Dens Park, George McCluskey with a brace and Frank McGarvey on target in a comfortable 3-1 victory, as the champions maintained their perfect record at the top of the table with a sixth straight League win.

The Magnificent Seven was then achieved at a windy Love Street, McCluskey setting the first goal up for Charlie Nicholas then adding a second before half-time, with Celts then holding firm against a second-half gale and the softest of Saints penalties to prevail 2-1 on the day.

‘Chicken George’ was in the best form of his career.

Bursting onto the scene as an eighteen-year-old back in 1975, a combination of injury, perceived inconsistency and, more recently, the excellent form of strike rivals Nicholas and McGarvey, had prevented him securing the number nine jersey on a more permanent basis, despite critical goals in the 1979 title decider – the night when Ten Men Won the League – and the following year’s Scottish Cup Final. However, this would be the season when he would emerge as the key striker at Celtic Park.

The 100% record finally went at the eighth attempt, the following Saturday at home to Dundee United, and it went in the most contentious of circumstances.

Within the first few minutes, the late Ralph Milne clearly controlled the ball with his hand, a la Thierry Henry, before forcing it over the line. As we waited for a whistle which didn’t come – would you believe the referee was a Delaney from Cleland? – disbelief turned to anger. That man McCluskey again came to the rescue, with an equaliser early in the second half, however try as they might, a Celtic winner was not forthcoming and the run was over.

Continues on the next page…