Charlie Gallagher

Charles Gallagher (born 3 November 1940 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a former footballer, who played as a forward. Although he was born in Scotland, he represented Republic of Ireland at international level, making two appearances for the team in 1967.

Early life

Gallagher was born in Glasgow in 1940, the son of Irish parents Dan and Annie (née Duffy) from County Donegal. He first played for St. John's (Gorbals) Boys' Guild in 1952, Holyrood Senior Secondary in 1953, before joining Kilmarnock Amateurs in 1955 and Yoker Athletic in 1958. Charlie was a modest player with undeniable talent.

Professional career

Gallagher was recommended to Celtic by his Physical Education teacher, John Murphy. Murphy had connections with Celtic and doubled as an announcer at Parkhead on match days.

On 20 September 1958, Gallagher provisionally signed for Celtic and made his full debut on 6 March 1959. Jock Stein signed him as a full professional on the same day. Gallagher was part of the Lisbon Lions squad that won the 1967 European Cup Final, where he scored 4 goals. The same year, Gallagher became the first Scottish-born player to play for the Republic of Ireland when he travelled to Ankara on 22 February 1967 to represent Ireland against Turkey.

Gallagher played for Celtic for over a decade, making a total of 171 appearances and scoring 32 goals. This included 106 Scottish League appearances and 17 league goals. He also played in 13 European games. Gallagher remained at Celtic until 1 May 1970, when he transferred to Dumbarton. He retired from playing in April 1973. Gallagher worked as a scout for Celtic from April 1976 to April 1978.

Personal life

He has a brother, Danny, and a sister, Eileen, and is a cousin of fellow Celtic player Paddy Crerand. Charlie now lives in Bishopbriggs with his wife Maryrose. He has 3 children (Paul, Kieron and Claire) and 8 grandchildren. In 2016 a biography, Charlie Gallagher? What A Player written by David W. Potter and published by Celtic Quick News appeared.

Honours

Celtic

• European Cup 1966-1967
• Scottish First Division (5): 1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70
• Scottish Cup (3): 1965, 1967, 1969
• Scottish League Cup (5): 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969 (April), 1969 (October)

Dumbarton

• Scottish Second Division (1): 1971-72