'The Story Of' is a web series dedicated to small but special tales from Celtic’s illustrious history. Here, we look at Hoops great Charlie Tully’s celebrity on and off the pitch.

BORN on July 11, 1924 and signed by Celtic on June 28, 1948, inside-left midfielder Charlie Tully made 319 appearances for the Paradise side, scoring 47 goals along the way. Best known for his repertoire of dazzling moves, mouth-watering tricks, and party lifestyle, the Irishman was as famous on the pitch as he was off it.

So popular was Tully during his days in the limelight, that merchandise in the form of cocktails, clothes, memorabilia and even ice-cream were named after the star, in a movement known then as 'Tullymania'. Given his Irish roots and being under contract at Paradise, all of the above came in Celtic-themed style, in green and white or emblazoned with shamrocks.

Sponsorship deals are, of course, common in modern football, but this, in times predating even the likes of George Best, never mind today’s hottest properties in Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe et al, was unheard of.

As quoted on the Celtic Wiki, Sean Fallon said this of his team-mate’s on-pitch confidence: "And Charlie Tully! Wonderful player, awfie man. I'll never forget the first time he sat on the ball – against Rangers! No-one, as far as I knew, had ever done that before. Their players looked stunned.

“We all used to get given passes to games, and Charlie always played with them in the pocket of his shorts. If he was playing well he'd hand them out to the opposition: 'Here, you'd be better off watching me from the stand.' In a cup-tie at Falkirk he scored two goals straight from corners.”

Charlie Tully left Celtic on September 2, 1959, and sadly passed away on 27 July 1971. Close to 50 years on, however, his memory lives long in the pantheon of the club’s most noteworthy players – not least by his inclusion in Willie Maley, a song still sung in the stands of Celtic Park to this day.

The Story Of… 'Tullymania' and the celebrity of Charlie Tully