John Clark

John Clark is ‘Mr Celtic’. He joined the club in 1958 as a 17-year-old, and has been involved with the club ever since. There have been occasional breaks in service, when he played or managed elsewhere, but Paradise always remained in his heart and it’s where he always returned to.

He began life in the half-back line at Celtic, but was converted to a sweeper when Jock Stein returned to the club in 1965. And alongside Billy McNeill, Clark was part of a formidable defensive partnership that conquered all before them. Composed on the ball and with a great ability to read the game, John Clark was a crucial cog in Celtic’s success, and he would later help deliver further success as assistant manager to Billy McNeill during the latter’s first spell in charge at the club.

"As a Celtic supporter myself, I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been at the club for so long."

John Clark has been part of Celtic now for well over 50 years, and it’s something that he is rightly proud of. He said: ‘I have worked here through the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and the 2000s. I could never have imagined that I would be here that long, but I’ve just been lucky to have been involved in the game for as long as I have. And as a Celtic supporter myself, I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been at the club for so long.’

PRELUDE TO PARADISE
Lanarkshire Bhoy, John Clark started with his local Chapelhall Boys’ Guild before junior side, Larkhall Thistle were alerted to his talents in the left-half berth in October 1957. By the end of that season, Birmingham City were in the running for the youngster but no permanent deal was struck and Celtic’s reserve coach, a certain Jock Stein, fielded Clark as a trialist on September 20. By October he was a fully-fledged Celtic player and joined a half-back line in the reserve side where he was partnered by Pat Crerand and Billy McNeill as the club’s second string began to pick up plaudits – something that the first team were sadly lacking.

DEBUT BHOY
On Saturday, October 3, 1959, Scotland were playing in Belfast and won 4-0 with Celtic first-team players Bobby Evans and Bertie Peacock on opposing sides. In those days, though, the club football card carried on as normal on international days and the absence of two first-team stalwarts from the half-back line necessitated some re-adjustment to the team, with the 18-year-old Clark lining up alongside 19-year-old Billy McNeill for the first time in the top team. A 9,000 crowd at Gayfield saw the Hoops storm to a 5-0 win with the goals coming from Stevie Chalmers (2), Mike Jackson (2) and Jim Conway.

'Jock Stein adopted the sweeper system and Clark was the man for the job.'

HIGHLIGHTS
Where do you want to start? As one of the ‘Kelly Kids’ of the 1950s, Clark had been utilised at right-half when it was obvious that his natural berth was on the left-hand side of the defence but that all changed when Jock Stein arrived as manager in 1965. The new boss also adopted the sweeper system and Clark was the man for the job as Stein’s Celts set about turning Scottish, not to mention European, football on its head. Between 1965 and 1971, Clark picked up four league championships, three Scottish Cups, four League Cups and, of course, the European Cup in 1967.

BOWING OUT
This was truly the end of an era as the final league match of season 1970/71, a 6-1 home win over Clyde on May 1, was not only John Clark’s last game for Celtic, it was also the last hurrah of the Lisbon Lions. Bertie Auld was set to depart and join Hibernian and Jock Stein allowed the injured Ronnie Simpson to run out with the team as the Lions took to the field for the last time. As things turned out, it would also be the final outing for Clark and Stevie Chalmers – but it wouldn’t be the last time that either of those two wore hoops at Celtic Park.

SCORING AT PARADISE
The reason for the return of the hooped duo is that they both signed for Morton and in Celtic’s second home league game of the following season, the Greenock side were visitors and the monochrome shots of the day show the pair still seemingly playing for Celtic – but in the blue and white Hoops of the Cappielow club. John Clark took this a little too literally and managed to score an own goal in Celtic’s 3-1 win. He did return to Paradise properly, though, as a coach in 1973 and was Billy McNeill’s right-hand man as assistant at both Aberdeen and Celtic. He was manager at Cowdenbeath, Stranraer, Clyde and Shotts Bon Accord before returning to Celtic as Kit Manager, meaning that he has been on Celtic’s books in every decade since the 1950s – a remarkable achievement.

'Between April 1965 and September 1967, Clark did not miss a single game for Celtic in any competition.'

MR CONSISTENCY
Between April 1965 and September 1967, Clark did not miss a single game for Celtic in any competition. From April 17, 1965 when Celtic played Partick Thistle in the league, he didn’t miss a match until September 27, 1967 when the Hoops played Ayr United in the League Cup quarter-final. That was 140 competitive Celtic games with 73 in the league, 28 in the League Cup, 14 in the Scottish Cup, seven in the Glasgow Cup and 18 in Europe. During this time he also played four times for Scotland and Celtic played 17 major friendlies including the North American tour of 1966, Manchester United and the Di Stefano Testimonial.

MR CELTIC
John Clark told the Celtic View: ‘I just wanted to keep playing and stay here. Once I got in I didn’t want to lose my place and that was all down to my hard work and ability. I had a good career, and I enjoyed it. I have nothing to complain about in regards to the football side of it and Celtic has been a way of life for me. I've been more or less attached to the club since 1958 so I'm proud of my achievements.’

316 CELTIC CAREER APPEARANCES
League: 186, Scottish Cup: 31, League Cup: 62, Europe: 37

3 CELTIC CAREER GOALS
League: 1, Scottish Cup: 1, League Cup: 1

12 CELTIC CAREER MAJOR HONOURS
League Titles: 4, Scottish Cup: 3, League Cup: 4, European Cup: 1