“There’s only one Willie Miller” – actually, not so…
Charlie would be my exclusive nomination for Celtic’s best ever goalkeeper, had it not been for someone called Willie Miller It was a cold day at Pittodrie in December 1980 when I found myself watching a poor Celtic team go under to Aberdeen. “There’s only one Willie Miller” sang the Dons fans in deserved tribute to their centre half and captain. But my companion, an old, emaciated, downtrodden little man who had presumably been watching Celtic for longer than I had, demurred.
“No!” he said. “I mind o’ Willie Miller and he was a damned sicht better than thae twa” as he jabbed his thumb in the general direction of Jim Leighton and Paddy Bonner. He was referring to Willie Miller, Celtic’s goalkeeper in the years of the Second World War and the immediate aftermath.
Willie Miller
He played from 1942 until 1949, and that immediately gives a clue as to why Willie Miller is so comparatively unknown. Celtic won nothing of any significance in that period, and Willie’s medal total rises no higher than two – one Glasgow Cup medal and one Glasgow Charity Cup medal.
But that is not to say that he did not play a great part in Celtic’s history. Celtic needed to have a good goalkeeper in those days and they found one in this small, unassuming little man who probably did more than anyone else to save Celtic from relegation in 1948.
Willer Miller
The season was technically saved at Dens Park on 17 April, but it was in fact saved earlier than that on the many occasions when the goalkeeping of Willie Miller turned a potential defeat into a draw, or a draw into a victory.
“Charging the goalkeeper”
He had poor defenders in front of him more often than not, but he seldom let Celtic down with a particular ability to change direction (almost!) in mid-air and never lacking the courage to come out and dive at the feet of dangerous opposition forwards. “Charging the goalkeeper” – a brutal occurrence was allowed then, but Miller was always nimble enough to get out of the way, and Celtic Park would often laugh at the spectacle of someone like Willie Thornton of Rangers or Lawrie Reilly of Hibs throwing themselves at Willie Miller, but Miller being able to evade them and we had the vignette of a burly forward in the back of the Celtic net while Miller cleared the ball upfield! He played 265 times and had 74 shut-outs.
His most famous performances were for Scotland, for whom he played 6 times. But his first great performance was for the Scottish League at Hampden in 1947, when a seriously outplayed Scottish League XI went down 1-3 to their English counterparts, but it would have been a lot more but for Willie Miller.
The “most courageous” thing Bob Crampsey had ever seen in football
He was kicked and bruised, and at one point had to go off for treatment after a head injury but came back in bandages and defied the English once more – something that the late Bob Crampsey said was the “most courageous” thing he had ever seen in football. Largely as a result of this performance, he was chosen to play for Scotland against England at Wembley in April 1947 and did well in the honourable 1-1 draw.
So let’s not forget Willie Miller! Who was the best?
I don’t know, but Celtic have been blessed with many great goalkeepers and the man that I mentioned at the start, John Fallon, an ever present attendee at home and away games, was by no means the worst either! And we all hope to see him back again at his beloved Celtic Park before very long!
David Potter
*Article from The Celtic Star archives from the late, great Celtic Historian David Potter who wanted these stories to be told. This week we’ll publish one a day for you to enjoy! A great Celtic man was David…
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