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Fullname: John Colrain
Born: 4 Feb 1937
Died: 14 Jul 1984
Birthplace: Glasgow
Height: 6ft 0in
Weight: 13st 0lb
Signed: 1953 (prov); 1957 (full)
Left: 1955 (Army); 18 Nov 1960 (Clyde)
Position: Centre-forward/Midfielder
Debut: Celtic 0-1 Rangers, League, 1 Jan 1958
Internationals: none

Biog

John Colrain came to Celtic with the weight of "the next big prospect in the game" to live up to. He could hit the ball hard but was poor in the air. He always considered himself a centre-forward when he may have performed better as a midfielder. He combined well with the talents of Jackson, Conway, Divers and Auld in the Reserve side in the 1957-58 season, and then he got his chance in the first team after the departue of Bobby Collins to Everton. However it was not a great time to be with Celtic. After the classic League Cup success in 1957, we did not win another trophy until 1965. For any aspiring footballer, Celtic was a poor environment with a managerially impotent manager, a meddling chariman and a demoralised squad of players. Celtic were at their poorest in this period.

Little Celtic success meant John's time was not a fruitful one. However, he can more than hold his head up high as he had a very good return of 23 goals in 58 games.

He left Celtic for Clyde and then onto Ipswich before moving to Glentoran as a player-manager at the age of 29. He managed probably the greatest Glentoran side ever which failed to be beaten by Benfica at home (1-1) and at the away leg (0-0) in the European Cup (losing on away goals). He also put together a Glentoran team for a North American tour in 1967 which returned unbeaten. When he was sacked from Glentoran an EGM demanded his re-instatement.

He had two years as a manager with St Pats before returning to England as a scout for Manchester City.

John Colrain is credited by Billy McNeill with giving him the nickname 'Cesar' after Cesar Romero at the time of the original Hollywood bratpack of Sinatra, Romero, Sammy Davies Jnr., Dean Martin, etc. Colrain himself had a fine voice and a full admiration for Frank Sinatra.

John died prematurely of a heart attack at home in Glasgow at the age of 47 in 1984.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

none

Playing Career

• Ashfield, 1952
• Celtic (provisional) 20/11/1953
• St Anthony's (farmed out) 1954
• Duntocher Hibernian (farmed out), 1955
• National Service, Army, 1955
• Celtic, Full, 22/07/1957
• Clyde, 18/11/1960
• Ipswich Town, 23/05/1963
• Glentoran player-coach, 30/07/1966
• St Patrick's Athletic Manager. 1968-70
• Manchester City Scout 1972
• Partick Thistle Scout

Honours with Glentoran

• Irish League Champions 1966-67, 1967-68
• City Cup, 1966-67
• Ulster Cup, 1966-67
• Gold Cup 1966-67

Pictures

• Player Pictures

Links

• Ipswich Career Notes
• Glentoran Site appreciation