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Fullname: William Fagan
aka: Willie Fagan
Born: 20 February 1917
Died: 29 Februrary 1992
Birthplace: Musselburgh
Signed: June 8th 1934; (January 1942 on loan)
Left: 14 Oct 1936 (to Preston NE)
Debut: Dunfermline 1-3 Celtic League, 16 Mar 1935
Position: Inside Forward
Internationals: N/A
International Caps: N/A

Biog

Musselburgh-born Willie Fagan signed for Celtic in June 1934 from Wellesley Juniors.

His debut came in a 3-1 league victory at Dunfermline on 16th March 1935 when he made a left wing with Hugh O'Donnell. Fagan, an inside-forward and nephew of Celtic great John "Jean" McFarlane, played a total of 12 times in his first spell at the club, netting nine goals. His first goal for the Hoops came in a 3-0 win at Albion Rovers on January 18th 1936 as the Bhoys took the league title for the first time in a decade.

Willie joined Preston in October that year and played in the 1937 FA Cup final against Sunderland at Wembley. This final had a very Scottish flavour with no less than ten Scots equally divided between the teams. Sadly Preston's Scotland quintet of Willie, the O'Donnell brothers, Bill Shankly and Andy Beattie could not get the better of the Makems.

Liverpool were the next club that Willie played for and he had a good record there, which might have been a great one had it not been interupted by World War Two. Willie became a pivotal player for Liverpool when he returned to them post-war helping them to the league title in 1947 and he again graced the Wembley turf in the 1950 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, in which he formed the left wing with, arguably, Liverpool's greatest ever player, Townhill born William Beveridge "Billy" Liddell. Though his four goals helped his team to reach the cup final Willie was, sadly, on the losing side yet again.

He returned to Celtic Park during World War Two when as a loan signing in January 1942 he scored once in two games during the Regional League competition.

After football he worked for HM prisons.

Quotes

"It’s funny how one’s early ambitions seldom pan out. As a boy I craved to be a famous Opera singer. Just between you and me, I would still like to be one. Realising that’s impossible, however, I’ve substituted a more prosaic aim, and when I finally hang up my football boots I hope to qualify as a masseur. I have already passed examinations as a football coach, and find the work among schoolboys most interesting."
Willie Fagan in 1950

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

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Pictures

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Links

• World War Two