Kelly’s Kids

Back in the 1950s, Celtic were in the doldrums. The arrival of Jock Stein as a player was a filip for the squad, and finally the club had turned a corner first winning the invitational Coronation Cup in 1953 and then the league & Scottish Cup double in 1953/54. It was Celtic’s first league title since 1938, but major titles were still a rarity for Celtic, with the Scottish Cup being the only other title won during that time.

Celtic managed to pick themselves up and win the league cup twice in a row in 1956 & 1957, but that was it for this generation of players. Again there was severe underachievement, but also underinvestment in the club. Jimmy McGrory was a fine player in his heyday, but as a manager he was clearly out of his depth.

With the poor state of affairs at Celtic, voices were raised in exasperation at the management of the club. However, the incumbents on the board were never going to move over especially as they had something so good so easily to keep them well fed.

Celtic Chairman Bob Kelly retorted that the club were pioneering and rearing a fine set of youngsters that would bring glory back to Celtic and put the club back again at the top of Scottish football.

The young set of players bracketed into this scheme were dubbed ‘Kelly’s Kids‘ which some supporters subscribed to, and there were many excellent footballers in that set, including future legends like Billy McNeill. Charlie Gallagher and Joe Logan (see below short biog) are regarded as the first of the crop with McNeill third, so that would put the tenure of the Kelly’s Kids project being from September 1958 to March 1965 (when Jock Stein arrived). Charlie Gallagher went on to have a long great career with Celtic but Joe Logan didn’t.

However, Celtic continued to perform poorly and until Jock Stein’s arrival in March 1965, the club continued to win nothing and repeatedly underperform in the league.

Incredibly, the turnaround was fast and 2.5 years after Jock Stein’s arrival the club had scaled the heights and won the European Cup. It wasn’t handed to Jock Stein on a plate as he had been responsible also for rearing various of these Kelly’s Kids back when he was a reserve coach in the 1950s after he had hung up his boots. Jock Stein was vital to the success.

Celtic coach Neil Mochan was an important steadying influence on the players that helped guide them to maturity, and others such as Sean Fallon were there throughout also helping to rear the players.

The question is though if ‘Kelly’s Kids‘ was really just something that was used by Chairman Bob Kelly to swat away critics, or was the policy genuine? The future success says it was real, but can be argued to have been a way to deflect attention from the then current malaise at the club.

Kelly’s Kids also reflects how sidelined that the manager Jimmy McGrory was when you see that the youth were referred under the chairman’s name rather than the team manager. It was a shambles at Celtic, and it must be acknowledged that various of the best players were close to leaving (or actually did leave) prior to the arrival of Jock Stein due to frustration and lack of morale.

It all adds to what could have been if there was better management sooner at the club, but Jock Stein’s reign at Celtic changed the course of football in Scotland forever, and a number of the Kelly’s Kids were pivotal in that success.

List of ‘Kelly’s Kids’ (selection)

• Bertie Auld
• Bobby Carroll
• Stevie Chalmers
• John Clark
• Paddy Crerand
• Charlie Gallagher
• Tommy Gemmell
• Jimmy Johnstone
• Mike Jackson
• Joe Logan (see below)
• Bobby Lennox
• Ian Lochhead
• Billy McNeill
• Bobby Murdoch
• Ian Young

Joe Logan , Celtic Player – Kelly’s Kid (1956-59)
Fullname : Joseph Logan Born : 16th June 1941

Joe Logan is described by Bertie Auld as a young Celtic player who was so unlucky – ‘he should have made it’.

A career cut short by injury, Celtic sent Joe for several knee operations as a boy – these were unsuccessful.

Joe signed with Celtic on the same night as Charlie Gallacher and Charlie was known to be fond of reminding big Billy McNeill that it was Charlie Gallacher and Joe Logan who were the first 2 Kelly’s Kids to be signed by Sir Robert Kelly and Billy the 3rd. (Noted from the conversations with Charlie and Eugene Mc Bride at Joe Logan’s house for Eugene”s book called ‘Taking Celtic’).

As a young Celt Joe trained with Bertie Auld in Ruchill Park, Joe lived in Queens Cross and Bertie up the hill in Panmure Street. Bertie’s mother Peggy and Joe’s mother Katie also worked together in Mc Ewans Brewery, Bertie was 3 years older than Joe and Peggy would tell Bertie to look after Joe, (Joe responded; ‘ I don’t need anyone to look efter me’) – but Bertie did. Joe remembers himself , Bertie and John Colrain buying oranges after training and getting the bus back to Maryhill. Prior to signing with Celtic at 17, Joe was invited to sign for Aberdeen by Bobby Calldwell and remembers fondly of Bassie Koegh of Clyde saying to Harry Haddock who trained the boys guild at Saint Columba’s’ look he going to Celtic and thats that, he is no goin anywhere else!’.

Celtic remains in Joe’s heart, he remembers proudly how it felt to put on “that Celtic jersey”, “I was a goal-scorer, I was ‘two-footed’, a natural on both feet, I played in the close hitting the baw aff the wall wi both feet ! ”

Joes’ last game for Celtic was a reserve game at Boghead against Dumbarton – the team were ; Dick Beatttie – Keeper , Frank Meechan – Right Back , Jim Kennedy – Left Back , Paddy Crerand – Right Half , Billy McNeill – Centre Half , Ian White – Left Half , Outside Right was John Colquhoun, Roy Paton was Inside Right, Joe Logan was Centre Forward, John Colrain was Inside Left, Bertie Auld Outside Left. Score 3-1 for Celtic.

After Celtic Joe worked with Scottish Television from the late 60’s till the 90’s remembers many conversations with Jock Stein on his trips to Cowcaddens. Jock often said to Joe ‘how unfortunate Joe was at Parkhead’ – in a conversation in the STV studios before a 1982 world cup interview Jock confided in Joe ‘that he was one of the best players he had ever seen’. Jock was always delighted Joe’s time at Celtic had allowed him to land a good secure job in STV. Joe Logan is responsible for donating the Brother Walfrid – Celtic Crosses to raise money for Tommy Burns’ Church, Saint Mary’s; Calton and birthplace of Celtic FC.

The number 1 of a 100 of these crosses was presented by Archbishop of Glasgow Mario Conti to Brian Quinn Chairman of Celtic FC on the day the statue of Brother Walfrid was unveiled at Parkhead on 5th November 2005, this cross is displayed in the Celtic Boardroom.