Kivlichan, William

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Fullname: William Fulton Kivlichan
aka: Willie Kivlichan, Dr Willie Kivlichan, Dr William Kivlichan, Dr. William F. Kivlichan, M.B., Ch.B., M.A.
Born: 11 March 1886
Died: 5 April 1937
Birthplace: Galashiels
Signed: 16 May 1907
Left: 29 Apr 1911 (Bradford)
Position: Outside-right
Debut: Morton 2-3 Celtic, League, 24 Aug 1907
Internationals: n/a

Biog

Galashiels-born outside-right Willie Kivlichan has the exceptionally rare distinction of being a Rangers player immediately prior to joining the Hoops in May 1907, with one report claiming that on finding out their ‘error‘ that Willie Kivlichan was Catholic, they showed him the door. The Kivlichan family attribute that what can be said to be an unofficial swap was arranged with Alec Bennet moving to Ibrox and Willie Kivlichan to Celtic.

Before arriving he had scored a winning goal for the Ibrox club against the Bhoys. Then eight months later Willie started to make amends immediately when he netted twice on his debut as Celtic won a league encounter at Morton 3-2 on August 24th. Then in February 1908 the Glasgow University student hit another double to defeat Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup.

Hard-working rather than exceptionally talented, Willie was an effective wideman who could score as well as create goals. He might have lacked the natural ability and showmanship of others but he was an attacking menace all the same.

He had an excellent first season with his scoring record, scoring ten times, but he wasn’t as proficient as goal scorer in the following seasons. However, still scored a number of goals to help drive the first team on.

He helped Celtic to three league titles and two Scottish Cups. In the 1907-08 Scottish Cup run, he played in the first three rounds scoring five goals (including that aforementioned double over Rangers) but didn’t get to play in the final or semi-final, but clearly his contribution was vital to the ultimate victory in this tournament.

He was a practising Roman Catholic and was a member of the ‘Third Order of St Francis‘, and during one match against Queen’s Park (1 Oct 1910), his scapulars (a religious clothing or vestment) fell and hung out from beneath his jersey, and for the eagle eyed amongst the crowd this was said to have “brought tears of joy to the eyes of the Parkhead faithful“.

He departed Parkhead in Aprill 1911 for Yorkshire, to Bradford Park Avenue to play under Tom Maley. He had played 92 league & Scottish Cup games for the Bhoys and scored 22 goals.

During the First World War, he served for the King’s Own African Rifles and was reported to be seriously injured on 30th Aug 1918, but luckily recovered and returned back to the Scottish borders by Sep 1920 where he played for Queen of the South reserves.

Willie completed his studies whilst playing football and he went on to become a Doctor. He was to be the Celtic Club Doctor, but had the difficult experience to attend to John Thomson on that tragic fateful day at Ibrox in September 1931 when John Thomson passed away after a fatal but accidental collision. With Willie Kivlichan’s links to both sides, it will have been an additionally difficult experience.

Sadly Willie himself died before his time at the early age of 47 of a heart attack, two days after watching the Celts beat Clyde in a Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden. He is buried at St Joseph’s Dumfries with a Celtic jersey laid on his coffin.

A good Celt with a long history with the club.

From the Kivlichan Family History:

William did well at St Joseph s and got several prizes in Mathematics, Latin and English when he was fourteen. My grandfather wanted him to be a priest, so he was sent to Blair’s Seminary after he’d got all his higher’s when he was seventeen.

He had no vocation for the priesthood, so he came home after two terms.

His father was very angry so he refused to give him any further financial help with his education. Luckily he was a skilful football player and got a place in the Queen of the South team.

Next year he went back to school in Dumfries Academy where he took extra higher’s and was the sports champion that year at that time Rangers Football Club were looking for young players and their scouts saw my father playing and asked then to play for them.

They signed him up for a year not knowing that he was a catholic, the Rangers policy then, 1904, was not to have any catholic players so when the rangers board realised that he was a catholic they arranged with Celtic to exchange him for a Protestant player they had called Alex Bennet, both players were agreeable to this, the last New Year derby played by my father in Rangers was him scoring the winning goal for them and the following year his goal won the match for Celtic.
[Correction/Clarification note from TheCelticWiki on this family penned history: In 1908 he scored a double in a Scottish Cup match v Rangers, he didn’t score in a New Years Derby in 1908 or 1909 against them. He never actually scored again against them.]

In October 1904 William started in an MA course at Glasgow University his mother and the older sisters helped him and he shared a flat with Auntie Agnes and Auntie Olive in Glasgow. At University he met my mother Gertrude McCusker who was also staring an MA course, she knew Auntie Agnes they were both at Notradame Teacher Training college together.

My father got his MA then he decided to stay on and take a degree in medicine, all this time he was playing for Celtic, he was not a good student and although he had a good brain he did not qualify until 1917, this meant that he kept my mother waiting a long time before they could get married.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish League

• 1907-08, 1908-09, 1909-10

Scottish Cup

• 1908, 1911

Glasgow Cup

• 1910

Note: He only played in the first three rounds of the Scottish Cup in 1907-08 scoring five goals, but not the semi-final or the final; regardless due to his contribution we have added that as part of his Celtic honours in the above.

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Links

• Celtic & First World War

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Notes

• Different Dates on different sites for Date of Birth: Wikpedia says 1886, one obit below says 1885, Alphabet of Celts book says 1890. As Scotland’s People has 1886, we’ve used that (Scotland’s People is the official Scottish Govt records website).
• Now confirmed via Birth & Death Certificates that 1886 is correct.

News of Willie’s death even made the Australian newspapers.

THE CATHOLIC PRESS (Sydney), 10 June 1937:

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106338092
Scottish Catholic Notes.

The medical profession in Glasgow sustained a great loss recently by the death of one of its most skilful physicians and surgeons in the person of the late Dr. William F. Kivlichan, M.B., Ch.B., M.A. Born at Dumfries, in 1885, Dr. Kivlichan receiv- ed his early education at St. Joseph’s College (Dumfries), and later at the Glasgow Academy. His brilliant scholastic career was terminated at the Glasgow University, where he graduated in Arts, Medicine, and Surgery. At the invitation of Dr. Thomas Colvin, K.S.G., Dr. Kivlichan began to practise in Glasgow. Dr. Kivlichan ‘s renown was not confined to the medical world, for, in his younger days, he was a noted footballer, and thus his fame had spread far and wide. He was one of the few who played for both Rangers and Celtic. While playing for Celtic, he won three Scottish League champion- ship medals, and a Scottish Cup badge. His play attracted the attention of the international selectors, and he was chosen to represent Scotland against the Irish League in 1910 and 1911. His interest in the sport did not die when he withdrew from active participation in the game; he always manifested the deepest interest in the affairs of Celtic, and right up till the last his knowledge and experience of the game was always at the disposal of his old club. Thus, the demise of Dr. Kivlichan will be mourned by one and all — his numerous patients, the followers of the association code, and the police, among whose ranks he was held in the highest esteem. — R.I.P.