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Fullname: Bernard Rooney
aka: Benny Rooney
Born: 1943?
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 1959
Height: 5' 9'' (175cm)
Position: Versatile
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 0
International Goals: 0

Biog

Benny began playing at Our Lady's High, where he formed a formidable half-back line with John Cushley and Bobby Murdoch.

His father Bob Rooney (1920 - 1992) had also been a footballer, then became the physio/trainer of the Lisbon Lions and a life-saving hero of the 1971 Ibrox disaster.

Benny signed for Celtic in 1959 and was farmed out to Cambuslang Rangers and Petershill in the junior ranks. Then in November 1961 he was loaned to Dumbarton where he made his senior debut. After another season without making the breakthrough at Celtic he moved to Dundee United on a free transfer, aged 20, in 1963.

Became a prolific forward in United's reserves but failed to become a regular and, after several transfer requests, moved to St. Johnstone for £3,500 in March 1966. Here he became a defender of some repute and after some 9 years he was on the move again, this time to Partick Thistle. Then in July 1976 he accepted the role of player/manager at Morton.

He stayed at Morton until 1983 and is remembered fondly for signing Andy Ritchie and getting them promoted into the Premier Division as a part-time club. A brief spell as Albion Rovers boss occurred in 1983/84, before Benny took the reigns at Partick Thistle - a position he relinquished in March 1986.

When Celtic entered a second Reserve team in the Reserve League West for 1988/89, Billy McNeill brought Rooney in to run it. He was made Youth Development Officer while Bobby Lennox looked after the Premier Reserves. This state of affairs continued until incoming Manager Lou Macari brought in his own backroom team in summer 1993.

Benny later ran the Queens Park Cafe pub on Glasgow's South side. His son Kevin became an actor and featured in the cult MTV sitcom 'top buzzer'.

Playing Career

		League Appearances	League goals
1959/60	Celtic	0	0
	Cambuslang Rangers	?	?
1960/61	Celtic	0	0
	Petershill	?	?
1961/62	Celtic	0	0
	Dumbarton (loan)	7	0
1962/63	Celtic	0	0
1963/64	Dundee United	8	1
1964/65	Dundee United	4	0
1965/66	Dundee United	10	3
	St. Johnstone	7	2
1966/67	St. Johnstone	22	0
1967/68	St. Johnstone	32	0
1968/69	St. Johnstone	32	1
1969/70	St. Johnstone	34	1
1970/71	St. Johnstone	30	1
1971/72	St. Johnstone	28	2
1972/73	St. Johnstone	34	4
1973/74	St. Johnstone	3	0
	Partick Thistle	22	0
1974/75	Partick Thistle	20	1
1975/76	Partick Thistle	20	2
1976/77	Greenock Morton	0	0

Honours

Pictures

• Reserve League West 1989/90

Media

• Do we have videos etc?
  

Links

• Dundee United profile
• Petershill History