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Note: There has been more than one player to have played for Celtic with the same name. Please check the other namesakes to ensure you have the right person if need be.
Personal
Fullname: John Weir
Born: 18 February 1960
Birthplace: Coatbridge
Signed: 1978
Left: 8 May 1982 (free)
Position: Midfielder
Debut: Dundee Utd away 1-1 League Cup semi final first leg 12 November 1980
Last game: Berwick Rangers 2-0 away Scottish Cup 24 January 1981
Only goal: Dundee United away 3-0 League 29 November 1980
Internationals: none
Biog
Coatbridge-born John Weir was a midfield battler who came from the Celtic Boys Club set up.
He signed senior terms for the Hoops in 1978 and made his debut in a disappointing 1-1 draw, against newly promoted Airdrie at Parkhead on 20th September 1980, after Celtic had a spate of injuries to midfield players.
After the 2-0 home defeat against Aberdeen on 8th November 1980 manager Billy McNeill drafted in youngsters John Weir and Mark Reid in midfield and left back respectively, for the next game at Tannadice against Dundee United, when both performed well enough to earn a run in the team.
He was reputedly “tall, skinny, slow to settle but quite a player” and “a hard worker and a good listener” (Jim Lumsden).
On 25th November 1980 he had an impressive game at Highbury against Arsenal in a 0-0 draw on a night where a young Celtic side gave a fine account of themselves.
John Weir then went on to play in 13 consecutive games between that game at Tannadice and the Scottish cup victory at Berwick on 24th January 1981.
When Murdo MacLeod and Mike Conroy returned from injury in late January young John Weir found himself dropping out of the first team scene. Celtic won the title that season and John Weir had earned a winners medal for his industrious displays in the middle of the park. However he had to give way to Mike Conroy reportedly due to “mental and physical tiredness”.
The highlight of his short time in the first team was scoring the important second goal in a fine 3-0 league win at Tannadice on 29th November 1980. A loud cheer on the same night came when announced over the tannoy that Rangers had lost 1-0 to Morton at Ibrox. From the match report:
“John Weir got his first goal for Celtic – and a fine one it was. He made a strong run through the middle to meet a long pass from Dom Sullivan eluded David Narey and thrashed the ball past McAlpine”.
The next season John Weir could not make the breakthrough, although he captained a very young Celtic side (reserves) to victory against all the odds in the Glasgow Cup final at Ibrox on 13th May 1982, against a very experienced Rangers side. However he was surprisingly released shortly after later that month.
He had a trial with the curiously named Winterslag (a pre-cursor to KRC Genk in Belgium), but moved to Airdrie, Alloa and Cumbernauld Utd.
Went onto study civil engineering at Strathclyde University.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1978-82 | 11 | 1 | 2 | – | 14 |
| Goals: | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish Premier Division