Adams, Davie

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Personal

Fullname: David Robertson Adams
aka: Davy Adams, Davie Adams, David Adams
Born: 14 May 1883
Died: 29 November 1948, Edinburgh
Birthplace: Oathlaw
Signed: December 1902
Left: Mar 1912 (retired)
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Celtic 1-0 Hibernian, League, 26 Sep 1903
Internationals: n/a
International Caps:n/a

Biog

Big Davy Adams was the last line of defence of Celtic’s first truly great side (1904-10), and represented Scotland at junior level with Dunipace before arriving at Parkhead midway through the 1902/03 season.

He was a colossus of a custodian (only the legendary ‘Fatty’ Foulkes of that era seemed bigger), yet was surprisingly adept at saving low shots for such a huge man.

Having signed in 1902, he was said to have played a great match v Middlesborough on tour (Sep 1903), and very soon after he was to have the no.1 position to himself for much of the next eight years. He had some initial shaky performances, but Davie Adams did soon settle in and become respected as one of the better goalkeepers in the Scottish League.

His first major match was the Scottish Cup final of 1904. Rangers were actually leading two nil early on, with Davie Adams actually responsible for both goals. However, the might Jimmy Quinn famously scored a hat-trick and Davie Adams recovered to not put a foot wrong thereafter. Things never looked back thereafter.

Jimmy Quinn said of him that Davie Adams didn’t “come out of his shell” until a great 2-1 win over Rangers in the Glasgow Cup (8 Oct 1904). Something thereafter we were to benefit from.

At the beginning of the 1906/07 campaign, Davie Adams suffered a badly cut hand playing in a benefit game at Ibrox for Rangers star Finlay Speedie. The mishap was caused through a nail which had been inserted in a goalpost for a five-a-side tournament during a sports meeting and had not been removed. Davie Adams, in making a save, lacerated his hand. Rangers kindly loaned the Celts their reserve Tom Sinclair in the meantime.

Curiously, his only spell out the side came from this injury, and it ended up costing him a Glasgow Cup medal.

A notable match of David Adam’s was in the Glasgow Cup final of October 1907, when he was said to have played virtually on his own throughout the second half. Celtic went on to win 2-1 v Rangers to take the title.

In truth, he had the problem of the odd blunder but was found to learn from them. So any errors just made him stronger. As much as goalkeepers had to do a little “playing out“, he was said to have excelled in those skills.

Davie Adams loved repartee and on one memorable occasion when MacLeod was bitching on to him after conceding a soft goal, Davie Adams began to get irritated as the full-back kept going on about the mistake:

MacLeod: ‘How the hell did you lose that ball?’
Adams: ‘Shut up! I know where the ball is. I havnae lost it. It’s in the net!’

His swansong was the 1911 Scottish Cup, which Celtic lifted without conceding a goal throughout the competition. He continued to play on till December of that year, but eye trouble forced his retirement a few months later. He was also allegedly a “martyr to rheumatism“. His last game was notably Patsy Gallagher’s debut, so as one all-time great left the club another moved in.

He was a very reliable keeper, and his record of silverware proves the point, with a distinguished shut-out rate of 43% in the league & Scottish Cup.

He went on to win numerous club honours, including six successive League Championship medals and four Scottish Cup medals, an enviable record for any period.

Disappointingly, he never received recognition at full international level. One explanation offered was that the defensive players immediately in front of him at Celtic were so secure that he was seldom called into action; and, indeed, Davie Adams often complained of getting cold through inactivity behind such a well-drilled defence.

Big Davie Adams was the last Celtic goalkeeper to appear in the hoops and the first to wear a distinguishable yellow jersey to represent the goalkeeper.

The support loved him and showed this when he appeared from the pavilion unannounced to run the line for Celtic versus Barnsley (3rd Sep 1912).

Davie Adams after retiring ran a pub in East Kilbride then later moved to Tranent and ran a pub called the plough. He had 3 children Charlie, Lisa and Janet.

He died in a nursing home in Edinburgh on 29 November 1948, aged sixty-five.

A great goalkeeper, overshadowed by the earlier Dan McArthur and the later Charlie Shaw. However, Davie Adam’s record shows he deserves greater recognition on his own too. A very fine Celt.

Quotes

Supporter: “You’re no a good goalie!”
Davie Adams: “Maybe no, but the Celtic board don’t know it yet!”
Davie Adams in banter with a supporter after losing a goal in a game.

Playing Career