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Nicknames arranged in Alphabetical order
From the very earliest days the Celtic support have loved to give nicknames to their idols. Here are a selection of just some of the titles bestowed upon Parkhead favourites through the ages:-
Baby Elephant – Big Bob Campbell – who would go on to play for and be a director at Rangers – was given this moniker due to his size.
The Bear – The popular nickname for all-time great Roy Aitken – a big and powerful midfielder/defender with a marauding running style that enabled Roy to carry the ball from one end of the park to the other at pace.
Big Bad John (BBJ) – The signature tune of Welshman John Hartson a prolific centre forward of the Martin O’ Neill era who played alongside Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton. As the nickname suggests John was powerfully built and not a player to take liberties or mess with.
Bombscare – After quite a decent start (involving one of the best own goals seen at Celtic Park), Olivier Tebily came to look like someone that didn’t quite know what to do with the ball at times.
Brains – Aural equivalent of ‘Branes’ from a rearrangement of Barnes used for manager Barnes and related to his 4-2-2-2 and diamond formations which the players were supposed to get used to playing and which no one seemed to have a clue what they were meant to do with.
Bridie – The nickname given to Charlie Gallacher a member of the Lisbon Lions squad – Bridie Gallagher (slightly different spelling) was a famous Irish singer (The Girl From Donegal) of the time and Charlie having the same name inherited the moniker after the singer.
The Brush – John Clark who was possibly the most under-valued of the Lisbon Lions was so called as his role was primarily playing the sweeper role alongside Billy McNeill. John Clark was also sometimes referred to as “Luggie”.
Buzz Bomb– The blistering and devastating pace of the diminutive Bobby Lennox saw him earn this title. Bobby was also sometimes called “Lemon”, this name came about, apparently, because the fans thought he made defenders look like suckers. However, that’s not true. The actual origins of this nickname are all due to a silly error. In one old match report, the respective journalist/copy-writer somehow mis-wrote Lennox’s name wrong as “Lemon” (God knows how they did that one!). Anyhow, Willie Wallace (a fellow Lisbon Lion) noticed this and it was used to rib Lennox in the dressing room. The nickname has stuck with him ever since and even manager Jock Stein used it.
Cairney – Lisbon Lion Jim Craig was given this nickname as there was an actor John Cairney who starred in a television programme of the time called “This Man Craig”. John Cairney, who grew up in Parkhead, is a well known Celtic fan, writer, actor and painter – he wrote a well-regarded biography of his boyhood hero Jimmy McGrory called ‘Heroes Are Forever’. When Celtic took part in and won the tv programme Quiz Ball in 1969/1970 the Celtic team was made up of Jim Craig, Billy McNeill, Willie Wallace and John Cairney – Cairney being the “celebrity” guest for Celtic. Jim Craig was a qualified Dentist as well as being a professional footballer. More can be found about John Cairney on his official website.
Cesar (Caesar) – The well documented confusions surrounding this nickname for Billy McNeill stems from the assumption that it was born from Billy’s imperious leadership qualities. In fact McNeill earned the label Cesar – not Caesar! – well before he was the established figurehead of Stein’s Bhoys. The name comes from the 1960s Hollywood ‘rat-pack’ thriller Ocean’s Eleven. The young Celtic stars of the era liked to model themselves on the cool stars of the film and, in a reference to Cesar Romero’s role in Ocean’s Eleven, Billy was nicknamed ‘Cesar’ as he was the only one in the Parkhead group to own a car.
Champagne Charlie – A title bestowed by some – the press mainly – on Charlie Nicholas due to the striker’s fondness of the party lifestyle
Choccy – A sweet sounding nickname for Brian McClair due to the fact his name rhymes with Chocolate Eclair!
Chopper – Bobby Murdoch was tough as teak.
Chunky Chicken – Given to Gordon Marshall Jnr for some reason – presumably because there was a processing plant near Glasgow at the time who made a product called “Marshall’s Chunky Chicken”.
The Croy Express – The nickname given to Jimmy Quinn (who was born,raised and died in the village of Croy) in relation to his muscular power and pace combined with an explosive left foot shot. Jimmy was also known by the nickname The Bison.
Danny Kaye – Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell was given this nickname because of a strong resemblance to the famous American comedian/actor.
The Derry Pele – The mercurial skills and wonder goals of fans favourite Paddy McCourt earned this (slightly!) tongue in cheek tribute
Dingus – A nickname given to Mark McGhee in his Aberdeen days and one which stuck throughout his playing days and subsequent management career. The name derives from the 1970 Frank Sinatra film ‘Dirty Dingus Magee’ – a comedy drama set in the wild west.
Dolph – Johan Mjallby put in performances of wall-like steadfastness in defence after he arrived and what with his rock hewn Scandinavian looks the nickname after Dolph Lundgren stuck.
The Duke – Sandy McMahon was said to bear a striking resemblance to the Duke of Wellington!
The Evil Genius – Chris Sutton‘s intelligent yet aggressive style earned him this cognomen. A popular title among the Celtic internet community who like to credit Big Chris’ supposed wicked ways for a whole host of misfortunes linked to Rangers!
Faither – Veteran keeper and Lisbon Lion Ronnie Simpson was the the eldest of Jock Stein’s all conquering Bhoys.
FLB – a nickname that was purely web-based given to Mark Viduka and standing for Fat Lazy B*****d
Flora – was used by a number of fanzines for Allan MacDonald. Apparently he like it.
Flying Flea – Jimmy Johnstone was given this nickname by the French press due to his mazzy and unpredictable dribbling skills.
Ghod – Henrik Larsson’s immense ability and contribution to the Celtic cause saw the goal-scoring idol given these well deserved – if slightly blasphemous! – nicknames.
The Golden Crust – Jimmy McGrory, a player so good he was given three nicknames! These names were given to Celtic’s record scorer due to his lethal and athletic heading ability.
Hapless – as in ‘Hapless Harald’. Quiet Norwegian accountant Harald Brattbakk seemed to go through spells when he couldn’t hit a barn door from two feet or score in Clatty Pats. He picked up the nickname after these dry spells.
Happy Feet – Charlie Napier’s fine dribbling skills earned him this tag.
Heid – A mostly affectionate moniker for Gary Caldwell, referring to his rather large cranium.
The Holy Goalie – Polish keeper Artur Boruc’s apparent devotion to his Catholic faith not only wound up the bigots in the Scottish media and the Rangers support it also saw him earn this nickname from the Celtic support.
Hoof – a more derogatory sobriquet for former skipper Stephen McManus for his much-maligned tendency to punt the ball upfield at all times instead of trying to pass it to a team-mate. Not one to mention in el Capitano’s presence.
Hooky – John McPhail’s penchant for the hook shot saw him given this title.
The Human Torpedo – Jimmy McGrory, a player so good he was given three nicknames! These names were given to Celtic’s record scorer due to his lethal and athletic heading ability.
The Icicle – The cool and assured Alec McNair was christened this name.
The Iron Man – A name given to both the great Jimmy Quinn and latterly Sean Fallon. Both players had a seemingly super human ability to shrug off knocks and injuries.
Jean – John McFarlane’s nickname stemmed from a popular character in a 1920s comic strip.
Jinky (aka Wee Jinky)- The well known and affectionate nickname for the legendary Jimmy Johnstone. Known more often simply as Jinky, the wee genius acquired the tag due to his amazing dribbling ability.
Jose – The nickname given to Joe McBride another member of the Lisbon Lions Squad.
The King of Kings – Henrik Larsson’s immense ability and contribution to the Celtic cause saw the goal-scoring idol given these well deserved – if slightly blasphemous! – nicknames.
King Kenny – The nickname bestowed by the Celtic Faithful on Kenny Dalglish – Undoubtedly one of the greatest ever footballers to have played for Celtic – Kenny truly was the King of Celtic Park and was quite rightly indoctrinated into the “Greatest Ever CelticTeam” as voted for by the fans themselves.
Lemon– The blistering and devasting pace of the diminutive Bobby Lennox saw him earn this title. Bobby was also sometimes called “Lemon”, this name came about, apparently, because the fans thought he made defenders look like suckers. However, that’s not true. The actual origins of this nickname are all due to a silly error. In one old match report, the respective journalist/copy-writer somehow mis-wrote Lennox’s name wrong as “Lemon” (God knows how they did that one!). Anyhow, Willie Wallace (a fellow Lisbon Lion) noticed this and it was used to rib Lennox in the dressing room. The nickname has stuck with him ever since and even manager Jock Stein used it.
The Little Ant – Bertie Peacock – The Coleraine born Celtic midfielder and Captain of the famous Celtic team which beat Rangers 7-1 in the 1957 League Cup Final was given this nickname due to his tremendous drive, work-rate and never say die attitude when playing for the Celtic cause.
The Little Princess – A less-than-praiseworthy epithet commonly applied to Eyal Berkovic for his general petulance really
Luggie – John Clark who was possibly the most under-valued of the Lisbon Lions was so called as his role was primarily playing the sweeper role alongside Billy McNeill. John Clark was also sometimes referred to as “Luggie”.
The Maestro – Midfield playmaker Paul McStay was known as this graceful and skillful performances.
MadDog – commonly applied to Stephane Mahe, a quiet, introverted Frenchman until the red mist came down and then he turned into…… Mad Dog
The Magician – Lubomir Moravcik – sheeesh!!…. the things he could do! Including the famous ‘arse trap’ seen in front of the South East corner.
The Mermaid – Jimmy McGrory, a player so good he was given three nicknames! These names were given to Celtic’s record scorer due to his lethal and athletic heading ability.
The Mighty Atom – Nickname given to Patsy Gallacher due to his diminutive size and explosive talent
Napoleon – Jimmy McMenemy, for the way he marshalled play.
Ned – Dan Doyle.
The Obliterator – The name given to Willie Loney for his powerful and robust play at centre-half.
The Ould Gineral – A tag bestowed on Jimmy McLaren, a veteran player from the 1890s.
Phillippe from Bordeaux – according to his Centenary season team-mates, this was the Gallic alter-ego of Paul McStay on team night-outs.
The Pointer – Peter Grant, for his habit of pointing all over the pitch trying to direct everyone what to do.
The Prez/President – 1960s Celt Jim Kennedy was called this due to (almost) sharing a name with the doomed US President.
The Quiet Assassin – Davie Hay was given this name as although he was almost the complete footballer he was one of the hardest players ever to wear the Hoops and the nickname came from his silent but deadly ability to peerlessly win the ball and create advantage from winning it.
Rhino – Midfielder Murdo MacLeod was given this name due to his strong running displays in the 1980s.
Shaggy – The 70’s cartoon character looked so like Vidar Riseth and the support soon picked up on the likeness
Shep – A name given to Danny McGrain during his latter years at Celtic as he was seen as a shepherd type figure who kept an eye on the young flock of new players.
Shuggie – Johannes Edvaldsson – a popular Icelandic International who played for Celtic between 1975 and 1980 and was a member of the famous “Ten Men Won The League” team in May 1979 was also nicknamed “Shuggie” during his time with Celtic.
Shuggie – The nickname given to Celtic’s Polish left back of the late 1980’s Dariusz Wdowczyk – the name was bestowed upon him by Tommy Burns as the players could not come up with a nickname for him so Tommy said “We’ll just call you Shuggie”. See link
Skippy – A popular, if not particuarly original, nickname for Australian international striker Scott McDonald. The name of course refers to the famous Kids TV show ‘Skippy – The Bush Kangaroo’.
Smiler – Neil Mochan’s dour appearance saw him sarcastically christened this title.
Squiggles – Frank McGarvey a Celtic striker of the 1980’s was given this nickname – Frank had an unusual gaunt and when on the ball his body in general and legs in particular would be going all ways giving the impression that he was “squiggling” with the ball – Frank later admitted that sometimes even he didn’t know what he was doing with it – because of this Frank was also oft referred to as “The Rubberman”.
Sunny Jim – Jim Young was named this after a character from a brekfast cereal popular in the early 1900s.
Super Hooper/Hooperman – Nickname’s given to English striker Gary Hooper after he scored a number of important goals in the early 2010’s
The Tank – Willie McStay (the 1920s version) was so called due to his immensly sturdy defensive displays.
Teazy Weazy – Billy McPhail was named this due to his resemblance to a famous television hair-stylist and the fact he was also a skilled barber himself.
Ten -Thirty – The nickname given to Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld by the other Lions as a rhyming play on his name “Bertie”. Sometimes it was shortened and he was just called “Ten”.
Tiger – Keeper John Bonnar was christened this due to a perceived similarity in looks to the great Moscow Dynamo keeper ‘Tiger’ Khomich.
The Wall – Nickname given to giant keeper Fraser Forster by the Catalan press after his heroics in the 2-1 Champions League defeat of Barcelona at Parkhead in November 2012.
The Wee Barra – A reference to the large work-rate and physique of the diminutive but great Bobby Collins. A barra is a Glaswegian colloquial term for a barrow or stall, quite common in older days in warehouse and Cash & Carry’s.
Wispy – Lisbon Lion Willie Wallace was given this moniker due to his quietly spoken nature and because of his initials WSB (William Semple Brown) Wallace.
Yogi – John Hughes, the popular winger of the 1960s, was famously given this nickname due to his resemblance of the picnic stealing cartoon bear! For a winger John Hughes had a very good goalscoring record and is 7th in the list of all time Celtic goalscorers with 188 goals. Celtic supporters would chant ‘Feed the bear!’ to encourage team-mates to pass to Hughes to set up more attacks.
The 1990s defender John Hughes was also named Yogi.