The Life and Times of Willie Maley – ‘The Man Who Made Celtic’

The Celtic Star

·23 February 2025

The Life and Times of Willie Maley – ‘The Man Who Made Celtic’

In February 1940, a truly remarkable chapter in Celtic’s history came to a close. Willie Maley, associated with the club as player and manager for more than five decades, finally severed his formal ties with the Bhoys…

Jimmy Quinn, Willie Maley, Jimmy McGrory and Patsy Gallacher. Photo The Celtic Wiki

If ever there was a man destined to be connected to Celtic, it was Willie Maley. From even before his birth, and in his early years, fate seemed to repeatedly intervene to ensure that the words ‘Maley’ and ‘Celtic’ would become synonymous.

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This is the story of Willie Maley

Even before he was born, destiny set in motion events that would affect Willie years after his birth.

In 1867, a Republican activist in Ireland called Pat Welsh was seeking to leave behind this troubled life, and move to Britain. However, as he attempted to depart Dublin, he was stopped by a British soldier, Sergeant Tom Maley. With Welsh assuring Maley of his desire to leave Ireland and start a new life, he was allowed to escape, rather than face arrest. The two men kept in touch, something which would become relevant when they reconnected in Glasgow in later years.

Patrick Welsh

On 25 April 1868, the baby who would go onto become Celtic’s longest serving manager was born, a child to Thomas and Mary Maley. Willie Maley’s birth took place in Newry Barracks, on account of his father’s role as a British soldier.

To say the least, Willie was born into a footballing family. One of four brothers, three of them would go on to be football players and managers. As well as Willie’s Celtic experience, his older brother Tom managed different English sides, including Man City, whilst his younger brother Alex took charge of teams like Clyde and Hibs.

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In Glasgow, the Maley family made the Cathcart area their home. Willie was educated locally, and on leaving school found work in different roles before training as an accountant. This was in the days before footballers could be paid, and so a profession was required.

Willie was a lover of different types of sport. He played football, gaining a positive reputation, being involved with various sides including Third Lanark. He was also a successful athlete, competing in numerous running events. But in all of these, he was in the shadow of his brother, ‘Handsome’ Tom Maley, as he was sometimes known.

One night in December 1887, all of these events – including those back in Dublin in 1867 – came together to shape the future course of Willie’s life.

The previous month, a new Irish football team had been set up in Glasgow’s east end, known as Celtic. This club needed footballers and sought to attract the best of Irish talent to be found in Scotland.

Brother Walfrid

John Glass

Pat Welsh

Brother Walfrid and John Glass – the two key men in the rise of Celtic – made a journey to Cathcart, joined by another man, Pat Welsh, the Republican who had been helped by Tom Maley senior to escape Ireland. Welsh’s connections with the Maley family made them hope that Tom Maley junior could be persuaded to become one of Celtic’s first players.

However, on arriving at the Maley household, it was discovered that Tom was not present. He was said to be out ‘courting’ with the woman that would become his wife. However, Willie Maley was at home. Whether it was always the plan, or the embarrassment of only trying to recruit one Maley brother, Willie was asked to come with his brother to try out for Celtic.

By the following May – in 1888 – Celtic were ready to start as a football team. They had a ground, the original Celtic Park, which was opened in an “exhibition game” by Edinburgh Hibernian and Cowlairs. And then on 28 May 1888, the Bhoys took to the field for the first time.

Playing against Rangers, the team that would become their greatest rivals, 11 men wrote themselves into Celtic legend when they became the club’s first team. Willie Maley was one of those men. By the end of the game, the Bhoys had claimed a 5-2 victory, and Tom Maley had become scorer of Celtic’s first ever hat-trick.

Willie soon became an essential part of the Celtic XI, playing as a half-back (midfielder). Over the next few years he had a key role as the Bhoys achieved numerous club firsts. Willie played – and scored – in May 1889 as Celtic beat Cowlairs to win the Bhoys’ first trophy, the Glasgow North Eastern Cup.

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Willie Maley was also part of the first Celtic side to win a major trophy – the 1891 Glasgow Cup – and involved in the Bhoys’ first Scottish Cup success (in 1892) as well as league title (in 1893). In all of this, he had proven himself to be an essential part of the team.

Recognition of Willie’s playing ability came from elsewhere too. In a time when there were far fewer International games, he was capped twice for Scotland, and also played for the Scottish League Select. In fact, his Scottish caps proved controversial; some people objected to him playing for Scotland on accounts of having been born in Ireland.

From a club perspective, he will always be thought of as Willie Maley of the Celtic, although he did play one game for Manchester City in 1896. This was the side that his brother, Tom would go on to manage a few years later.

However, it was not simply on the pitch that Willie had proven to be an effective individual, he was also seen as a strong organiser and leader, and had a role in the arrangements of many Celtic games, as well as many footballing competitions.

This became relevant when the Celts underwent a notable change in the late-1890s. Since the club had been formed, Celtic were member-owned, with those members paying annual subscriptions. However, for a number of years, some committee members had been pushing for Celtic to become a private company. Finally, in 1897, this happened and 5000 shares were issued in Celtic.

Willie Maley

At this same time, it was decided to appoint an official Secretary-Manager to oversee the running of the club. Given his fine reputation as a player and administrator, Willie Maley was appointed to this role. Those that gave him this job could scarcely have imagined that he would still be in post more than four decades later.

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Just as Willie Maley’s playing career had involved great success, this would also be the case for his managerial reign. In fact, he enjoyed instant success, with the 1897-98 season seeing Celtic again become League champions.

The sight of Willie Maley holding aloft Celtic’s latest trophy or prize would become a common one. This includes memorable victories such as the 1902 British League Cup. There was also Celtic’s famous six-in-a-row League titles run from 1905 to 1910, a then world record and Scottish record until the Bhoys’ themselves beat it in the 1970s.

Maley’s success also created some unusual records, which are unlikely to ever be matched. For instance, in 1904, in the space of one week, one Maley brother won the Scottish Cup and another won the FA Cup. Willie led Celtic to victory over Rangers, and Tom Maley then won Manchester City’s first ever major honour.

What was most surprising was that as well as leading Celtic, Willie also found time for numerous other business interests. He owned a sports shop which was first located in the Gallowgate, and then Saltmarket. More famously, he also had The Bank restaurant in Queen Street, effectively using it as an office to run Celtic.

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Maley was an interesting character. Strangely for a man so interwoven with Celtic, he did not always agree with many of the fans’ opinions or actions. He was a Royalist, speaking fondly of meetings with the King, and also a supporter of the British Empire, not least when backing military recruitment events during World War One. Indeed, he tried himself to enlist but was deemed to be too old.

At other times, he was embroiled in fights and arguments with fans. During the 1920s, Maley was openly critical of violence associated with ‘brake clubs’ (early version of supporters’ clubs).

He said: “The war fever is dying out of men’s blood. I feel sure that by next season we shall be rid of the brake club hooligan, against whom all sporting men’s hands should be turned.” Celtic’s first manager went even further, saying those fans were “The greatest blot that has ever soiled Scottish football.”

Willie’s tenure in charge at Celtic Park saw numerous other notable club events, including the Celts switching to their now world-famous Hooped shirts in 1903, and also leading the Bhoys in their first travels outwith Britain, going to Austria and Bohemia in 1904, and then further afield to the USA in 1931.

The latter event eventually became a reminder that not all of Willie Maley’s time in charge was happy; heartbreak could at times be found too. Over the years, Willie Maley had cause to attend the funerals of Celts who had died through illness or addiction. But the most infamous of these tragedies came in 1931.

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In September of that year, Celtic’s goalkeeper John Thomson was injured in a match versus Rangers at Ibrox. Willie Maley had to help the club cope with the awful aftermath of Thomson succumbing to his injuries, dying at the age of only 22.

This was not the only time that Maley experienced the sad loss of people before their time. World War One saw death and destruction around the world, and some Celts – players, as well as fans – died in the conflict. On a personal level for Willie, the most obvious of these was the death of his nephew, Josie Maley, son of Tom.

Inevitably, a 43-year career in charge of Celtic could not always be one of success, and there were lean periods too. By the end, it can be argued that Willie overstayed his welcome and would have been advised to leave sooner.

1938 would have been a wonderful opportunity to do this. The Celts were again Champions, and also won the Empire Exhibition Cup, beating teams from across Britain. This year marked Celtic’s 50th anniversary. At a dinner to celebrate this, Willie was given an award, and some at Celtic expected him to leave.

Willie Maley. Image via The Celtic Wiki

However, this was not something he wanted. His entire life was based around the Hoops, and he could not bear the idea of moving on. He once commented that “My love for Celtic has been a craze. The club has been my life and I feel that without it, my existence would be very empty indeed.”

And so he stayed as the club declined in the late-1930s, into the World War Two era. By early-1940, Celtic’s Board wanted him out and he announced his departure, to be replaced by former player Jimmy McStay.

Celtic’s wartime manager Jimmy McStay. Photo The Celtic Wiki

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This was not a happy departure. Although it was framed as a retirement, he was resentful of being forced to leave, and would not return for some years to Celtic Park. Indeed, for a period he was more likely to be seen as a guest at Ibrox. Maley had always had positive links with Rangers, and in fact the Light Blues organised a farewell dinner and presentation for him when he departed Celtic.

Eventually there was a rapproachment between Willie and Celtic, and he returned to Celtic Park, the scene of his greatest days. He was even granted a testimonial – in which he kicked off the game – with the proceeds going to charity.

By the late-1950s – and approaching his 90th year – Willie Maley moved into a care home in Langside. On 2 April 1958, his earthly journey came to an end. As a devout Catholic – he had been a daily communicant – his funeral was held in Partick, near the West End place he called home for many years.

Despite the temporary falling out which took place between Celtic and Maley, there is no denying his phenomenal position in the club’s history.

He played in the first ever game, and was involved in all of the club’s notable early events, such as first trophy, first major trophy, first Scottish Cup and first League title.

Celtic manager Willie Maley, Photo The Celtic Wiki

Willie Maley is Celtic’s longest serving manager at 43 years, a record which will surely never be beaten. He is also, based on trophies won, the Bhoys’ most successful manager, claiming 16 league titles and 14 Scottish Cups, as well as numerous other prizes.

His time in charge includes nurturing some of the most famous names in Celtic folklore: Jimmy Quinn, Patsy Gallacher, Jimmy McGrory, and so many others.

And of course, these men – and Willie himself – are remembered by generations of Celtic fans, not least because of the famous fans’ song which bears his name.

Celtic historian David Potter wrote a biography of Willie Maley in 2004. It was titled “Willie Maley: the man who made Celtic.” It seems impossible to give a more fitting or accurate description of Mr Celtic than this.

Matthew Marr

If you want to learn more about Celtic history, follow Hail Hail History on Twitter/X. You can also take part in a FREE Celtic history walking tour. Visit celticwalkingtours.wordpress.com for more information.

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Matthew Marr with his debut Celtic book, Glory to their name, which tells the story of Celtic’s first ever title win. Photo The Celtic Star

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