Former Dunfermline manager Jock Stein was in the town at a supporters’ function just months before he died in 1985. An audience member asked about the greatest players he worked with. He mentioned a few, including John Clark, who Stein thought indispensable to his greatest team, and told the audience most fans did not realise how great a player Clark was.
What Jock didn’t know, was that John, who was then manager of Cowdenbeath, just a few miles up the road in Fife, had discretely slipped into the hall. It brought an unexpectedly prominent moment to a man who was all about anticipation and being prepared.
John came from Chapelhall in Lanarkshire but lived a few miles away in Holytown (where I grew up) when he won the European Cup. The impact he and a few of his teammates made on our community is difficult to relay. Jimmy Johnstone came from Viewpark, Billy McNeill from Bellshill (our high school was spread across both towns), while Tommy Gemmell was just as close in Craigneuk. Bobby Murdoch, from Rutherglen, was at Our Lady’s High School in Motherwell at the same time as Billy, John and Jimmy.
My Dad’s generation of Celtic fans all went to school with at least one of them, you would see them in the street. They inspired their own generation and taught us that we too could achieve in life. You cannot be what you cannot see, and we saw people from our community who went to the very top. Countless wee boys (and some girls) kicked on in life.
I was too young to know John as a player, but I saw his courtesy, kindness and intelligence last well into his later years. As did his memories of Holytown back in the day. How lucky we were to have him. Rest in Peace, John.
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Sad news. I was lucky enough to see his entire career, from when I was in Primary school. A great player, key part of the Lions and a lovely guy. A big part of my life and our history. RIP John.
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John Clark was born in Chapelhall, Lanarkshire. His father died in a railway accident when Clark was 10 years old. As a 15-year-old, Clark worked in a mine, before he joined Celtic in 1958, aged 17.
Scullybhoy
Do you have a picture of John’s face when Faither done his back heel against Inter in Lisbon?🤣
Was lucky to meet John Clark a few years ago in Glencraig at the unveiling of a monument to Peter Johnstone, who played for Celtic and died in ww1. John looked good enough for a starting place even then
I must have seen John Clark in the reserves but I have no recollection of him playing. He must have been in the same team as Alec Byrne.
I well remember him playing between Big Billy and Ronnie Simpson. He read the game better than anyone. One of the greats.
R.I.P. John Clark.
R.I. P. John Clark
mncelt on 23rd June 2025 3:02 pm
Are there any pictures of John where he has dirt on his shorts? What a classy player he was.
mncelt, quality and absolutely appropriate question. John was such a quality defender and as others have said, a great reader of the game.
The only time I actually witnessed him going to ground at Celtic Park he was chasing a forward back towards our goals when he went in low to the guy’s left, from behind with his left foot, wrapped his foot round the ball and, without touching him, dragged it back as the other player kept on running, without the ball. The precision timing of using that technique places him at the highest levels.
RIP John Clark.
Ave Ave
St Stivs check your whatsapp
HH
RIP John Clark.
What a gentleman, what a humble person, what a great footballer John Clark was.
Eeek
From Larkhall Thistle ( wow ) to playing 140 consecutive matches for the European champions, John Clark was indeed a Celtic legend. Second only to Willie Maley as the longest Celtic servant ever.
A true Celtic man to the end.
Just think about 140 consecutive matches. Absolutely incredible and inspirational
We produced the best.
Times have changed but as a people we can still produce the best. One of the hardest jobs nowadays is to teach and set our youngsters on their path in life.
I am acutely aware that we have many current and ex school teachers on here. Even head teachers.
So how inspirational that a head teacher at Hyndland secondary school was crowned head teacher of the year at an awards ceremony in London.
We can produce the best as both examples above demonstrate. I would hope to see some of that inspiration come through our Celtic Academy
HH.
R.I.P. John Clark
What a player John Clark was. I suppose he took over from Bertie Peacock and/ or Willie O’Neill in my young Celtic supporting days. On first seeing him line up alongside Big Billy I was thinking this would never do but, my oh my, could that Bhoy play. Oozed class and had spirit aplenty.
England had Bobby Moore at the time – 100+ caps. John had 4, but that tells you all you need to know about the SFA. Both were fabulous readers of the game, but give me John every time.
One of our own, he was one of our own.
Thanks for the memories.
May he rest in peace.
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RIP 🙏 JOHN CLARK 🍀
In one of his earlier first team appearances I’m sure John scored the winner in an Easter Road cup tie with Hibs. This encouraged the young and foolish like myself to imagine that John would emerge as a goal scoring half back.Instead, he developed into the vital anchor for a team of legendary attacking flair.
Sadly, for myself, I never met John. But his demeanour always suggested a slightly stern and self-contained character. However I’m told by those who knew him John was, in fact, a very warm, generous and outgoing person.
We have lost one more of our Greats.
John Clark RIP.
EX-Morton star and Celtic hero John Clark has died at the age of 84.
The Lisbon Lion moved to Morton four years after helping Celtic win the European Cup, and made 54 appearances for the Cappielow club between 1971 and 1973 before retiring from playing.
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John in blue hoops.
EX-Morton star and Celtic hero John Clark has died at the age of 84.
The Lisbon Lion moved to Morton four years after helping Celtic win the European Cup, and made 54 appearances for the Cappielow club between 1971 and 1973 before retiring from playing.
https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/25260134.celtic-ex-morton-star-lisbon-lion-john-clark-died/
FRITZSONG,
I went through to Easter Road that night on the back of my Uncle John’s lorry. We didn’t get in as Hibs closed the turnstiles. I think it was a cup game.
Hard to add more to what been said re John Clark. It was a pleasure to see him play and then to get to know him and ultimately to meet his lovely family later in life. The love and respect he had for them and that they reciprocated was something special.
To see the comments not just on here and other Celtic sites but also those on FF tonight about John is huge testimony to a really good footballer and a really really good man.
Parkheadcumsalford on 23rd June 2025 5:10 pm
I must have seen John Clark in the reserves, but I have no recollection of him playing. He must have been in the same team as Alec Byrne.
*My earliest recollection of him was at the Police Sports held at ibrox, I was only there to see the 4 minute miler Derek Ibbotson, he was part of a Celtic 5 a side team and as they were languishing around during breaks it was noticed that someone had a miraculous medal hanging over the collar of their top, of course the question was “who is it” and then pointed out “young John Clark”
It just dawned on me.
I went to Celtic park from either 1970/71 and I can only recall Jinky and Billy, magnificent in live techni-colour.
But I also got taken to Cappielow, often by my English granda, a Watford supporter, but I would play in the sand behind the goal at this wee dublin end, so I must have seen the 3 lions and mr shevlane.
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St Stivs
Don’t forget the other future Celtic man , Jim Lumsden.
My da always used to say that without John Clark, Billy McNeill wasn’t the same centre half.
RIP John Clark
May you never walk alone
Rest in peace John. The Lion will never walk alone.
One of my earliest memories of Luggy apart for the police sports and his cup replay winner at Easter Road was a Fairs City Cup Tie 2nd leg, we had lost the first leg 2-4 away, this was the same day that we had signed Bobby Craig from Blackburn Rovers, I was standing in the enclosure when we got an early penalty shooting into the hun end, Luggy walked up and much to the consternation of the huge support succeeded in blasting it over the bar
I can still see and hear my da shouting “who the hell allowed that “bhoy” to take a penalty”, he was right as there were ample enough experience players there that night than a 21 year old playing in front of a massive crowd in his first European tie.
It reminds me of sitting listening to a new year game on the wireless, it was played in a gale of rain, sleet, and hail with the feeling that the game should have long been abandoned when with 5 minutes to go we were awarded a penalty, a young 10 thirty stepped up to take and after finally locating the penalty spot thumped the very heavy ball off the bar as there was no way he could have tried to place it.
Again I can still hear my mother and auntie wanting to know why experienced players like Neilly Mochan, Bobby Evans or Bertie Peacock hudnae taken it.
garygillespieshamstring on 23rd June 2025 7:59 pm
St Stivs Don’t forget the other future Celtic man , Jim Lumsden.
*Big Billy’s first signing
What sad news, the loss of another great player
John Clark has added to my nightly ritual, extending my prayers. A fantastic footballer and gentleman to boot. Could read the game so well some say he had slippers on either foot. A lion of Lisbon, etched in our hearts, a hero to many from all country’s and parts. Sleep well John Clark for soon you will be in heaven, reminiscing with Mr McNeil, and our favorite number seven. What better people we are to have had you at our club. I never saw you play, but that doesn’t stop the outpouring of love.
May God grant you eternal rest and peace.
Thank you for all that you did for our club, our fans, and creating a legacy that will never be forgotten or replicated.
God bless and prayers to your family.
Sean
Davie Provan tells a story, that we were in New York for a pre season game,he was in the lift with John Clark, went down a couple of floors,Pele gets in,points to John and says ‘No 6’ (or similar)…..he remembered John from a Scotland v Brazil friendly many years previous
Tontine Tim
Saw him in his first game for Celtic in a pre season game at Montrose.
Popped on to WalowWallow to see what they were saying about John Clark – to be fair just about every post was very positive!!
Just before leaving the site (for a quick wash) I noticed a thread about the EGM today and I came across this gem – talk about an indication of how thick and gullible they are? Some prat actually wrote ….. “I don’t even know what this entails but I’m excited as feck about it.”
Hell slap it into thums.
Ave Ave
Good night John, sleep well.
European Cup I Final 1967 | Celtic – Inter Milan | FULL HD 60 fps
https://youtu.be/PNywvrjUmsE?si=pq7cC7ZHeqffJASx