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Fullname: Alexander Stark Devanny
aka: Alex Devanny, Alexander Devanny
Born: 25 July 1930
Died: 2011
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 15 August 1949
Left: May 1952 (free); 28 June 1952 (to Berwick Rangers)
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Celtic 4-1 Forfar, League Cup, Sep 1951
Internationals: none
Biog
“No, it’s Celtic for me!”
Alex Devanny (1996)
Goalkeeper Alexander Devanny made four competitive appearances for Celtic in the league & league cup competitions.
It was quipped that “Celtic reckon he will be one of their best ever captures“. It sadly wasn’t to be.
He signed when 19 years of age from Glasgow Perthshire in 1949, and he made his first team debut as a goalkeeper in a 4-1 League Cup victory at home to Forfar in September 1951.
He had a run of games deputising for John Bonnar, but he was unable to keep a clean sheet. The final straw appears to have been a 3-0 defeat to Rangers in the League Cup, and it was all over for Alex Devanny at Celtic.
He conceded eight goals in his five games (includes a 2-1 loss to Clyde in the Glasgow Cup final), and with that record he was unable to break into the first team on a regular basis, Andrew Bell stepping in as the first choice goalkeeper.
In that Glasgow Cup final, it was reported that he stood transfixed to give future Celtic player Billy McPhail a free header for Clyde’s opener in 3 minutes and was to carry the can for the defeat. It didn’t help that the great ex-Celtic goalkeeper Willie Miller was in the goals at the other end.
Celtic were generally poor during this era, so it was no easy time to come in, especially as a young player still learning the ropes. The First Team had finally won the Scottish Cup in 1951, the club’s first major trophy in 13 years, but apart from that Celtic were still generally struggling.
After his last match, Celtic continued to leak goals and underperform in results, so Alex Devanny was the least of the problems. However, with the poor form of the defence, changes were needed fast, and only a few months after his last match for Celtic, Jock Stein was signed for Celtic. The rest as they say is history.
Alex Devanny was freed by the club in May 1952, still a young player.
After leaving Celtic he played for Northampton, Berwick Rangers and Alloa Athletic where sadly a knee injury ended his career in 1957.
He was to settle down in Alloa for the rest of his life, and in 1996 when Alloa were drawn to play against Celtic in an early round of the League Cup, a local paper interviewed Alex Devanny. He was asked if he was torn between the two clubs, but in return he laughed and replied “No, it’s Celtic for me!“. Alloa lost the match 5-1.
Celtic was in his heart, and he remained a season ticket holder right up to his passing in 2011.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1949-52 | 1 | 0 | 3 | N/A | 4 |
| Shut-outs: | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
none
Pictures
Notes
- Thanks to @Dochertybtcom1 on twitter who helped provide details such as Alex Devanny’s post-Celtic career, link. Also contact his son Paul Devanny @goaliesbhoy.