Filippi, Joe

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Fullname: Joseph Filippi
aka: Joe Filippi
Born: 3 November 1953
Birthplace: Ayrshire, Scotland
Signed: 4 November 1977 from Ayr United
Left: November 1979 to Clyde
Position: Right-Back
First game: Motherwell 3-2 away 5 November 1977 League
Last game: Hibernian 1-2 away 31 March 1979 League
Internationals: None

Biog

Joe Filippi was signed by Celtic in November 1977 in a deal which saw the full-back move to Parkhead from Ayr United with Brian McLaughlin and £15,000 going in the opposite direction. He had been an apprentice draughtsman, giving up an office role to train as a plater and welder, but football beckoned. He was one of twin boys and the son of a native Italian who had settled in Scotland become a headmaster at a school.

Joe Filippi was only 24 when he signed for Celtic but had been a first team player since 1970 with Ayr and had gained great experience within the Scottish game.

The Ayrshire-born defender was signed as a replacement for the injured Danny McGrain and he made his debut on 5th November 1977 when the Bhoys won a league clash 3-2 at Motherwell. However, given the near impossible task of replacing the world class talents of McGrain life was never going to be easy for the new Bhoy and despite his efforts he struggled to impress the demanding Celtic following. It was a poor season and was the final run for Jock Stein as Celtic manager, which saw the first team finish a lowly fifth in the league. No easy environment for anyone, and the loss of Dalglish (sold to Liverpool), McGrain (injury) and Stanton (age & injury) was not going to be one that replacements could truly fill in for.

Next season under a new manager, Billy McNeill, was a turnaround for all. Joe’s best spell at the club was in the early stages of this 1978-79 season and he had a fine game against Rangers on 9th September 1978 when Celtic beat title holders Rangers 3-1. Held partly culpable for the conceded goal in the game v Rangers in Nov 1977, nevertheless in the same game the equaliser soon arrived from Tom McAdam scored after Joe Filippi crossed and Joe Craig knocked the ball down for McAdam to shoot home. So he made amends for his earlier error.

Although he lost his place to the newly recovered McGrain in around March 1979 (although due to weather there were only two games played in January & February), he had played enough games to win a League medal and can be seen celebrating on the field of the play with the team after the famous 4-2 title winning game v Rangers in May 1979.

However with McGrain back, Joe Filippi was now out of the first team picture and he was always viewed as a short term signing for cover for others. In fariness, there was hardly anyone then or since who could have done much with Danny McGrain ahead of them and overshadowing them. Danny McGrain was one of the world’s greatest players.

Joe Filippi’s final games were in the Glasgow Cup, but Celtic lost 3-1 in the final to Rangers. The Celtic side was mostly a reserve side which reflected Joe’s concluding status in the squad.

He departed Parkhead for Craig Brown’s Clyde in December 1979 after 42 league & Scottish Cup appearances for the Hoops, but he dropped out of the senior game shortly after in 1981.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish Premier Division

• 1978-79

Pictures

• Player Pics

The day Celtic legend riled Rangers fans with crucifix celebration as Johnny Doyle inspired Ayr

Somerset star Joe Filippi recalls the time his friend drove Light Blue legions mad.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/day-celtic-legend-riled-rangers-12001375

ByGavin Berry

08:29, 10 FEB 2018Updated10:21, 11 FEB 2018

From the archives: Classic clashes between Rangers and Ayr United
From the archives: Classic clashes between Rangers and Ayr United

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From the archives: Classic clashes between Rangers and Ayr United
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Johnny Doyle finished off Rangers with a cross before using his crucifix to taunt the Light Blue legions in Ayr’s last win over the Ibrox side.

The Celtic -daft former Somerset Park star tormented Jock Wallace’s team in a famous victory for the Honest Men almost 43 years ago.

It was the type of display that helped Doyle win a move to his boyhood heroes and it was while at Parkhead that he tragically died at the age of just 30 after he was electrocuted in an accident
at home.

Joe Filippi joined Doyle at the Hoops a year after the winger moved from Ayr, where he won his one Scotland cap, in a £90,0000 deal.

And as United prepare to face Rangers in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup last-16 tie Filippi recalled Doyle’s part in that 3-0 triumph in October 1975.
Joe Filippi (right) was to late join Doyle at Celtic – here he’s pictured in action against Dundee United in 1978 (Image: DAILY RECORD)

Ally MacLeod was Somerset Park boss and they pulled off a stunning victory against a Rangers team that would go on to win the Treble that season.

Filippi admitted Doyle was always pumped up against the men from Ibrox given his allegiances and rubbed it in after setting up Johnny Graham for the third goal.
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And the reaction from the travelling fans makes this week’s Josh Windass storm look tame after he gestured to supporters to shut it following his goal in the win over Partick Thistle.

Filippi said: “John Doyle was one of my best friends as we came through the ranks as teenagers at Ayr.

“He was unbelievable that day. Even the Rangers fans will remember that day because after we scored the third goal he went right along the terracing with his big crucifix!

“I said, ‘John, you’re going to get murdered’ but it didn’t bother him because he was fearless. The Rangers fans weren’t too happy and I’m surprised they didn’t jump over the wall.
Windass wound up Gers fans with this celebration (Image: SNS Group)
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Rangers star Josh Windass defends goal celebration and insists he wasn’t having a go at fans

“It probably puts what Josh Windass did into a bit of perspective. If you thought the Rangers fans were angry at him at Firhill then you should have seen them in 1975! But John’s performance was incredible. In player ratings in the newspaper you would give him a 10 these days. He was terrific.

“He was so quick there was a story about him catching a hare at the Carrick Hills where we used to go for pre-season training. John was from Uddingston and a diehard Celtic fan.
Doyle became a Celtic hero (Image: Daily Record)

“He signed for Celtic and I later joined him at Parkhead.

“I also beat Rangers with Celtic and the one that stands out was a 3-1 win at Parkhead in 1978 with Tom McAdam scoring twice and George McCluskey also netting in Joe Craig’s last game for Celtic.

“I made my debut in a 4-3 win over a very good Motherwell side and it was totally different to what I’d been used to at Ayr and I quickly realised the demands of the Celtic fans.”

The Honest Men were in the top flight in 1975 and while the margin of victory was a surprise, with Davie McCulloch and Alex “Dixie” Ingram also on the scoresheet, a win tomorrow would be a bigger shock.

Ayr have scored just once in their last nine meetings with Rangers and Ian McCall’s men face a huge task to reach the quarter-finals.
Ally MacLeod masterminded many a famous Ayr win (Image: Daily Record)

Filippi, 64, said: “Ayr don’t seem to have been doing as well at home as they have away but they’re full-time and might catch Rangers on an off day.

“But if Rangers are on form then they should win. I know it’s a sellout but it will be nothing like 1975 when Somerset Park was rammed and we were getting up to 20,000 for big games.

“Rangers were a great side and would go on to win the Treble but no team fancied coming to Somerset at that time.

“We were good at home and three years previously, before I got into the team, Ayr had also beaten them 2-1 when Willie Johnston scored for Rangers.

“We also had Ally MacLeod who was amazing and very passionate about the club. He tried 150 per cent behind the scenes for the club.”

But Jim McSherry is gutted MacLeod didn’t use subs to run down the clock after sitting on the bench on the day of that famous win.

He said: “Rangers were pressing at 3-0 so you’d think he would have made a substitute to stop the flow of the game.

“I would have loved to be able to tell my grandchildren I played in that game but the reality is I didn’t get on.

“You would have thought he might have taken off Johnny – who ran amok that day – to a standing ovation and made a change but Ally was so caught in the game.

“Ally was always super confident no matter who we played. It could have been Real Madrid, Barcelona or the Glenbuck Cherrypickers, Ally was certain we would win.

“That Ayr team was easily the best I played in. The team was full of great players. Johnny Doyle was volatile and Celtic daft.”