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Fullname: Robert Findlay
aka: Rab Findlay
Born: 29 March 1877
Died: 13 August 1926, Bayonne, USA
Birthplace: Galston
Signed: 8 August 1900 (from Kilmarnock)
Left: 1 Nov 1901 (free); 1 Nov 1901 (to Kilmarnock)
Position: Outside-Left
Debut: Morton 2-3 Celtic, League, 18 Aug 1900 (scored once)
Internationals: N/A
International Caps: N/A
Biog
Signed in August 1900 (he was earmarked to takeover from Jack Bell) from Kilmarnock for a fee of £150, Galston-born Findlay made a scoring debut as the Celts won 3-2 at Morton in a league tie (Morton’s league debut).
Despite his brief and at times injury plagued stay at Celtic, Findlay was a favourite with fans who enjoyed his brave and athletic raids down the wing. The main problem was injuries due to being dogged by cartilage problems. His knee problems kept him out for long enough spells to give the great Jimmy Quinn a chance, and the rest as they say is history.
He was still very much a regular during the first half of the 1900/01 season, and scored a handful of goals, including a double v Third Lanark on 24 Sep 1900.
Celtic actually only lost one league game in which he played, which was a 2-1 defeat to Rangers who went on to win the league. Celtic did gain some revenge by defeating Rangers in the Scottish Cup two weeks later with Findlay playing for Celtic, although Celtic did not go on to win the Scottish Cup that season losing 4-3 to Hearts in the final (Findlay didn’t play).
His only other defeat was in a 4-3 defeat to Rangers in the Glasgow Cup, but Findlay scored one of Celtic’s goals that day. So at least he had some consolation there.
He left Celtic to return to Kilmarnock in November 1901, it wasn’t to be at Celtic. His final game was a 1-0 win in the league v Queen’s Park in which he scored the winner at the death of the game so he was signing off on a high note.
He wound down with spells at Dundee, Motherwell, Hamilton Accies, Port Glasgow Athletic and St Bernards, retiring in April 1911.
His younger brother Tom Findlay was also a footballer and a teammate of Robert Findlay when at Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Port Glasgow Athletic
In April 1911, Robert Findlay interviewed for the Motherwell job with no success, the job going to Johnny Hunter.
Robert Findlay emigrated to New Jersey in the USA with his family around 1914. Despite the long journey across the pond, football was in the blood, and the genes passed down to his son who played for the USA in the Olympics in Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928 (at that time the pinnacle of international team football as the World Cup was not to begin till 1930).
He sadly passed away in 1926, aged just 49.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1900-01 | 14 | 3 | N/A | N/A | 17 |
| Goals: | 5 | 2 | – | – | 7 |
Honours with Celtic
none