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Fullname: William Brownie Garden
aka: Willie Garden, William Garden
Born: 20 September 1904
Died: […]
Birthplace: Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire
Signed: 12 March 1925
Left: 1926 (free); 6 Oct 1926 (to Kilsyth Rangers)
Position: Outside-Left
Debut: Cowdenbeath 3-0 Celtic, League, 14 Mar 1925
Internationals: N/A
International Caps N/A
Biog
William Garden signed for Celtic in March 1925 from his hometown side Kilsyth Rangers.
An outside-left his performances at junior level had earlier interested the likes of Rangers and Third Lanark but it was eventually Celtic who brought him into the senior game.
Despite that interest, he was to make only one appearance for the Bhoys first team, a 3-0 league defeat at Cowdenbeath on 14th March 1925. He was deputising for the great Adam McLean who returned for the next match. As much as that may look like a surprising defeat, Cowdenbeath were actually a strong side that season and finished the league season in fifth place just two points behind Celtic, with Rangers having taken the title.
Celtic did go on to win the Scottish Cup that season (1924/25) but Willie Garden sadly didn’t get to play in any of the matches in that run. Celtic actually played a fourth round replay v St Mirren two days after Willie Garden’s debut which was won 1-0 by Celtic, so Willie Garden could be said to have been very close to made at least a single appearance in that Scottish Cup run. As Celtic didn’t lose a game till just after that Scottish Cup final, it’s understandable why he was not given a further chance. Although in the final three matches of the season, Celtic lost twice in the league and drew once.
It was sadly apparent that Willie Garden didn’t quite have what it took to make it at the very highest level in the senior game and he was released by the club in 1926.
He never got to play a game in season 1925/26 as Celtic won the league title for the first time in years but also it was to be for the last time for a decade.
He returned to the junior ranks where he once more showed his undoubted ability.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1925-26 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | 1 |
| Goals: | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
none