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Fullname: Bernard McCreadie
aka: Benny McCreadie, Ben McCreadie, Big Ben, Bernie McCredie, Bernard McCready, Bernie McCreday, Benny McCready
Born: 23 April 1937
Died: 6 March 2013
Birthplace: Dumbarton
Signed: 8 May 1955
Left: 27 May 1957
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic, League, 22 April 1957
Internationals: none
Biog
Goalkeeper Bernard ‘Benny’ McCreadie signed for Celtic in May 1955 from Renfrew Juniors as cover for Johnny Bonnar and Dick Beattie. His first season was blighted by a series of hernia injuries which saw him make very few games till an operation solved the hernia. At one point it was reckoned that Bernard McCreadie would take over from Bonnar rather than Dick Beattie, as it eventually turned out.
Through the 1956/57 season Bernard McCreadie swapped games in the reserves between the sticks with John Bonnar, a situation that Bonnar was far from happy with.
Bernard McCreadie’s only competitive game for the Bhoys came in a 1-0 league victory at Aberdeen on April 22nd 1957. Even though he had finally made his competitive senior debut, his name was promptly put on the released list on the 1st May 1957 (along with John McAlindon, Ian Reid, and Billy Craig).
He departed Parkhead for Rochdale on May 27 1957.
Known as Big Ben he moved to the USA in August 1966, and then to Jakarta in the 70’s due to his work in the building trade. He had hands like shovels but later suffered from arthritis in his hands from his time as a keeper.
Bernard McCreadie was a gentleman who remained a faithful Celtic man through out his time away from Scotland.
Incredibly, to time of writing he potentially holds a unique record in that he is the only goalkeeper to have played for Celtic’s first team in one of the major competitions and not conceded a goal (albeit just the one game for him).
Post-football, one of his great interests appears to have been as a “Chieftain” of the Java St Andrew Society, see link.
Bernard McCready, Chieftain 1977/78
It may be back in the mists of time, but well do I recall my Ball and it was riddled with memorable anecdotes. But the ones that stick out in my mind are centred on my guest speaker, the Canadian Ambassador, Glenn Scott Shortliffe, whom I scarcely knew. When he got up to make his speech and opened with, “Your Excellency, Sir John Ford, ambassador of Scotland”, (who was also a guest at the top table) I nearly fell off my chair and thought to myself, “He’s had too much Black Label”. After what seemed an eternity and the whistling and cheering had died down he continued, waving his left hand somewhat dismissively towards Sir John, saying, “And associated territories.” What an opening! He then ended his speech with another unexpected remark, “I had to smile to myself as I listened to your Chieftain’s speech, lauding Scotland and its people, because I know he’s a Canadian.” That raised a lot of eyebrows and caused me to squirm in my seat, but he was correct, I do have dual citizenship, British and Canadian. Not many people knew that back then.
He passed away in Jakarta, Indonesia on 6 March 2013.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1955-57 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Shut-outs | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
Honours with Celtic
none
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Articles
From “Alphabet of the Celts”
Articles
The St Patrick’s school team that no-one could beat
Updated16:33, 25 Oct 2013
By Dailyrecord.co.uk
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/st-patricks-school-team-no-one-2537035
The sad death in Indonesia earlier this month of former Celtic goalkeeper Bernard McCready has brought back memories for many people.
The former Dumbarton man was deputy to Dick Beattie and Johnny Bonner at Parkhead, and played for St Patrick’s High School when they had one of their finest teams ever – and they had many.
Evidence of this is contained in the autobiography of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who boasted about the achievements of his school team, Govan High.
He adds that the only team they could not beat was St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton, whose reputation was second to none.
One of Bernard’s team mates in the 1950s, Professor Johnny Walker, who now lives in Canada, sent in a photograph of one of the best St Patrick’s teams ever to play on the Rockies. Older readers will recall the notorious sloping football pitch in the school grounds at Castlehill.
Professor Walker, who later played for Renton Guild and Vale of Leven Juniors, recalled the team he played in, which also included another Celtic player from Dumbarton, Peter Goldie.
He said the first game of the two-leg Scottish Schools final against St Mary’s, from Bathgate, was drawn 0-0 in Dumbarton and St Patrick’s won the second leg 3-0.
The professor said: “St Mary’s star player was Vince Halpin who went on to play for Hibernian, but Peter Goldie had a tremendous game and played Halpin off the park.”
Professor Walker’s memories of Dumbarton football in the 1950s are fascinating. He was one of three St Patrick’s players who were ‘Sons daft’ in that era. The two others were Jim McAllister and Tony McGinley.
His football potential was spotted by Peter McCann, father of Dumbarton barber John McCann, who scouted for Vale Juniors.
Among the players he played with were St Pat’s boys Jimmy Moran and many of the Vale’s Scottish Cup-winning team as well as Christy Joyce, who later played for Notts County.
Other St Pat’s players who went on to big things included Pat Ward (Hibs and Leicester), John Heaney (Dumbarton and Bury), Mick Earley (Watford), Sammy Docherty (QPR), Hughie Rainey (Portsmouth) and Jim Mulkerrin (Hibs and Accrington Stanley). Other great players in the 1950s were Stan Mitchell, Paddy Carr and Gerry Donnachie – then there was Tim Whalen and Hughie Gallagher, both of Dumbarton, and Gallagher’s brother Jim, of Hamilton Accies.