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Note: There has been more than one player with the same name to have played for Celtic so please check the other namesakes if need be.
Personal
Fullname: James Docherty
aka: Jimmy Docherty
Born: 28 April 1926
Died: […]
Birthplace: Clydebank
Signed: 15 December 1947 (from HM Forces)
Left: 6 May 1950 (free); 22 July 1950 (to Northampton Town)
Position: Inside-Forward
Debut: Celtic 2-1 Clyde, League, 18 Apr 1949
Internationals: N/A
International Caps: N/A
Biog
Clydebank-born inside forward James Docherty signed for Celtic straight from the forces in December 1947, and was marked as a prospect for the future.
After showing potential with the reserves the athletic Docherty finally got his competitive first-team debut in a 2-1 league victory over Clyde at Parkhead 18th April 1949. Just over a year earlier, it was a bit of a turnaround for Celtic, as the first team had only just avoided potential relegation to the second tier a year before this match.
He’d played for Celtic in a Glasgow Charity Cup game v Queen’s Park a year earlier to his debut in a 0-0 draw, albeit won on a coin toss. His only other game was a further year later to that, in a 1-0 defeat to Third Lanark away. So all his main appearances were well spread out.
He couldn’t command a regular starting spot and despite his promising performances in friendly games, Docherty was released in May 1950 after just two league appearances. He moved onto Northampton Town.
It’s said that his free transfer came as a surprise for some Celtic fans but after only two league matches played in 2-3 years, what were people expecting? At the age of 24 he was no longer a youngster, and so he had to have set himself a first team place by now or to move on.
He was another player to have joined Celtic during those darkest of days in the club’s history when Celtic were really poor, and even at one point almost got relegated to the second tier. Not a good environment to play in for any aspiring player.
He returned to Scotland before having spells in Wales & Ireland for clubs there too.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1947-50 | 2 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 2 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
none
Pictures
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