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Fullname: Atholl Henderson
Born: 7 October 1957
Birthplace: Perth, Perth & Kinross
Signed: 29 July 1976
Left: 20 April 1977 (free); 25 August 1977
Position: Centre-Forward
First game: Dundee United 1-1 home 1 September 1976 league cup
Last game: Albion Rovers 5-0 home 6 October 1976 league cup
Internationals: None
Biog
He made his debut aged just 18 in a 1-1 League Cup draw on September 1st at home to Dundee United on the day that Pat Stanton signed for Celtic, but Atholl Henderson couldn’t force his way into first team contention despite an impressive scoring record with the reserves.
In fact after his first team debut only a single substitute appearance followed against Albion Rovers in the League Cup in October 1976.
After Joe Craig arrived from Partick Thistle for a large fee it was clear that Atholl was not to be likely in the long-term plans. He had got injured in, and it that which kept him out for much of his time at Celtic.
He was released by the Bhoys in April 1977 after picking up an injury in a reserve match with Rangers which effectively ended his playing career.
Disappointingly, he missed out on winning a chance to play a league game in season 1976/77 which was to be Stein’s last league title winning side. The only positive is that he was to miss the disastrous season that was to be 1977/78 with Celtic, although that is little consolation.
He was to have a playing career with Forfar & Brechin, but retired due to injuries around 1983.
Atholl would later move into coaching with spells at St Johnstone, Dundee United and Brechin. He returned to the Saints in 1994 as Community Coach where he built up a long relationship in the club management & coaching. He helped to build up a strong programme of development activities, and local boys and girls were given opportunities to play at McDiarmid Park and at many other venues throughout Perth and Kinross. That we can respect him much for. He retired in 2021.
We wish him the best.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1976-77 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Goals: | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
none
Quotes
“I have been involved in Scottish senior football since 1971, signing for St. Johnstone on schoolboy forms and progressing to first team squad in 1975. I went on to play for Celtic for a season, Forfar Athletic and Brechin City before taking up a coaching role back at St. Johnstone in 1983. I have completed all S.F.A. Coach Education levels except UEFA Pro and have vast coaching experience with subsequent roles at Forfar, Dundee United and Brechin I have held the post of S.F.A. Community Coach since 1992, combining community activities with club coaching duties until present day. I have worked under a host of top managers, including Willie Ormond, Jock Stein and Jim McLean. In April, 2016, our department achieved Charitable status and we have been operating as an independent organisation since June 2016.”
Atholl Henderson biog on LinkedIn (2019)
Pictures
Articles
Community champion Atholl Henderson retires but leaves lasting St Johnstone legacy
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/community-champion-atholl-henderson-retires-25812775
Atholl was most recently chief executive of The St Johnstone Community Trust but enjoyed a long and successful association with the Perth club
By Matthew Gallagher
22:17, 29 DEC 2021Updated10:14, 30 DEC 2021
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Community legend Atholl Henderson has hung up his boots and blown the final whistle on a stellar career.
It brings the curtain down on a long and successful association with St Johnstone Football Club across a number of different roles.
Most recently chief executive of The St Johnstone Community Trust – he proudly retired this week – Atholl was previously a player and coach before becoming a champion of community activity.
He helped welcome thousands of kids to the game, while making significant inputs to the development of both players and coaches.
Atholl’s first official community post with the Perth club arrived in 1994 but, by that point, he already had a taste for it.
“I suppose it was when I went back into a coaching role under manager Alex Rennie,” Atholl (64) explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“Around that time there was a lot of talk about small-sided games and Soccer Sevens. Other countries were doing this for young players.
“We started a Soccer Sevens in Perth on Sunday mornings down at the Inch under the umbrella of St Johnstone.
“I think that would have been about 1985. We had really good attendances and it was proving popular.
“But my first chance of a community job was actually in 1992. There were six posts available – St Johnstone was one of them, Dundee United, Aberdeen, Morton and I can’t remember the other two.
“I actually applied for the St Johnstone one, but got offered Dundee United. I was there for two and a half years which I enjoyed.
“Then the opportunity arrived for me to go to Saints, which I jumped at. I’m very much St Johnstone orientated. It was my home club.
“In 1994 I went back to McDiarmid Park and at that time Paul Sturrock was the manager. He wanted me to do the community job, but also some coaching with the team.
“So that was the start of it – and it’s been quite a long time since then! I’ve been at McDiarmid Park ever since.”
Atholl was already a weel-kent face having, as a Perth schoolboy, fulfilled a dream by signing a contract with St Johnstone. He was a midfielder or a forward.
Atholl reminisced: “I signed in 1971. It was December 28. So 50 years ago the other day.
“It was a schoolboy form and I got to go into training during school holidays and things like that.
“Willie Ormond was the manager and it was just a fantastic team playing at that particular time.
“There was so much success and I was in awe. I was getting involved with guys like Henry Hall and John Connolly. Training with them was a dream come true because I’d followed Saints all the way through.
“I left school in 1974 and had two seasons full-time. At the end of the second season the club was going from full-time to part-time and I got released.”
Atholl then had the Old Firm chasing his signature and he picked up the story: “I was asked through to Rangers. I was training with them and was waiting on them getting back to me.
“But I never heard. While that was happening, I was in Majorca on holiday and met John Clark. He phoned when I got back and asked if I would like to come through to Celtic. I said I would and we’ll see what happens.
“It was Jock Stein at the time. I played a few games, they asked me to sign and I spent a season there. But I had got injured in the April and it was an injury that kept me out for about a year and a half.”
He would later join Dunfermline, Forfar and Brechin City before coaching work became the priority. Then his role with the community department back at Saints kicked off.
Saturday morning football sessions on the all-weather surface outside McDiarmid Park were, for many, a special first introduction to the sport. They were legendary and continue to operate with success.
“We were getting good numbers at our kids’ stuff on the all-weather pitch,” Atholl said. “Saturday mornings were just mobbed.
“I suppose that would be the introduction to football for many. Back in the late 90s we were one of the only groups doing that coaching.
“It went from there and we added bits and pieces. For the first six or seven years, most of the job was coaching kids and going to schools.
“But we started to introduce other projects which were socially beneficial – using the name of football to help people.”
Atholl was instrumental in the move to convert the community department into the Community Trust – an independent organisation with charitable status – in 2016.
He moved on to lead and develop a range of football and social-benefit projects, culminating in winning the prestigious Scottish FA ‘Best Professional Club in the Community’ Award in 2020 and, more recently, the regional ‘Best Para-Football Project’ award.
“I suppose it took me further away from football coaching but, at the same time, the benefit we could see for people of all ages was great,” Atholl explained to the PA.
“You get a lot of self-satisfaction from that because we like to think that we have helped a lot of people.
“We won the best professional club in the community last year and that was great to be recognised. I was very pleased.
“I’m content that I’ve tried my best over the years to do a good job. I feel proud of what we have managed to achieve.”
Having received a number of gifts for his retirement (a terrific surprise), Atholl is grateful for all the kind messages that have come his way.
He will miss the day-to-day activity, of course the football, the projects that have grown so successfully but perhaps most of all? The people.
Atholl smiled: “There are a lot of people that I still recognise and a lot I don’t recognise – I’d probably recognise their name though! People do come up to me and say that they remember the coaching.
“The worst thing is that I’m now getting people coming up to me saying: ‘My grandson goes to your coaching’. I’ve come across a lot of people in Perth and around about.
“Just being about St Johnstone is something I will miss. The people I worked with and the projects we worked on.
“But I do feel I have readied myself for this. I had planned a date that I would do this and I’m fairly comfortable with it.
“I’m not getting any younger and sometimes you need a wee bit of fresh blood. There is so much potential for things still to be done.
“It was always my dream to be involved in football – doing something I liked. I will miss it. No doubt about it.”