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Note: There has been more than one player to play for Celtic with the same name, so please check the other namesakes if need be.
Personal
Fullname: John Gerard Kelly
aka: John Kelly, Johnny Kelly, ‘The Jet’, ‘Non-Stop Kelly’, John G. Kelly
Born: 14 December 1935
Died: 9 May 2012
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 30 March 1960
Left: 3 May 1962 (free)
Position: Wing-Half
Debut: Sedan 3-0 Celtic, Anglo-French Friendship Cup, 6 Aug 1960
Debut (league): Celtic 1-0 Motherwell, League, 24 Dec 1960
Internationals: none
Biog
John Kelly was an engine fitter by trade and left Cathkin to get married and look for a job in the Manchester area as of 8 May 1959, signing for Crewe from Third Lanark.
He was signed from Crewe Alexandra in March 1960 having started his career with Shettleston Juniors. Glasgow-born John Kelly made his debut for the Bhoys as a wing-half in a 3-0 defeat to Sedan in the obscure Anglo-French Friendship Cup on August 6th.
He finally made his league debut for Celtic on 24 December 1960 in place of Jim Conway, and was described in one report as “tearaway Johnny Kelly“. Seemed to have a tough debut match as report stated that:
“Kelly [was] neatly sewn up by Martis [Motherwell], [so] most of Celtic’s attacking power was coming from the wings“.
His next match on 26th December on the other side of Christmas (St Stephen’s Day) was a 2-1 win away v Dundee. Appears again he was unlucky, with one report stating that in one move that:
“Kelly went off like a bomb with an explosive run past three defenders, but his final pass turned out to be a stick in the mud, and all his good intentions went for nothing”.
Celtic still won those two games, but he was given only one further league appearance, in the final match of the season, a 3-1 defeat to Hearts, with a poor attendance of just 7000. It was another tough unsuccessful season for Celtic, finishing fourth in the league and losing the Scottish Cup final to Dunfermline (after a replay), and there was a cull of players over the summer.
John Kelly had made his name as a dynamic midfielder with Third Lanark in the mid-50s but he failed to recapture that form at Parkhead. Bob Kelly (Celtic Chairman) felt his ‘souped-up‘ style might inspire the others but Celtic’s youngsters probably needed a Willie Fernie to slow them down and John Kelly was never the same man with Celtic.
Must add that it likely didn’t help that Jimmy McGrory was by this stage a manager in name only and that board constantly meddled in the first team affairs; the environment around the club was a shambles. Maybe this unsuccessful signing was evidence of it.
He made just those three league appearances before being loaned to Morton and then released in May 1962. He eventually signed a permanent deal with Morton and enjoyed a spell at Barnsley before finishing his career back at Third Lanark (a club that was not long to survive).
He also had a spell at Cork Hibs (in Ireland) where he played with some other Scots.
For the remainder of his life, John Kelly remained a very close friend of Lisbon Lion and (then later) Celtic kit man John Clark, a friendship forged when they were both players at Celtic, and regularly met up together at Celtic Park. He was also good friends with Pat Crerand and other players from the early 1960s.
He sadly passed away after a long life in 2012.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1960-62 | 3 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Goals: | 0 | – | – | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
none
| JOHN KELLY | |||
| Born: Glasgow d.o.b: 14 December 1935 |
|||
| Position: | Wing Half | ||
| Teams | Seasons | Apps. | Gls. |
| Source : Shettleston | |||
| Third Lanark | 56-59 | 79 | 0 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 59-60 | 20 | 1 |
| Glasgow Celtic | 60-61 | 3 | 0 |
| Greenock Morton | 61-62 | 18 | 1 |
| Third Lanark | 66-67 | 4 | 0 |
| Retired | |||
| Totals | 124 | 2 | |
Pictures
KDS
Quotes & Anecdotes
“John was well known character around the Broomfield Tavern area in the 1970s early 80s. What I’m bemused at is his age, in 1975 John was only 40, thought he was older than that. At one time that pub had two separate Celtic supporters clubs and a huns bus leaving from it. Near the end of our “nine in a row” the crowds went down in general for football, the two celtic buses became one and the hun bus disappeared altogether. A mate of mine traveled on that bus and i know John Kelly was a regular at Celtic games on that bus. If memory serves me right John had a habit of going to games rain or shine wearing a vest. No shirt, jacket, coat. And oh yes, a Celtic scarf.”
YogiBhoy of the KDS forum
“I grew up with John and his brothers Joe and Billy. They lived on Forestfield street in the Garngad, the next close to my cousin. We used to play on the street with the lampposts as goals, and he would run rings round everybody. He was signed by Third Lanark and played for them for 3 or 4 years (in the fifties, not the seventies), then signed for Celtic. I don’t think he ever made the first team at Celtic. I remember one game he played for the reserves against Rangers. It would be around 1958 I think. George Niven (of 7-1 fame) was in goal for Rangers. He dived for a ball that was clearly his but Kelly followed through anyway. Niven kicked him up the arse and got sent off. Johnny got away with a booking. I lost touch with John around that time. He played mainly at right half, or right midfield in today’s terms.”
KellyBhoy of the KDS forum
“Johnny Kelly used to drink in the Celtic Supporters Club Springburn, when I worked there. We used to sing ‘Johnny Kelly On The Wing’ to him, and he’d literally be in floods of tears with pride. A great wee memory.”
Davie McLaughlin @McLaughlin_1888 (Aug 2024)
Note of passing
John Kelly
KELLY — JOHN (NON-STOP). Ex Celtic and Third Lanark player, died peacefully, on 9th May, 2012. Receiving on Monday, 14th May at 5.30pm at Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, Balornock. Funeral Mass on Tuesday, 15th May at 9.30am, thereafter to Lambhill Cemetery.
Source: https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/12996304.John_Kelly/