Marshall, Gordon Snr

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Note: There has been more than one player to have played with Celtic with the same name, so please check the other namesakes if need be.

Personal

Fullname: Gordon Marshall Snr
Born: 2 July 1939
Birthplace: Farnham
Signed: 13 July 1971 (from Hibs)
Left: 27 Jan 1972 (to Aberdeen)
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Celtic 4-2 St Johnstone, Drybrough Cup, 4 Aug 1971
Internationals: none

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Biog

Former Hibernian keeper Gordon Marshall was signed on a free transfer by the Hoops after leaving the Edinburgh side in the summer of 1971, arriving at the relatively mature age of 32.

He had previously had a long career at Hearts, Newcastle Utd and Hibs. He had played a small role in a golden period for Hearts when they won the league twice in the late 1950s, and had gone on to play over 200 first team games for the club.

At Celtic, he likely was only brought in as experienced cover, but he made a not entirely convincing debut in a 4-2 home Drybrough Cup win over St Johnstone in August 1971.

The following month, he made his only competitive appearance in a major competition when he was selected for the European Cup tie at Boldklub 1903 in Copenhagen, a 2-1 defeat away, in which Celtic put up a mediocre display to the then part-timers. Despite the two conceded goals Marshall was reported to not actually have had much opportunity in the game to handle the ball. Evan Williams returned for the second leg having been dropped for the Boldklub game due to a poor match v Rangers.

Jock Stein then brought Denis Connaghan in from St Mirren. So with Gordon Marshall behind both Evan Williams and Denis Connaghan in the pecking order, he left for Aberdeen in January 1972. He soon then moved on to Arbroath where he had a long career till he retired from first team play.

One story told by Gordon Marshall in an interview went along the lines that for the next match after one of his games that he was in the dressing room in belief that he was being picked for the following match. Jock Stein picked the side, and then just at the end, he turned round and quickly chopped Gordon Marshall out for someone else in his place. That was that for him.

Must add that goalkeepers were often Jock Stein’s Achilles’s heel at Celtic, a topic for fuller discussion elsewhere.

He left a good personal impression it seems on others as his son was to retell:

“It does not matter where I go, all the old guys are like: ‘how’s your dad?’ They never ask for me! It was the same at Celtic, players like Billy McNeill and Stevie Chalmers, it was always how is your dad? It was always the same first question.”

His son – also a goalkeeper né Gordon – went on to play for the Bhoys in the 1990s, as did another son Scott Marshall, so the family has a wonderful deep connection to the club.

His sympathies are understandably heavily with Hearts, with whom he had possibly his finest years, and even to a late age he was still a regular supporter at their matches:

“He still has his seat at Tynecastle and goes along to watch. He will still moan about them but he still goes! Whenever Craig [Levein] is there, he is all over him. He still calls him “Mr Marshall”. For all the doom and gloom he sometimes has, he walks into Tynecastle and he is suddenly ten foot tall.”
Gordon Marshall Jr

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Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

none

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Pictures

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