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Joe Rankin.
Joe Rankin, the older of the brothers started out with Celtic when aged only 11 when ex-players John Higgins and Alec Boden took the training, Joe had trials with Arsenal before Celtic offered him a place on the Groundstaff in 1960 aged 15. He really enjoyed his time at Parkhead playing regularly for the third team who was then bossed by the great Jimmy Gribben. Joe went on to play in a couple of pre-season public trials at Celtic Park before turning out for the combined reserve team.
Joe who played centre-half was released by Celtic in 1963-64 were he teamed up with Greenock Juniors for a year before joining Bellshill for a short spell. Clydebank came calling which was to take him back to the seniors were he played really well for a year before getting a great move to Greenock Morton, sadly this dream move ended in disaster when he broke his left elbow four times, forcing him to retire from the game.
Frank Rankin.
Frank Rankin who was to become a Junior football fans favourite with a cultured left foot, realised his dream move when spotted by Celtic scout Joe Hill whilst down at Arsenal’s Highbury on trial alongside his brother Joe. He thoroughly enjoyed his time playing and training with Joe at Celtic Park where they were on the groundstaff which was to last two years before he decided to leave as he had started a good job. Competition for a place even in the third team would have been fierce at Celtic in the early 60s were Joe and Frank would have looked after and watched the Kelly Kids at training as part of their weekly routine, little did they know most of them would go on be crowned Champions of Europe.
Although Frank had called time on his career at Celtic to concentrate on his job, his love of playing football never wavered and he went on to play for Baillieston who were a very good Junior club at the time, he also had a spell of playing at St Roch’s were his father Archie had played before him, but he eventually gave up playing after a bad injury. In 1985 after a short illness Frank Rankin sadly passed away. Gone but never forgotten by his family & friends and those who were lucky enough to have seen him play.
Rankin Family.
Not many families can boast a Father and all four sons going on to play football at a very good level. Dad, Archie a coalman who was a very well known character in Glasgow’s east end could often be seen walking in Alexandra Park with his two boxer dogs, who would often stop and give encouragement to the young lads playing on the many black ash full size football parks. It was no surprise that all his sons went on to play at a decent level as did Archie who himself went on to win International Junior Caps with Scotland.
No history of St Roch’s Juniors or even Junior football in general could be written without including the name Rankin. Dad Archie who played for Pollok, St Roch’s and Rob Roy where he went on to become a coach in the early 1950s, his love and admiration of the great Stanley Mathews led him to name one of his son after him, Stanley or Stan as he was known went on to become the most famous of the brothers, a forceful half back with Morton for many years, it was said he once declined a move to Crystal Palace (aged 21) to stay with the Greenock club.
Youngest of the Rankin boys is Stevie who started off at St Thomas’s Riddrie school team, after playing for the Tommy Guild it was not long before he was picked up and set off on a Junior career that was to last for more than 40 years. Although he turned out for the Candy alongside his brother Stan for 10 years, it was in football management that he found success, going on to manage Ashfield before heading down the Ayrshire coast to manage Irvine Meadow. He is now enjoying his retirement from the game after recently helping St Roch’s through the leagues as an assistant manager.
