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Personal
Fullname: Jeremiah Reynolds
aka: Jerry Reynolds
Born: 15 April 1867
Died: 26 Dec 1944
Birthplace: Maryhill, Glasgow
Signed: Feb 1889 (loan); 7 Sep 1889
Left: 23 May 1895 (to Burnley)
Position: Defence, Right-Back
Debut: Celtic 0-0 Queen’s Park, Scottish Cup, 7 Sep 1889
Internationals: n/a
Biog
Fearless Jeremiah Reynolds was a defensive stalwart of the early Celtic.
A coal miner by trade, the Maryhill-born right-back joined the Bhoys in September 1889 after spells with Cowlairs, Hibernian and Carfin Shamrock which also saw him make a guest appearance in a friendly for the Parkhead club.
He was one of the first stars of the Celtic team, and the level of adulation was such that he was mobbed at Paisley’s Gilmour Street station on Sep 12th 1891 by young women screaming “Jerr-ee, Jerr-ee!”. Not exactly Beatle-mania, but another indicator on the way of the popular growth of the club.
His competitive debut was a 0-0 Scottish Cup draw with Queen’s Park at Celtic Park on September 7th 1889. Exceptionally powerful in the air – he was said to be able to head the ball further than he could kick it! – and as brave as they come Jerry was a popular figure among the Celtic support. Brave or crazy? He would even go for balls at knee-height to head them (and remember this is when football boots were the solid steel-toe-caped boots!
He gave his all in the Scottish Cup final in 1892 (v Queen’s Park), so much so that fellow Celt Jimmy Kelly told him to ease up (!): “We’re playing a friendly!” he joked to Jerry.
One of the strangest events in his career occurred after training in July 1892. Walking down London Road after training with fellow Celtic players McCallum & McMahon, he stepped into a tobacconist shop, only to find that his two colleagues had disappeared when he had come out. Apparently, the pair had hot-footed off to Nottingham for the higher money in England.
Back to football, after one raucous match v Abercorn in which a riot occurred (11th Feb 1893), Johnny Campbell knocked three teeth out of a Paisley fan’s mouth. The police brought the man in who wrongly identified Jerry Reynolds as the culprit. Crazy!
Admired by his colleagues, Neil McCallum said of him due to his bravery with his heading:
“And if you had a boot on your heid, you would be the best back the world has ever seen or ever will see!”.
He made 99 league & Scottish Cup appearances for Celtic before joining Burnley in May 1895 after a row with the Parkhead committee (something that was to become a common occurrence in the future history of the club).
He would return to Celtic in 1911 in an off-field role when he took up the position of press box steward. He was also employed by Celtic as an odd-job-man and gate-man at Celtic Park, and is said to have been notorious for airing his views on games and players.
He passed away in 1944, and is buried at Dalbeth Cemetery.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1889-1895 | 74 | 25 | n/a | n/a | 99 |
| Goals: | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
Pictures
Links
The tale of one Jeremiah Reynolds– The Unknown Celtic Legend!
It is amazing what a flat tyre can lead to. I found myself hanging about waiting for a replacement tyre the other day, just generally killing time. A walk took me into a shop where I happened on a copy of David Potter’s latest book – Celtic Cult Heroes.
It sat side by side with Paul Smith’s latest book, curiously entitled “Rangers Cult Heroes”, ever increasing proof that in some eyes where you get Celtic you also get Rangers. Why that should be I do not know.
A quick look at both books threw up fascinating differences. For example, if I define the modern era as including those players who I have seen play in my 50 and a bit years, then all but 4 of the Rangers cult heroes come from this –ahem-modern age! In contrast, 12 or arguably 13 Celtic choices are pre Lisbon Lions. Of course the choices are the respective Authors own personal preferences, but I was surprised by some of the omissions.
Especially from The Rangers side of things as I know that there have been a fair few players from distant days past that many Gers fans would cast as cult heroes.
Potter explains that his choices are not necessarily Celtic’s greatest heroes but that they are his choices out of those who reached the giddy height of being rewarded with undoubted “Cult” status. It was very interesting to have a look inside and see who was in and who was not. For example if I said that there was no Patsy Gallagher, Johnny Thompson, Jimmy Delaney or Lubo Moravcik…would you be surprised? Well that was the case!
I won’t spoil things by revealing who is in there but it sparks an interesting debate. Just who is or was a cult at Celtic Park?
Someone who is not afforded Cult status in the book is Jerry Reynolds. Who? I hear you ask- and to be fair it is a good question, but I believe it is an even better answer because Jerry Reynolds pioneered more than one Celtic tradition. It could even be argued that Celtic Football Club never had a greater servant than Jeremiah Reynolds!—- even to this day.
Jerry Reynolds was a Maryhill bhoy who was persuaded to join Celtic in the early years. He first played for Celtic in 1889 so he was in with the bricks. He played 99 times for Celtic before falling out with the then management committee and moving on to Burnley—- it has been said that he had a bit of a temper and that he might have told Celtic to stuff it at the end of his playing days!!
A tough left back, he was an early hero amongst the Celtic fans. He was brave, tough as old boots and was said to be able to head the heavy ball further than he could kick it. Somewhere I read the story that he was told that if he could have sown a boot on to his head he would have been the greatest player in the world! He also seems to have been popular among the ladies as one story tells of him arriving with the rest of the team at Gilmour Street Paisley to be met by groups of girls all shouting “ Jerrrrrrrry —Jerrrrrrry—– Jerrrrrry”.
However, he does not make it on to David Potter’s cult heroes list, which is perhaps not surprising given his length of service on the field. However by the early 20th Century — when former team mate Johnny Madden was making a name for himself as a manager in Europe—Jerry was back at Celtic park—this time in an off the field roll. In fact, it is suggested that he would serve Celtic in various non playing rolls for the next 40 years—- right up until his death in 1944!
At various times he seems to have been a real Jack of all trades around Celtic Park— a turnstyle steward, an odd job man —- and it is even reported that he repaired the roof of the stand at one stage of his non playing Celtic career.
However, Reynolds is recognised as Celtic’s first “Celeb” meeter and greeter!
He would meet the fans at the front of the ground, welcome them and give them that feeling of rubbing shoulders with an ex player. He was the Tom Boyd of his day—a fans man!!
He was also the press club steward and so he was in some respects the first face and voice of the club when mingling with journalists and fans. He was the forerunner of the ex players who mingle in and around the lounges today, or who are a regular source for a quote for journalists today. However it is said that his views on the playing abilities of others could be.. eh.. terse.. or frank— blunt and to the point. If a player was not Celtic class, Jerry would say so!
It was in this role that he was to start the tradition of ex players retaining contact with fans and press long after hanging up his boots.
If you think about it, in those early days, I suppose you were meant to just turn up and play. However, once your playing time had finished with the club then it was back to the shipyard, the mine or wherever.
Today, we are used to seeing ex players retain a connection with the club. Over the years some like Maley, McGrory, Stein, McNeill and Hay would go on to a prolonged Celtic career as manager. Others like Mochan, Fallon, Mjalby and Thomson would be part of the backroom staff.
Of course in terms of sheer years it could be that the longest serving Celtic servant is John Clark.
But it was Jerry Reynolds who pioneered the notion of ex players being employed by the club to do something other than play or coach. It would seem that Jerry got the Celtic bug.For Him Celtic were a football team, an employer, an institution, a way of life— a Club to belong to for life if you could.
Nope- Jerry Reynolds does not feature in David Potter’s latest as he was not seen as enough of a cult hero. Yet I wonder if that was what was thought at the time? Here was a guy who had worn the hoops, who was available to the crowd and the press for a word and a chat and to spread the word of what Celtic was about. Here was a guy who worked at and with Celtic when there would have been little money in it, who would have done it because he believed in it, and who seems to have been employed by this football team for a very long time because of his sheer force of personality and passion for the club..
In short, Reynolds was a Lifelong Celtic man in just about any capacity that was available,who would turn his hand to anything—as long as it was for Celtic!
The Celtic Graves Society know where Jerry is buried and he is on their list of people to honour and commemorate.
Jerry Reynolds might not have been a “cult” player but for absolutely unique reasons he has a more than a reasonable claim to hold a cult status in Celtic’s history.
BRTH