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Fullname: William Toner
aka: Willie Toner
Born: 18 December 1929
Died: 16 March 1999
Birthplace: Shettleston
Signed: Feb 1948
Left: 1948 (RAF); 27 Apr 1951 (free); May 1951 (Sheffield Utd)
Debut: Celtic 2-1 Stirling Albion, League, 18 Feb 1950
Position: Centre-half, Defence
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 2
International Goals: None
Biog
National service and injury meant that William Toner’s Celtic career would see first team chances limited. In his youth he had played for St Paul’s Guild in the 1940s alongside another Celt, Tommy Docherty.
Signed in February 1948, the former Queen’s Park Strollers was almost immediately called up by the RAF for National Service, losing him valuable development time.
His debut for the Hoops first team didn’t come until 18th February 1950 when the centre-half took the field in a 2-1 home league victory over Stirling Albion at the age of 20. He was deputising for the absent Bobby Evans
His next & final match for Celtic was in March 1950 with Celtic winning 4-3 v Falkirk in the league, Celtic coming from behind to win but Falkirk scoring late to set up a potentially nervous finish to the game. He was once again deputising, this time for John McGrory.
Celtic had had a very poor season in 1949/50, finishing fifth behind East Fife and even further behind Rangers & Hibs who dominated the league. Celtic were still going through a very long barren spell, and hadn’t won a senior trophy since 1938. Celtic were a shambles at the time, finding it difficult to find their feet in the game, so no easy environment for any aspiring young player.
Celtic finally won the Scottish Cup the next season in 1951, but sadly for Willie Toner he didn’t get to play a part in that run, or even play in any games for the first team that season.
He was released in April 1951 just after that Scottish Cup title victory, which for the young Willie Toner was a disappointment but admitting to having no complaints.
In a later interview, he recalled the assistance he was given by the Celtic directors for better accommodation for his family. The board of the time has gathered a lot of flak over the years in retrospectives, but credit here where it is due.
Post-Celtic
Willie Toner would join Sheffield United and later Kilmarnock where his impressive form saw him capped by Scotland in 1958 against Northern Ireland and Wales. He was also capped 5 times for the Scottish League XI.
Some great success for him had come as part of the side that won the Division 2 Championship with Sheffield Utd in 1953, but he returned back up home soon after to get married.
At Kilmarnock, he was a long-term player and a major success, but the club was repeatedly finishing runners-up. Willie Toner was a major contributor to the start of this golden period, and he was unfortunate not to win a major title with Kilmarnock.
He helped Kilmarnock reach the Scottish Cup final in 1957, and helped knock out Celtic 3-1 after a replay in that run, but he had missed the first match through injury. Kilmarnock lost the final after a replay 2-1 to Falkirk in extra-time. He played in both these matches, and came so agonisingly close to a major trophy.
In season 1960/61 he was Scotland’s Player of the Season, an exceptional accolade personally and for Kilmarnock. He was also in the last Kilmarnock side to defeat a Celtic side at Celtic Park for around 50 years.
Sadly he had left Kilmarnock by the time they actually finally won the league title in 1964/65, having left for Hibs in a move that didn’t work out, although kept Hibs up in the First Division.
In retrospect, Celtic likely let Willie Toner go prematurely from the club as and when they did, and he could have been an asset to the club in an era that Celtic were mostly struggling. However, Celtic had players like Evans, McGrory, Mallan and Boden in the squad ahead of Willie Toner, so tough competition for the then young aspiring player.
In Scotland, he went on to become Chairman of the Scottish Footballers Association in 1962, and later managed Dumbarton for a few seasons.
His son Kevin Toner went on to become an SPL official & referee, and officiated at various Celtic matches over the years.
Willie Toner passed away in 1999.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1948-51 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Goals: | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
None with Celtic
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Obituary
Willie Toner, who has died aged 69, had a long and successful professional football career and with even a small share of luck would have amassed many more honours. He could fairly be called a late developer. He stayed only a short time with Queen’s Park before moving to Celtic in February 1948.
He spent three years at Parkhead without ever threatening to become a regular, and in May 1951 he moved to England, signing for Sheffield United. It was with the Bramall Lane club that he won his major club honour, the championship of the Football League Second Division in 1953.
He was, however, anxious to return to Scotland, and Kilmarnock bought him for the then not inconsiderable sum of #2000 in 1954-55. He was therefore in at the beginning of the decade when Kilmarnock became one of the three leading Scottish clubs. Indeed, in the course of six seasons between 1960 and 1965, they would win the championship once and come second four times.
By the late 1950s, the Rugby Park side regularly fielded such fine players as Jimmy Brown in goal, Frank Beattie and Bobby Kennedy at wing-half, and, up front, Joe McBride, Hugh Brown, Andy Kerr, Jackie McInally, Bertie Black, and Billy Muir. It was Toner’s job to bring stability to the heart of the defence and this he did very well.
Tall and heavy, his dominance in the air could perhaps be taken for granted, but he was remarkably delicate with the ball at his feet. He played a major part in Kilmarnock’s three excursions to Hampden in the Scottish Cup finals of 1957 and 1960 and in the League Cup final of 1961.
Unfortunately, none of these efforts was crowned with ultimate success, but his consistent fine work had attracted the attention of the Selection Committee as it then was and he was twice capped in the autumn of 1959. His debut was highly successful, a 3-0 win at Cardiff against Wales. But a month later a 2-2 draw at Hampden against Northern Ireland was deemed an unsatisfactory performance and, although others were more culpable, he did not meet with selectorial approval again.
He thoroughly deserved to own a league championship medal, but in 1963, before Kilmarnock learned how to make second place first, he moved to Hibernian. This was a very unsuccessful move, and a few months later he was with old rivals Ayr United. One year there ended his playing career, although against the odds he put in three years as manager of Dumbarton between 1964 and 1967.
In his day, centre-halves were ”stuffy” or ”polished” and he belonged to the latter category. He was stylish in the way that Willie Woodburn was stylish if not quite perhaps to the same degree. At a time when competition for his position was intense, he had five caps for the Scottish League.
He is one of the dozen or so players who are eternally linked with those years which were the heyday of Killie’s existence. He was influential at club level and above all he was a fair player. His son, Kevin, who is currently a grade one ref-eree, will preserve the family link with Scottish football.
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Articles
Willie Toner 1954-62
All clubs have players that are fondly remembered as ‘stalwarts’. As far as Kilmarnock F.C are concerned, Willie Toner is certainly one of these. Every year when the press feature Killie’s shocking run of results at Parkhead, this man gets to say his piece. He played that day, the last time a Killie team won at Celtic Park, but he should be remembered for much more than that. He was a truly great player for Killie and a Scottish internationalist. Here Willie Toner reflects on his life and his time spent at Rugby Park.
What were your earliest footballing memories?
Being lifted over the turnstile at five years of age to watch Shettleston Juniors play, the ground faced my house so I always wanted to play for the ‘town’ which I eventually did as a seventeen year old.
When did you arrive at Killie and how did the move come around?
I came home from Sheffield United in 1954 to get married to Annette, a local girl, when Malky McDonald asked me to sign for Kilmarnock. He so impressed me that I signed.
What was the clubs stature in those days?
They had just won promotion to the first division and their aim was to stay there. Kilmarnock were and still are a major player in Scottish football.
What were the people at the club like at that time?
The playing staff were great to get along with. So were physio Walter McCrae, coach Ernie Nash and of course Malky McDonald the manager. (right)
Any favourite league matches you can recall?
Hard question but their was a season (I can’t remember the year!) we went twenty one games without defeat, they were all good games.
What about the 1957 cup run?
They were all hard games, we drew Celtic in the Semi-Final which I missed through injury but I did return for the replay which we won 3-1.
And the final?
We were favourites to win the cup because Falkirk were fighting relegation at the time. In the first match which we drew 1-1 I gave away a penalty, the only time I had done so all season. We lost the replay 2-1 on the Wednesday night after extra time, even worse was the fact that it was televised.
When and why did you leave Kilmarnock F.C.?
In 1962 a young player called Jackie McGrory was taking my role in the team. Walter Galbraith of Hibs asked me to sign for them as he wanted some experience to help them in their fight against relegation. I’m glad to say that his idea worked out as Hibs stayed in the first division that year.
What is your greatest memory of your time at Killie?
I have good memories of all my time at Kilmarnock especially the three cup finals but I’ll never forget season 1957-58 when the Kilmarnock supporters chose me as their first ever player of the year. In 1960-61 I was voted Scotland’s player of the year as well, not bad for a Killie player!
Do you feel that you achieved all you wanted in football?
I won two full caps and five league international caps while playing for Killie and I was also the team captain I consider that a major achievement. I do regret not getting a winners medal from the three cup finals I played in though.
How would you describe Willie Toner as a player?
I would like to be known as a footballing centre half not just a stopper as they were called in my time.
Did you enjoy your day at the recent cup final?
It was one of the greatest days of my life meeting Malky McDonald, Frank Beattie, Jimmy Brown, Jerry Mays, Ralph Collins, Matt Watson etc. after 40 years. We were wined and dined before and after the game and of course the 1-0 scoreline was the icing on the cake.
Your are famed for the love of your local team, Shettleston.
Yes, I was born and bred a ‘town’s’ supporter and for the last fourteen years I have been on the committee and I hardly miss a game, but I still follow the fortunes of the Killie. So much so that at half time and full time the committee keep me informed of the score.
Your son is an up and coming ‘top’ referee do you ever go and see him officiate?
I have only seen him in two games, in fact I don’t usually go to any senior games at all, Shettleston take up all my time.
How do you spend your time now?
Due to my illness at the moment I spend most of my time at home with my family and grandchildren. I enjoy listening out for the Killie results as well as that of ‘the town’.
Interview By Donny Muir
