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Fullname: Rolando Ugolini
aka: ‘The Cat’, Ugo
Born: 4 June 1924
Died: 10 April 2014
Birthplace: Lucca, Italy
Signed: 23 March 1944
Left: 22 May 1948
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Partick Thistle 1-1 Celtic, Charity Cup, 5 May 1945
Internationals: none
Biog
| “I signed for the club of my dreams. I was chuffed to bits.” Rolando Ugolini |
A talented goalkeeper Rolando Ugolini had to move away from Celtic to fulfil his potential.
Born in the Italian town of Lucca, Rolando Ugolini came to Scotland with his parents as a young child where his family ran a fish & chips shop in Armadale.
He began his football career with Armadale Thisle and after a trial at Hearts he eventually signed for Celtic in March 1944. He was said to be “chuffed to bits” when he signed for Celtic.
In a four year career at Parkhead he made just five appearances with his debut coming in a 1-1 Glasgow Charity Cup tie at Partick Thistle on May 5th 1945, a match that Celtic actually ‘won’ on penalty kicks 9-2 but then lost the final 2-1 to Rangers (Rolando Ugolini didn’t play in the final).
Unfortunately for Rolando Ugolini the ever impressive Willie Miller was Celtic’s first-choice keeper during his time with the Bhoys and consequently his first-team starts were mostly restricted to when Willie Miller was on international duty with Scotland. This was quite an irony as Celtic were a poor side and Rolando Ugolini had to compete for a place in the only area in which the supporters had no complaints (i.e. the goalkeeper’s post). That’s the breaks for you. Additionally, Celtic prior to Willier Miller had a succession of woefully performing goalkeepers so it was humorous to now end up with two fine keepers.
In any case, he never had a shut-out at Celtic so didn’t help his case, although as said Celtic were poor so he can’t be held solely responsible. His last games were in the nadir season of 1947/48 when Celtic only just missed relegation. However he signed off with the first team in a 2-1 win over St Mirren in the league.
With the immense talent of Willie Miller standing in his way of regular first team football in goals, the popular Ugolini was forced to move south to kick-start his career. After the difficulties of the 1947/48 season, a clear-out was needed as were big changes. He’d spent around four years at this point at Celtic with little headway made, and only given the odd scrap of a game.
He joined Middlesborough in May 1948, and Rolando Ugolini proved to be a big hit at ‘Boro and played 320 games for the club becoming a great for them. He proved he was a far better keeper when given a good run than his Celtic record was showing on paper.
He later moved to Wrexham, Dundee Utd and Berwick Rangers.
His actual final appearance at Celtic Park as a player was playing for Dundee United in a match on 10 December 1960, which finished 1-1.
Despite so few first team appearances at Celtic Park, he was a character fondly remembered by some older Hoops fans and his former club mates. His former Middleborough colleagues spoke highly of him as a person.
He passed away in April 2014 at his home in Edinburgh.
Quotes
“I signed for the club of my dreams. I was chuffed to bits.”
Rolando Ugolini
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1944-48 | 4 | 0 | 1 | n/a | 5 |
| Shut-outs: | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 (0%) |
Honours with Celtic
none
Pictures
Articles
From Jonathan Wilson biog on Brian Clough
Death of former Celt, Rolando Ugolini
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=5690&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Celticfcnet+%28Celticfc.net%29
By: Newsroom Staff on 11 Apr, 2014 09:46
EVERYONE at Celtic is saddened to hear of the passing of Rolando Ugolini, who has died at the age of 89.
The former goalkeeper, who was born in Italy, spent four years at Celtic between 1944-48, making five appearances for the club.
His debut came in a Charity Cup game against Partick Thistle in May 1945. The match finished 1-1, and was decided on corners, which Celtic won 9-2.
Rolando’s rival for the goalkeeping jersey at Celtic was the great Willie Miller, and eventually he moved to Middlesbrough in search of regular first-team football.
And it was at Middlesbrough that he made his name, making over 300 appearances for the club, and becoming a legendary figure there.
He did make one final appearance at Celtic Park, playing for Dundee United in match on December 10, 1960, which finished 1-1.
The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic are with Rolando’s family and friends at this very sad time.
Rolando Ugolini: Legendary Boro keeper passes away at the age of 89
Apr 11, 2014 13:22
By Philip Tallentire
Legendary Boro keeper Rolando Ugolini has passed away at the age of 89.
Born in Italy and raised in Glasgow, he is regarded as one of the club’s greatest ever goalkeepers.
Flags at the Riverside Stadium have been lowered as a mark of respect for Ugolini, who died suddenly at his home in Edinburgh on Thursday morning, having suffered a suspected heart failure.
His widow, Irene, said her husband closely followed the club’s fortunes closely and had told her about Boro’s 3-1 win over Birmingham City on Tuesday night.
“Middlesbrough was Rolando’s club,” she said.
“He was very proud of the club and everyone was always very kind to us whenever we came down.
“He was one of the last of the team he played in and he loved Middlesbrough and loved coming down and seeing everyone, and we’re very grateful for all that the club did for us.
“He’s had a great life and he loved his sport and in particular his golf, although he wasn’t able to play anymore.
“He never got to his 90th birthday in June and we had his party all planned out. Unfortunately in the last couple of years he had to close down and he was no longer able to drive.
“He hadn’t been feeling very well but he had a very quick death so he didn’t suffer. He was very happy about Boro winning the other day. He always looked for their scores.”
Ugolini played 335 games for Boro, dominating the goalkeeper’s jersey for eight seasons.
Former England international Alan Peacock, the current chairman of the Middlesbrough Former Players Association (MFPA), played alongside him at the beginning of his Boro career.
“He was one of the nicest men I ever met in the game and this has come as a real shock to me,” he said.
“I played with him in my first few games and he seemed to like me. He really looked after me when I came into the side.
“Over the years he always kept in touch and I was planning to go and see him in the next few weeks.”
MFPA secretary Jim Platt added: “You couldn’t wish to meet a nicer man than Rolando. I didn’t meet him until we set up the Former Players Association, so I didn’t see him play, but he used to come to a game every year. I was going to call him to invite him to the last game of the season.
“He was a true gentleman who was extremely popular with the fans and who loved football and loved coming to Middlesbrough.”
Renowned as a colourful character on and off the pitch, Ugolini joined Boro from Celtic for a £7,000 fee in 1948.
The son of Italians who moved to Glasgow when he was a toddler, he quickly established himself as a popular keeper with both players and fans and was nicknamed ‘The Cat’ or ‘Ugo’.
After leaving Teesside he played for Wrexham, Dundee United and, briefly, Berwick Rangers.
The Dalmahoy Starter between the sticks.
8 Oct
3 December, 2011 at 11:15
Good Morning,
Let’s wander on a journey which briefly takes us away from these shores on anotherwise bleak morning.
Let us start our trip in the proud Etruscan town of Lucca in Tuscany. These days Lucca is renowned for its architecture, its resplendent renaissance city walls and the very fine music festivals that take place there each summer. It was the birth place of Giacomo Puccini and so has resounded to the odd good tune for centuries.
Interestingly, as far back as the 6th century, it was unique amongst “Italian” cities in that it had an Irish Bishop–one Frediano.
However let us come forward in time to the 1920′s. Mussolini has seized power in Italy and is well on his way to declaring himself Il Duce and “Founder of the Empire”.
In any event, On June 4th 1924 a young couple in Lucca gave birth to a son. Italy was on the up under the fascist dictator– despite the fact that an Irish woman called Violet Gibson had shot Il Duce in the nose in April 1926–and there is no doubt that the sunshine and climate would be a great improvement on the harsh Scottish rain that we see here.
Notwithstanding the weather difference, in 1927 the young Italian couple gave up their home in Lucca and travelled to Scotland where they eventually settled in the — eh— the equally picturesque setting of——- Armadale!!!!
Armadale? Yes Armadale!!!!
Father of the family eventually opened a fish and chip shop and it was reputed to be the best Fish and Chip shop in the area. Of course later, in the war years, things were not too good here for Italians and many were treated disgracefully. In this instance, Dad was interned for a short time on the Isle of Man.
Anyway I digress, because we are really interested in the boy who was born in Lucca in 1924. He of course was schooled in Scotland, loved his football and played a bit for Armadale Thistle. He was even given a trial by Hearts but eventually he was “Chuffed to bits”, to use his own words, when he was signed by the famous Glasgow Celtic.
He spent just over 4 years at Celtic park between 1944 and 1948 and appeared for the first team on a grand total of 5 times during that entire period!
Remember, that the Celtic team at that time were noted for being very poor indeed, with the forward line being dubbed the “5 sorrowful mysteries”. The results ranged from “inconsistent” to” poor” and many of the Celtic faithful would go to the games fully expecting to lose. You would therefore be entitled to presume that if the young Italian could only get 5 games in 4 years he must have been even worse than the poor team on the field?
Eh—Wrong!
In that 4 years he was just plain unlucky. You see the young man was a goalkeeper and his name was Rolando Ugolini. Many of you will say “who”?– Rolando Ugolini! What is more I will bet that many reading this post will in fact have met Mr Ugolini without ever knowing it.
When Ugolini signed for Celtic, the position of Goalkeeper was the one position where the team had a true star in Willie Miller. Many older fans– including my father and John Cairney the actor and author– have told me that they are in no doubt that Miller was the best Goalkeeper they have ever seen. With no disrespect to Ronnie Simpson, Arthur Boruc and even the Prince of Goalkeepers, Miller is said to have been extraordinary in the goals– agile, brave and with the ability to save shots that defied belief. Probably the best that Celtic ever had.
Therefore it is really no surprise that young Ugolini didn’t really get a chance at Celtic park. Miller played for Celtic consistently between 1942 and 1950 before going on to Clyde and then Hibs. He was hugely popular, with International caps and league appearances to his name.
Unbelievably, Ugolini was also popular because those who had seen him play had seen enough to know that the lad was a good keeper. It is said that there was once a protest against the team after a defeat where Celtic had conceded 4 goals. A Crowd had gathered and were making their feelings known when young Ugolini appeared. Apparently the crowd greeted him with a great cheer as they knew it was clearly not his fault that the ball had gone into the net 4 times– and after a few words they soon dispersed.
However by 1948, the young man decided that he had to move on after 4 years of kicking his heels at Celtic park, and so he moved down to Middlesborough who paid the princely sum of £7,000 for a keeper who had played just a handful of first team games over roughly 4 years. He managed a few more first team appearances at Ayresome Park. To be precise he kept goal for Middlesborough on no less than 320 occasions (335 if you include friendlies) over a 9 year period ( far more appearances than Miller made for Celtic ) and became an absolute hero with the Middlesbrough fans.
He was not big for a keeper, but incredibly fit and very agile. To this day he is referred to in Middlesbrough songs and he played in the same team as the great Wilf Mannion ( who some rated as the greatest footballer ever ) and the young Neily Mochan.
When he left Middlesbrough he played a further 83 times for Wrexham between 1957 and 1960, before moving to Tannadice and serving Dundee United on 48 occasions from 1960-1962. His last game was one solitary appearance for Berwick Rangers.
Ugolini has been described as a flamboyant goalkeeper and someone whose “antics” produced a regular laugh which together with his ability made him a favourite with the crowd. He is still sprightly at 87 and lives in the south of Edinburgh. He protested about Pension cuts along with other pensioners in 2009 handing petitions and letters to then Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, and he still attends the annual golf day for ex-players of Middlesbrough FC where he is fondly remembered.
He apparently still swings the golf club on a regular basis and some readers on here will have surely met him at Dalmahoy where he is to be found several days a week acting as a “starter”.
I have to confess that I had never heard of him until yesterday when my father suddenly referred to this young Celtic goalkeeper who only played a few games but went on to great success elsewhere. In the intervening hours when I looked through articles or references to him at various clubs, one thing becomes abundantly clear. Rolando Ugolini is a thoroughly nice man, a decent man who is well respected everywhere he goes—- and it is about time we were all able to read and learn about people of that ilk in football as opposed to the others who regularly hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Clearly, he could have been a Celtic great, but instead became a hero in the North East.
However, he may now be the oldest living ex Celt — and a man with great stories to tell.
Fairly recently, I was told a story of a family from Glasgow who were on holiday in Tuscany. They ventured into Lucca for the day — mom, dad, three girls and a boy. The boy was wearing a Celtic strip, and they wandered around town an elderly gentleman shouted from a nearby cafe:
” Hey son! That is MY team!” he said pointing at the strip.
They had never heard of Rolando Ugolini– until they bumped into him one summer’s day beneath a Tuscan sun.
Once a Celt — always a Celt.