Celtic's Lost Legend: The George Connelly Story

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Along with Jimmy Johnstone, George Connelly put Leeds to the sword scoring the winning goal at Elland Road as Celtic went on to defeat United over two legs in the ‘ Battle of Britain‘. George Connelly played a key role in these games and was attaining legendary status for many. What more could Celtic achieve with someone of his quality in the squad? The final may ultimately have been lost to Dutch champions Feyenoord, but with the youngsters in the squad – added to the experience of McNeill and Co – the future looked bright and it was Green. I can’t believe the phenomenal reception I received on revisiting Celtic Park. It’s great to return.”

George Connelly is recognized as one of the leading federal tax litigators in the United States. His practice focuses on IRS audit, collection and criminal matters including civil and criminal tax litigation matters, for clients including individuals, companies and estates. In a distinguished career spanning decades, he has achieved over 60 reported opinions in tax cases, and has received numerous honors and awards from governmental bodies and professional organizations. But as the pressures of life, divorce and competing at the top of his sport mounted, it all became too much.

I thanked him for everything that he did for me, and I’m really glad that I got the chance to say that to him. Then as I got older I realised life wasn’t that bad so I accepted an invitation to come and do the half-time draw during the AC Milan game. Read More Related Articles

But I didn't want to go near one of those places. There would have been people saying: "There's George Connelly in a mental hospital". That really would have been the time to roll the final credits on the big picture for me. Like all Celtic fans at the game that day, I was astounded, when the teams came out to see Connelly and Auld wearing the wingers’ numbers. Celtic's famed conveyor belt of talent for a decade from the mid-1960s, known as 'The Quality Street Gang,' gave rise to Kenny Dalglish, David Hay, Lou Macari, and Connelly. Fact is often even stranger than fiction, as I can now testify. The real reason for the anger, the paranoia and the despair I was suffering from was a disastrous marriage. A misguided union of two people that was so awful it ended my time with Celtic. The day began normally enough, with me stretched out on a couch at home watching John Higgins at the snooker but all of a sudden I started to feel irritated and restless.

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However, after absconding from the club he adored, Connelly was re-introduced to the Celtic supporters at half-time during the recent Champions League game against AC Milan. Connelly was the first of the hugely talented ‘Quality Street Gang’ to make the breakthrough to first team football. In fact, he made his name, as a 16 year old, more than 12 months before our famous Lisbon night. At half time of a European Cup Winners’ Cup Quarter Final against Dinamo Kiev, at Celtic Park, in January 1966, he came on to the park, as a 16 year old, to treat the fans to an astonishing display of ‘keepy up’. He was reputed to be able to do about 2,000 ‘keepy ups’. I had a good relationship with Billy (McNeill). He was my idol when I was at school. He was a Celtic icon wasn’t he? The Lions were built around him. In my opinion, he is the greatest Celtic player of all-time.” As Feyenoord celebrated with their travelling fans, Celtic's players cleared the pitch and waited for their manager in the dressing room, deep in thought. No, the integral part of his reluctance to commit to football was a marriage that failed to function properly. There is no denying it made him a deeply unhappy man. But, when pressed on the subject, the portcullis to the Connelly castle goes down and the drawbridge rises. I have trespassed on forbidden territory and reproof is a dark look from the owner of the freehold.

During his time a select band of players were emerging through the Celtic ranks, dubbed the ‘ Quality Street Gang‘. Some of the names are spoken about with reverence even now such as the sublime talents of Dalglish, McGrain, Macari and Hay, yet amazingly, it was George Connelly who was most highly rated by many. I was always interested when Kenny was playing, Danny was playing, Davie was playing, Lou was playing. You took encouragement from that. The young boys now will the same. They will be saying: ‘If he can do it I can do it’. If they have got the ability the manager will put them in. Lennon isn’t scared to put them in either. After his exit from Celtic Park Connelly tried to live in obscurity away from the limelight but his achievements could never be hidden from view. Even the most hardbitten journalist found it impossible to get a word from George Connelly no matter how hard they tried.But Connelly was given a warm reception by the Celtic fans when he was invited onto the pitch at half-time in the Champions League match against AC Milan last month. But what about the great hopes you knew nothing about? Tony McBride is one of those, he turned up at Celtic Park last week, after overcoming some difficult times. I KNEW I had perpetrated one of the biggest blunders known to sporting man when I walked out on Celtic.

Here, BBC Scotland hears about games being decided by a coin toss, career lows and final complacency. 'My greatest disappointment in football' I also worked at Longannet power station with a lot of boys from Glasgow, a lot of them Celtic fans who used to come and watch me from the stands. The banter was great but they were always warm towards me.”It was a worry to me because I felt people would hold my walk-outs, and the fact that I quit the game when I was only 26, against me. U.S. v. Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, 2004 U.S.T.C ¶ 50,289 (N.D. Ill 2004) - In a “John Doe” summons proceeding, we represented a group of clients of the law firm and persuaded the Court that under FRCP Rule 24(b),merely being involved in an IRS audit and dispute was a sufficient "injury" to our clients to enable them topermissively intervene. Dan was only 41 when he died. He had four little kids and the irony is he met his end on the one night of the year when I hadn't touched a drop.