Pat Creand

" I wouldn't leave Celtic for England, Italy or anywhere in the world even if you gave me £10,000" (May 1961).

To this day Creand says he would never have left Celtic Park, if it were not for Chairman Bob Kelly.

Kelly would pick the team in them days and Creand found out of his transfer coming back from Mass.

Creand describes of how his Mum was heartbroken, as that was her team coming from Donegal.

When Creand left Celtic for Old Trafford in 1963, he saw his wage increase from £20 a week to £65.

Paddy Crerand was an utter gentleman off the park but in the heat of the battle had some formidable temper. His troubles began when he was ordered-off playing for Scotland in Bratislava (May 1961), for an alleged head butt.

The SFA imposed a week's suspension as of August 12th, 1961. Bratislava was followed by a fistfight at Brockville, and a second early bath at the Falkirk of July 29th, 1961.

Bob Kelly now added four weeks suspension without pay onto the SFA sentence (August 1st 1961) Paddy served his time but was next involved in the fracas versus Uruguay of May 2nd, 1962 at Hampden when an unidentified Scotland player punched referee Holland in a melee.

Celtic ordered him to write an apology to SFA for remarks to newspapers but the SFA refused his account as inadequate and ordered him to write again.

Having reached the depths, Paddy now experienced the Zeninth if his Celtic career with the match of his life against the great Real Madrid and Puskas at Celtic Park (September 10th, 1962), a performance which produced the screaming headline: "Is Crerand the greatest Right-Half in the world? " Old timers rated him the best passer of a ball at parkhead since Jock Gilchrist.

His form slumped after a five-star performance versus Wales at Cardiff (October 20th, 1962) probably because English clubs was tapping him and an awful first-half versus Rangers on Ne'erday 1963 was followed by a petulant half-time 'barney' with Sean Fallon.

On January 29th he asked for a transfer: " I want to be a Busby Babe!" What happened next no one knows for sure: Paddy mesmerised by the aura of Busby; yet in July 1992 his freesheet newspaper column in Manchester was apparently willing the undecided Paul McStay to come to Old Trafford.

APPEARANCES:

SL: 91apps.5gls

SLC: 13appa.0gls

SC: 14apps.0gls

Eur: 2apps. 0gls

Total: 120 apps. 5gls.

P. Sweeney (Secretary)
Parkhead House,
Dungloe,
Co.Donegal.
Ireland.