Stevie Chalmers

Thomas Stephen Chalmers (26 December 1935 – 29 April 2019) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre-forward and spent the majority of his career with Celtic. He is the club's fifth-highest goalscorer with 236 goals and is considered one of their greatest players. He is particularly known for scoring the winning goal in the 1967 European Cup Final against Inter Milan. Chalmers later played for Morton and Partick Thistle. He also represented Scotland five times in international matches.

Stevie Chalmers
Personal information
Full name Thomas Stephen Chalmers
Date of birth (1935-12-26)26 December 1935
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death 29 April 2019(2019-04-29) (aged 83)
Position(s) Centre forward / Outside right
Youth career
1953–1955 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
1955–1956 Newmarket Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1959 Ashfield
1959 Dumbarton (trialist) 1 (0)
1959–1971 Celtic 263 (155)
1971–1972 Morton 32 (8)
1972–1975 Partick Thistle 44 (6)
Total 340 (169)
National team
1962–1967 Scottish League XI 4 (0)
1964–1966 Scotland 5 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Early life

Chalmers was born on 26 December 1935 in the Garngad district of Glasgow,[1][2] where he attended St Roch's Secondary School.[3] The family later moved to nearby Balornock.[4] His father David played for Clydebank.[2]

Career

Leaving school at age of 14, he signed for Kirkintilloch Rob Roy in 1953.[5] Subsequently, he joined the RAF and during his time doing national service at RAF Stradishall in 1955 played for Newmarket Town.[5] He then moved back to Scotland, signing with Junior grade team Ashfield, and represented Scotland at that level in 1959.[4][6] Shortly afterwards he signed for Celtic, making his league debut in March 1959 against Airdrie.[2]

He spent 12 full seasons with Celtic, helping the club to six league titles, three Scottish Cups, and four League Cups, as well as being part of the Lisbon Lions side that won the 1967 European Cup. He scored the winning goal in the 85th minute of the final.[7]

His involvement became limited after he broke a leg in the 1969 Scottish League Cup Final,[1] and he missed the rest of that season including the 1970 European Cup Final. His total of 236 goals is the fifth-highest in the history of the club,[8] and he is remembered as one of the greatest players in Celtic's history.[1][9]

After leaving Celtic Park in September 1971 at the age of 35, Chalmers continued to appear in Scotland's top tier, with spells at Morton[10] and Partick Thistle before he retired in 1975. He made a very brief comeback with junior club St Roch's during the 1975–76 season.[2]

He was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2016.[11]

International

Chalmers won five full caps for Scotland between 1964 and 1966, scoring three goals.[12] He was also selected four times for the Scottish Football League XI.[13]

Personal life

Chalmers's father David played for Clydebank in the 1920s,[14][1] and his son Paul also played professionally with several clubs after starting his career with Celtic in the 1980s.[15] Chalmers and his wife Sadie had six children.[2][9]

In 1955, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis meningitis and was given only weeks to live before being successfully treated.[16]

In 2017, it was reported that 81-year-old Chalmers was suffering from dementia and was unable to attend the Lisbon Lions 50th anniversary events.[9] Chalmers died on 29 April 2019, aged 83.[17][18]

Career statistics

Club

[19][20][10]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Club AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Dumbarton 10001+0+
Celtic 263155472960313813408228
Greenock Morton 3280043003611
Partick Thistle 44644+6+
Career total 34016947+29+64+34+38+13+489+245+

International appearances
Scotland national team[12]
YearAppsGoals
196422
1965—
196631
Total53

International goals
Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.[12]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.3 October 1964Ninian Park, Cardiff Wales1–12–31964–65 British Home Championship
2.21 October 1964Hampden Park, Glasgow Finland2–03–11966 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.25 June 1966Hampden Park, Glasgow Brazil1–01–1Friendly match

Honours

Celtic[20]

Notes
  1. Did not play enough games in 1969–70 or 1970–71
  2. Did not play in 1971 final
  3. Did not play in 1965 final

References
  1. Cuddihy, Paul (26 December 2016). "Happy 81st Birthday to Stevie Chalmers". celticfc.net. Celtic FC. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  2. "Obituary: Stevie Chalmers, Celtic striker who scored the 1967 European cup winner". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  3. https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/stevie-chalmers-funeral-glasgow-pays-16243230
  4. The Winning Touch: My Autobiography, Stevie Chalmers, Graham McColl; Hachette UK, 2012; ISBN 9780755363230
  5. "Lisbon Lions legend Stevie Chalmers and the goal that won Celtic the European Cup". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  6. "Scotland Junior International Results and Lineups". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  7. "Celtic win European Cup 1967". BBC. 19 March 2005. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  8. "Celtic all-time player records". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  9. "Celtic hero Stevie Chalmers battling dementia – granddaughter reveals heartbreaking news on eve of Lisbon Lions 50th anniversary". Daily Record. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  11. "Stevie Chalmers profile". Scottish Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  12. Stevie Chalmers at the Scottish Football Association
  13. "Scottish League player Stephen Chalmers". www.londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  14. "The players (1914–1932)". Clydebank FC Programmes. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  15. "Paul Chalmers profile". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  16. "Goal hero Stevie Chalmers' life long debt to a Rangers fan". BBC. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  17. "Family's great sadness as Celtic legend Stevie Chalmers passes away". Celtic FC. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  18. "Stevie Chalmers: Celtic great who scored 1967 winner dies at 83". BBC Sport. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  19. Stevie Chalmers at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  20. "Celtic player Stevie Chalmers". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
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