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John Fitzsimons (footballer)

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John Fitzsimons
Personal information
Full name John Thomas Fitzsimons
Date of birth 3 March 1915
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death 3 September 1995(1995-09-03) (aged 80)
Place of death Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Outside left
Youth career
St Joseph's College
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
St Roch's
1934–1938 Celtic 5 (0)
1938–1941 Alloa Athletic 28 (22)
1941–1942 Clyde 0 (0)
1942–1946 Falkirk 15 (6)
1946–1947 Hamilton Academical 11 (3)
1947–1948 Clyde 21 (7)
Total 80 (38)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Thomas Fitzsimons (3 March 1915 – 3 September 1995) was a Scottish footballer who played as an outside left, and a medical doctor who acted as Celtic F.C.'s club physician for 34 years, also working for the Scotland national football team in the role.[1]

He began his senior football career at Celtic in 1934, also training for his medical qualifications at the Anderson College of Medicine[2] (then associated with the University of Glasgow but today an integral part of the University of Strathclyde). Due in part to his educational commitments he was only a fringe player at the Hoops (five Scottish Division One appearances in four seasons),[3] and transferred to lower division Alloa Athletic in 1938.[4] During World War II when the usual competitions were suspended for seven years, he switched to Clyde then Falkirk,[5] where he made over 150 appearances in total, played on the losing side in the 1943 Southern League Cup final[6][7][8] and was still with the Bairns when official competitions resumed in 1946,[9] though by the end of that year he had signed for Hamilton Academical,[10] soon making a return to Clyde before retiring from playing in 1948.[11]

In his medical career, Fitzsimons worked at Belvidere Hospital (Parkhead) then as a GP in his native Glasgow.[12] In 1953 he was appointed as Celtic's club doctor, a position he held until 1987 spanning the highly successful period under manager Jock Stein. He had a similar occasional role with the Scottish international squad from 1970 to 1982, accompanying them to three FIFA World Cup finals tournaments.[1] He was made a Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester by Pope Paul VI in 1976 for his commitment to the local Lourdes Hospitalité pilgrimage foundation.[13][14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Dr J Fitzsimons, The Herald, 23 September 1995
  2. ^ Fitzsimons John "Doc" Image 1 Clyde 1948, Vintage Footballers
  3. ^ (Celtic player) Fitzsimmons, John, FitbaStats
  4. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Some Stuff from WWII, Falkirk Football Historian, 28 August 2013
  6. ^ Rangers Build Up Corners Lead | Falkirk Almost Snatch Victory, The Glasgow Herald, 10 May 1943
  7. ^ 'Daylight Robbery' when Falkirk took on Rangers in 1943 Southern League Cup, Falkirk Herald, 24 June 2020
  8. ^ Rangers Win Southern League Cup Final | Falkirk Beaton On Corners, The Scotsman, 10 May 1943, via London Hearts Supporters Club
  9. ^ John Fitzsimmons (Doc), Better Meddle
  10. ^ Fitzsimons, John (1946) , Hamilton Academical Memory Bank
  11. ^ Clyde: 1946/47 - 2013/14, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database
  12. ^ (untitled notes) Falkirk Herald, 16 February 1946, via The Celtic Wiki
  13. ^ And they gave us James McGrory and Danny Dawson, Matt Corr, The Celtic Star, 18 March 2020
  14. ^ Lourdes Pilgrimage Medal, A History of the World (BBC / The British Museum)
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