Dick Beattie kept goal for Celtic during the mid to late 1950s, and is best remembered for being the man between the sticks in the famous ‘Oh Hampden in the Sun’, Celtic 7 Rangers 1 League Cup final of 1957…
Beattie was something of a much maligned figure
Despite his regular first team status, Dick was something of a much maligned figure during his five year spell at the club.
Signed from Duntocher Hibernian in 1954, he made his first team debut the following year in a League Cup tie with Falkirk at Brockville, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw.
Dick played for Celtic on 156 occasions
Despite playing in 156 games for the Hoops, the Glasgow born goalie lacked the ability to be a top class goalkeeper. Although he was a courageous shot-stopper, his inability to deal with high balls, in a day they were all the rage and keepers didn’t have the protection they enjoy today, made him something of a liability.
The Jock Stein theory
There’s even a theory that Jock Stein’s well known disdain for goalkeepers was down to his dealings with Beattie, who he played in front of many times.
Hampden in the Sun
Dick however did help the club to two successive League Cup final wins, with the 1957 one being the most memorable. Indeed there is an iconic image of Dick winding up the Rangers supporters by signalling with seven fingers in the aftermath of the stunning win.
Something more sinister rumoured
An error filled campaign in 1958/59 soon signalled the end of Dick’s Celtic career, but something more sinister was rumoured to be behind his erratic form, with it being suggested that he was on the ‘take’ for the bookies in the days before legalisation made it tempting for footballers to make an extra buck on the side.
Those rumours intensified when Dick abruptly ended his five year stay after at the club when he signed for English side Portsmouth, before having a spell with Peterborough, via a return back home when he Joined St Mirren, and latterly Brechin.
Turned out to be more than just rumours
Those whispers that soured the ending of his Celtic career where proven to be more than just rumours when his career, and reputation took a massive hit in 1965 after he was jailed for nine months, and subsequently banned from football for life after admitting to taking bribes to concede goals whilst playing in England.
Allegations all that more believable
A newspaper investigation broke the story in 1964 leading to his forthcoming conviction, and he wasn’t alone as 33 other fellow professionals were prosecuted. It wasn’t proven that Dick had done similar whilst at Celtic, but getting snared down south unfortunately made the allegations all that more believable.
A tarnished legacy
Upon his release he begun a new career in the shipbuilders, with his football career just a distant memory. His career should have been defined by the iconic 7-1 league cup win over Rangers, but his life choices sullied that legacy that’s still celebrated on 19th October every year by Celtic supporters.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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