John Fallon

John Fallon
Personnel
birthday	August 16, 1940
place of birth	Blantyre ,  Scotland
position	goal
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
	Fauldhouse United
1959-1972	Celtic Glasgow	114 (0)
1972	Motherwell FC	10 (0)
1972	Morton FC	0 (0)
1 Only league games are given.

John Fallon (born August 16, 1940 in Blantyre ) is a former Scottish goalkeeper for Celtic Glasgow and a member of the " Lisbon Lions ", who won the 1967 European Cup .

Fallon played in the youth teams of Celtic and was built up as the successor to the eccentric goalkeeper Frank Haffey . Fallon played his first full-distance game on the Celtic first team in 1959 and eventually replaced Haffey entirely in 1963.

However, he lost his regular place in 1964 despite a successful season in the continental competitions to the more experienced Ronnie Simpson .

During the following years he did not manage to get past Simpson and only sometimes played against supposedly easier opponents. In interviews, he stated that it was more nerve-wracking for him to see the game as a substitute from the bench than if it were actually used.

In the final of the European Cup in 1967 in Lisbon between Celtic and Inter Milan , Fallon was the only substitute during the game (substitutions were only allowed in the goalkeeper position) on the bench. He is therefore the only one of the Lisbon Lions who did not take part in the game, which is why some people do not count him among the Lisbon Lions.

After triumphing in the European Cup, Celtic also played the World Cup final in the same year, which was contested in a return leg against Racing Club Avellaneda . When Ronnie Simpson, the regular goalkeeper, was warming up for the second half of the first leg, he was injured by an object thrown by the crowd and unable to continue playing. Fallon stepped in and completed the second half of the battered game and the even more battered second leg. Although Celtic lost both games, Fallon was able to stand out with a few saves, whereupon the commentator was carried away to the following remark: "If this is the substitute goalkeeper, how good can the other guy be?"

After Ronnie Simpson had finished his career, Fallon Celtics became a regular goalkeeper, but lost this place to Evan Williams and was also only on the reserve bench in the final of the European Cup in 1970.

He moved to Motherwell FC in 1972 and later to Morton FC , but ended his active career shortly after this transfer.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ John Fallon