Seeing Red: The Chic Charnley Story

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He scored the last of his 37 goals on Wednesday, 2nd August, 2006, in a 2-2 draw at home to Celtic XI in a Benefit match. You could argue that Lionel doesn’t need to show his arse to anyone as he’s too busy slaloming round bemused defenders and generally being wonderful, but for all those skills, he clearly has the personality of a wooden toilet roll holder. It’s the same with Gareth Bale who attempts to make up for being as dull as a Monday Night Football match on Sky by tying his hair into a ridiculous ponytail. Ronaldo is slightly edgier thanks to those tantrums, but for balls-out, big-time personality allied to outrageous ability, they’re not a patch on Mr James ‘Chic’ Charnley. READ MORE: Family going undercover at Ibrox, preserving Celtic history and learning from Van Hooijdonk - Simon Donnelly Big Interview

Eventually the players were escorted to the away dressing room and the moment I had waited for all my life was only minutes away – I was about to pull that coveted hooped shirt over my head. My chest was pumping up and my heart was beating like never before. I was going to play for Celtic and I was going to enjoy every minute of it. And I did. For me, the crowning moment for Chic in a Thistle jersey came on a rainy May evening at Hampden, a stage rarely graced by Charnley. It was during Celtic’s ‘Hampden year’ as they played at the national stadium while Parkhead was being demolished and rebuilt. Celtic were also being rebuilt as they tried to find a way to stop Rangers romping to another league title and while the completion of that particular piece of work was still some way off, they were easily good enough to take three points off Charnley’s relegation-threatened Thistle on most days. This wasn’t going to be most days. Not all of them manage the mix of good and evil that Chic embodied. I heard a story, almost surely apocryphal, that during one of his re-signing discussions with Thistle, he was offered a club car and asked if they could give him a van instead to help with his mate’s painting and decorating business.

CHIC CHARNLEY

Charnley's also honest enough to admit if he was starting out in the game today, blessed with the natural ability he couldn't complement with a sense of discipline, he wouldn't have fitted in. THE season has arrived too soon for Celtic. That fact was inescapable at Easter Road yesterday as this hastily pieced-together team had all of their flaws exposed to a nationwide television audience.

Somehow the conversation came round to yours truly when Mrs Brady chimed in with, ‘Chic Charnley? He’s just a pub team player.’ The 5' 9 (11st 12lbs) forward signed for John Lambie's Thistle on Friday, 6th January, 1989, having most recently been with Hamilton Academical.

Chic Charnley Height, Weight & Measurements

He said: "I gave up on the SFA coaching course after one day. I found myself in a hall for a lecture beside two pregnant women and three teachers who had obviously never been on a football pitch in their lives. When Billy McNeill went through his quadruple heart bypass in the mid-nineties I sent him a message, saying, ‘You could have had that operation years ago if you had signed me.’ I hope he saw the funny side.

Whatever the truth, it remains the biggest regret of a career filled with highs, lows and a fair share of mind-boggling incidents, the most famous of which is firmly in Firhill folklore. Read More Related Articles I looked at the Celtic dug-out and caught the eye of Brian Scott, the club’s physiotherapist. ‘Who does he think he is?’ I said and the Celtic bench dissolved into laughter. It was a magic moment and I was so happy that a snapper had caught the image perfectly. I friend of mine is a bit of an artist and he painted the picture for me and it is now framed and proudly hanging on a wallat home. It’s a constant reminder of the night I played for Celtic.But he’s run. Instead of me stopping, I’ve chased him down the hill. But he’s still got the sword, and he’s turned at the bottom and caught me on the hand with the sword.