Tom
Maley (1864 - 1935)
"Speed, stamina, dash - all three were mine". Known as "Handsome Tom" Maley
was one of the first players signed for Celtic FC by John Glass and
Brother Walfrid in December 1887. The 'Scottish Soccer Internationalists
Who's Who' written by Douglas Lamming in 1987 lists his clubs up to
that point as Partick Thistle, Third Lanark Rifle Volunteers and the
Clydesdale Harriers Football Section. The club handbook of that year
said: "A Football Team has been spoken of but the time is not yet considered
ripe for keeping up a permanent organisation. We have been able, among
other successes in this department, to overcome such strong bodies
as the Preston North End , 3rd LRV and Celtic FC although the former
team last month succeeded in wiping out their previous defeat." As
an athlete, though not so well known as his brother, he won many prizes
- in 1887 he won six first, three second and one first prize, the following
year he won one first, two second and one third but also took third
place in the NCU 100 yards championship. His attention was turning
more and more to football and after a very brief spell at Celtic he
moved to Preston North End and his career with the club was over.
Bradford AFC and Tom Maley
Red, amber and black was worn by Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC in the Football League
in a particularly distinctive hooped shirt design. To digress it is worth noting
that Bradford abandoned red, amber and black in 1911 in favour of green and
white - apparently on the request of the new manager Tom Maley, recruited from
Glasgow Celtic. Bradford FC became the first (and only?) club to wear green
and white as first choice colours in the English first division. The traditional
colours were revived in 1923 but green and white were subsequently used again
by Bradford FC between 1956 and 1967 and adopted by the reformed club in 1988.
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William Maley
(1868 - 1958)
Willie Maley and Celtic were synonymous - after two
spells as a player he was secretary - manager from 1897
- 1940. His a football
career is well documented but we quote here fro his chapter in "Fifty
Years of Athletics" published by the SAAA in 1933. "Tell how I got mixed
up in athletics? A short story. We lads in Cathcart village used up all
our spare tie in athletics. My strong suits were football, quoiting and
running. One of the chiefs in my office further advanced me. He was a
big noise in the Clydesdale Harriers - Andrew Dick. My all round abilities
convinced him that I was a suitable subject for his club which had fast
been gaining fame for the number of its activities. I found myself among
the starters in a Junior cross country race. I enjoyed the novelty and
was rather pleased in being placed. Despite the fact that I touched wood
and issued the water! I was soon able to walk normally. To the track
was the next command. On the Abercorn Ground, Paisley, I appeared with
other sprinters and carried off the prize. Pot-hunting I always abhorred,
so I confined myself to the odd prizes here and there. I kept on doing
that sort of thing until one breezy afternoon I varied things by winning
the 100 yards championship (SAAU). As I had been pushed into it, so I
pushed my brother To, and right well he responded. He made his debut
at the Queen's Park Sports and collared the Open 100. That is how we
celebrated the Jubilee year. Celtic, the new football club, absorbed
me and my time ever since." Not entirely - even after becoming Celtic
manager he promoted many Sports Meetings from the Westmarch Ground (then
the St Mirren FC ground) to Celtic Park in Glasgow. As a runner he had
been an excellent sprinter over 100, 220 and 440 yards. He won the SAAU
100 yards title in June 1896 at Hampden Park in 11 seconds dead having
effectively retired from running to concentrate on football. A natural
athlete a contemporary described him thus: "Did you see Maley? He ran
like a deer, dodged like a squirrel and shot like a catapult."
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