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Topic: Willie Callaghan. RIP
21. Author: GG Riva Date: Mon 21st Sep 2026. 19:28 SeasonedPar, Mon 21 Sept 08:24 Like GG, Willie is my first pick for right back. A tremendous player, hard in the tackle and always keen to get forward and yes, he should’ve had more Scotland caps. Didn’t he score a rocket from the half way line when he was playing for Berwick Rangers against the Pars at EEP? He really enjoyed that one! Condolences to his family. Not quite, SP. Just outside the box, a beautiful curling shot into the top right hand corner at the town end. I can only remhim scoring one for the Pars, v APOEL, if IIRC. Not your average Sunday League player. Reply
22. Author: veteraneastender Date: Mon 21st Sep 2026. 22:06 Willie scored a late goal at Tynecastle as I mind - came up field out of his comfort zone and blasted in the winner. Reply
23. Author: OzPar Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 07:28 I had a terrific chat with Willie in Legends a few years ago. I told him that the last time I had spoken to him was sometime in the late sixties, outside Airdrie`s old ground, Broomfield. I reminded him that he and John Lunn had been puffing on cigarettes before boarding the team bus to head home! Willie laughed, and we talked about that great late sixties team: Martin, Callaghan, Lunn, Fraser, Barry, Thompson... I remarked that I felt the team had lost some of its solidity when Roy Barry was transferred to Coventry and Doug Bailie came in to replace him. At some length, Willie explained how the Pars defence reshaped itself to accommodate big Doug, who was tall, a tad overweight, and considerably slower than Roy. He spoke too of the battles he`d had with George Farm and latterly with the Pars board—and didn`t hold back in his criticism of both. He also talked about some of the battles he`d faced after leaving the game. I came away mightily impressed with Willie not just as a footballer, but as a human being. They say you should never meet your heroes, because they will inevitably disappoint. I cannot say that about Willie Callaghan, Roy Barry, Bert Paton, or any of the others from that great sixties Pars team. I`ve met a few of them over the years, and each man was every bit as worthy of admiration as the footballer had been. Reply
24. Author: veteraneastender Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 08:19 I heard that one of the Pars players had whacked Barrie Mitchell in the dressing room after the relegation nightmare final game 1972 - he was destined for Aberdeen and didn’t give a toss about the result having not broken sweat for 90 minutes - Willie took a different view 👊to such an attitude. Post Edited (Tue 22 Sep 08:19) Reply
25. Author: twin par Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 10:01 Yes,that relegation game was against Dundee utd. Barrie Mitchell,never tried a leg,avoided any sort of contact,and never got involved in any tackles.The crowd were furious.Willie stuck one on him after the game! Kenny Cameron’s goal beat us,and we were relegated.Remember it well! Reply
26. Author: SeasonedPar Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 10:50 GG Riva, Mon 21 Sep 19:28 SeasonedPar, Mon 21 Sept 08:24 Like GG, Willie is my first pick for right back. A tremendous player, hard in the tackle and always keen to get forward and yes, he should’ve had more Scotland caps. Didn’t he score a rocket from the half way line when he was playing for Berwick Rangers against the Pars at EEP? He really enjoyed that one! Condolences to his family. Not quite, SP. Just outside the box, a beautiful curling shot into the top right hand corner at the town end. I can only remhim scoring one for the Pars, v APOEL, if IIRC. Memory playing tricks. Thanks GG. Reply
27. Author: Raymie the Legend Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 14:58 OzPar, Tue 22 Sep 07:28 I had a terrific chat with Willie in Legends a few years ago. I told him that the last time I had spoken to him was sometime in the late sixties, outside Airdrie`s old ground, Broomfield. I reminded him that he and John Lunn had been puffing on cigarettes before boarding the team bus to head home! Willie laughed, and we talked about that great late sixties team: Martin, Callaghan, Lunn, Fraser, Barry, Thompson... I remarked that I felt the team had lost some of its solidity when Roy Barry was transferred to Coventry and Doug Bailie came in to replace him. At some length, Willie explained how the Pars defence reshaped itself to accommodate big Doug, who was tall, a tad overweight, and considerably slower than Roy. He spoke too of the battles he`d had with George Farm and latterly with the Pars board—and didn`t hold back in his criticism of both. He also talked about some of the battles he`d faced after leaving the game. I came away mightily impressed with Willie not just as a footballer, but as a human being. They say you should never meet your heroes, because they will inevitably disappoint. I cannot say that about Willie Callaghan, Roy Barry, Bert Paton, or any of the others from that great sixties Pars team. I`ve met a few of them over the years, and each man was every bit as worthy of admiration as the footballer had been. Thanks, Oz It`s bloody tough being a legend Ron Atkinson - 1983 Reply
28. Author: GG Riva Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 15:04 veteraneastender, Mon 21 Sept 22:06 Willie scored a late goal at Tynecastle as I mind - came up field out of his comfort zone and blasted in the winner. I had forgotten that one, VEE, easily done as I wasn`t at the game. I think we had an all too rare win at Tynecastle, 2-1, even though we were a better team than Hearts for most of the 60s and inevitably gave them a proper doing at EEP. 😁 Not your average Sunday League player. Reply
29. Author: Jock Par36 Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 18:35 I was with my fellow Pars fans behind the goal when Willie banged home the winning goal. Reply
30. Author: Buspasspar Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 21:15 Just saw this guys and so so sad .. Willie and all the others mentioned on here were the best of the best .. was lucky to have seen them all .. thoughts and sympathy with all friends and Family .. RIP Willie (Legend) We are forever shaped by the Children we once were Reply
31. Author: LochgellyAlbert Date: Tue 22nd Sep 2026. 23:50 RIP Willie Callaghan, a true legend and one that we right footers aspired to be!🥲🏁 Reply
32. Author: veteraneastender Date: Thu 24th Sep 2026. 09:43 Careful LA - the thought police might react to that observation !!! The Pars had a few lefties in the 60`s - the Callaghans, Pat Gardner and Pat Delaney spring to mind. Sir Fergie is likely to come up for the service, in his autobiography he mentioned the welcomes he had visiting the Callaghan home during his time at EEP. Reply
33. Author: Playup_Pompey Date: Thu 24th Sep 2026. 10:33 family have confirmed funeral details for 6th Oct Reply
34. Author: LochgellyAlbert Date: Sun 18th Oct 2026. 17:39 Surprised that there wasn`t a tribute to Willie yesterday, one of the Par`s finest!🤔🏁 Reply
35. Author: AdamAntsParsStripe Date: Sun 18th Oct 2026. 18:19 LochgellyAlbert, Sun 18 Oct 17:39 Surprised that there wasn`t a tribute to Willie yesterday, one of the Par`s finest!🤔🏁 Yeah that was really surprising he wasn’t given a minutes applause. Zwei Pints Bier und ein Päckchen Chips bitte Reply
36. Author: GG Riva Date: Sun 18th Oct 2026. 18:36 LochgellyAlbert, Sun 18 Oct 17:39 Surprised that there wasn`t a tribute to Willie yesterday, one of the Par`s finest!🤔🏁 A more likely explanation is that the club will remember Willie at a game when members of his family are able to attend. Not your average Sunday League player. Post Edited (Sun 18 Oct 18:52) Reply

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