Jim Craig

James Philip Craig was born on 30 April 1943 and became a Scottish footballer, playing as a right back. He is best known for his time with Celtic, where he was part of the Lisbon Lions team that won the 1967 European Cup. Growing up a Celtic fan, Craig attended his first match—the Saint Mungo Cup final—in 1951. While studying dentistry at the University of Glasgow, he played for the university’s representative side and was a Scotland schoolboy international. He joined Celtic in 1963 as an amateur to finish his studies, then turned professional in January 1965.

Manager Jock Stein’s tactics suited Craig’s game. Stein wanted his fullbacks to push forward and support the attack, much like modern wing-backs, and Craig—along with left back Tommy Gemmell—fit that role well. Craig soon replaced Willie O’Neill and Ian Young as Celtic’s regular right back. Over his time at Parkhead, he won 14 domestic honours: seven league titles, four Scottish Cups, and three League Cups, plus the 1967 European Cup. He played 239 times for Celtic, scoring six goals, and his last match was the 1972 Scottish Cup Final victory. He also earned one cap for Scotland.

In May 1972, Craig moved to South Africa to play for Hellenic FC, but returned to Britain after six months. He joined Sheffield Wednesday, who paid Celtic £10,000 in compensation, and retired from football in 1973 to focus on dentistry. In July 1974, he became player-manager of Waterford United, but stepped down in December after one substitute appearance, citing a domestic problem.

During the 1980s, Craig appeared as a pundit on BBC Scotland’s Sportscene. In 2001, he was made Honorary President of the Belfast Shamrock Celtic Supporters Club, which renamed itself the Jim Craig Celtic Supporters Club in 2011. He remains active in the Celtic community, hosting Channel67, an online streaming service for Celtic matches, and regularly updates the Jim Craig CSC blog.

Originally from Leith, Craig’s father supported Hibernian, and the family later settled in Craigton, Glasgow. His son, James Craig, played rugby for Scotland, earning four caps between 1997 and 2001. Craig was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2026 New Year Honours for services to Scottish football and charity.