John Divers (footballer, born 1940)

John Divers
Personal information
Date of birth (1940-03-08)8 March 1940
Place of birth Clydebank, Scotland
Date of death 23 September 2014(2014-09-23) (aged 74)
Position(s) inside forward
Youth career
Glentyan Thistle[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1966 Celtic 171 (80)
1956–1957 → Renfrew[1]
1966–1969 Partick Thistle 30 (5)
Total 201 (85)
International career
1962–1963 Scottish League XI[2] 3 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Divers (8 March 1940 – 23 September 2014) was a Scottish footballer who played for Celtic and Partick Thistle.[3]

Playing career

Club

Born in Clydebank, Divers was the son of former Scottish international John Divers and grand-nephew of ex-Celtic player Patsy Gallacher.[1] He played 248 games for Celtic between November 1957 and September 1965.[4] Playing mostly as an inside left, he scored 110 goals for the club, which helped gain him a reputation as a skilful, clever and hard working player.[5][1]

He contributed to Celtic's nine consecutive league championships in a row by scoring the first goal of that period, away against Dundee United in 1965.[6] After joining Partick Thistle in the early part of the 1966–67 season, he later retired from the Senior game in 1969 to attend Strathclyde University.[5]

International

Divers was part of a number of Scotland squads (including a 1962 match against Uruguay) but never got onto the field.[1] He played on three occasions for the Scottish League XI, scoring 4 goals.[2]

Later life

Divers spent some of his later life in teaching, spending most of his career in St Patrick's High (where he'd also been a pupil), later Our Lady and St Patrick's High School in Dumbarton.[1] He died in September 2014.[6] His family connections mean he was related to fellow footballing descendants of Patsy Gallacher: sons Willie and Tommy, and grandsons Brian and Kevin.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Obituary: John Divers, footballer and teacher". The Scotsman. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b "John Divers". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  3. ^ John Divers profile neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Celtic player John Divers profile". Fitbastats. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  5. ^ a b Heaney, Bill (14 October 2014). "Paying tribute to late Celtic star Johnny Divers". The Irish Voice. p. 5. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  6. ^ a b Scottish football: Former Celtic striker John Divers has died aged 74, Sky Sports
  7. ^ "Tommy Gallacher obituary". The Scotsman. 6 October 2001. Retrieved 2 October 2017.


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