William Wallace (footballer)
Encyclopedia
William "Willie" Semple Brown Wallace (born 23 June 1940, in Kirkintilloch
) is a former Scottish
football
player and coach.
in 1958, moving to Raith Rovers
a year later. It was in Kirkcaldy
that "Wispy", as Wallace was nicknamed, developed his reputation as a top-class goal poacher, his skills being rewarded with a first Scottish League cap.
eventually spending £15,000 to take him to Edinburgh
in April 1961. The increased pressure for success at Tynecastle
initially curtailed his scoring exploits, for he was expected to replace no less a figure than Alex Young
, the "Golden Vision", whom Hearts had sold to Everton
a couple of months earlier. By season 1962-63
, however, Wallace was fully settled into the tactics of manager Tommy Walker, and he would become Hearts' top scorer for the next four seasons through to 1965-66
. In doing so, he helped Hearts win the 1962-63 Scottish League Cup
and come within a goal of winning the 1964-65
Scottish League
, while gaining full international recognition for Scotland
.
but their nemesis Celtic
, for whom Jock Stein
paid £30,000 to secure his services.
Within 6 months he was to attain Scottish footballing immortality, as one of the "Lisbon Lions
", the famous Celtic team who won the European Cup
in 1967
. He also won the league championship in each season he was at the Glasgow
club, the Scottish Cup
in 1967
, 1969
and 1971
and the League Cup in 1968
and 1969 during an era widely considered the greatest in the club's history. In total, he scored 135 goals in 234 games. The only blemish was a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Feyenoord
in the 1970
European Cup final.
were sold to Crystal Palace
in October 1971 for a combined fee of £30,000. Neither enjoyed great success in Croydon
and Wallace was back in Scotland with Dumbarton
less than a year later. As his career wound down, he moved to Australia
in March 1975 to play for APIA
, where he won 2 league titles before returning to Scotland in March 1977, first to Partick Thistle
for a week, before becoming player-coach at Ross County
for the rest of the 1976-77 season.
. When this role ended he returned to APIA as a coach, eventually settling in Sydney
and starting his own sports shop.
In 2008 Tommy Burns a Celtic legend died and Wallace helped organise a tribute for 31 May 2009, over 35,000 people attended at Celtic park to see the current Celtic squad play against the Tommy Burns Select team - which ended a dramatic Celtic 11 TB Select 4.
42 days later, on 12 July Celtic took on Brisbane Roar in a friendly organized by Wallace. Celtic won the game 3-0. The game took place away in Australia his new home (well home for the last 30 years).
Kirkintilloch
Kirkintilloch is a town and former burgh in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the Forth and Clyde Canal, about eight miles northeast of central Glasgow...
) is a former Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and coach.
Early career
He started his playing career with StenhousemuirStenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division....
in 1958, moving to Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
a year later. It was in Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
that "Wispy", as Wallace was nicknamed, developed his reputation as a top-class goal poacher, his skills being rewarded with a first Scottish League cap.
Hearts
Wallace's form attracted attention from larger clubs, Heart of MidlothianHeart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
eventually spending £15,000 to take him to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in April 1961. The increased pressure for success at Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
initially curtailed his scoring exploits, for he was expected to replace no less a figure than Alex Young
Alex Young (footballer)
Alex Young is a former Scottish footballer. He was a prolific goal-scorer in Everton's 1962-63 championship season.-Biography:...
, the "Golden Vision", whom Hearts had sold to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
a couple of months earlier. By season 1962-63
1962-63 in Scottish football
The 1962–63 season was the 66th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: RangersRelegated: Clyde, Raith Rovers-Scottish League Division Two:Promoted: St...
, however, Wallace was fully settled into the tactics of manager Tommy Walker, and he would become Hearts' top scorer for the next four seasons through to 1965-66
1965-66 in Scottish football
The 1965–66 season was the 69th season of Scottish league football.-Overview:After the openness of recent years, the Old Firm came back strongly this season...
. In doing so, he helped Hearts win the 1962-63 Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
and come within a goal of winning the 1964-65
1964-65 in Scottish football
The 1964–65 season was the 68th season of Scottish league football.-Scottish League Division One:In one of the closest finishes ever seen in a league competition in Britain, Hearts faced Kilmarnock on the last day of the season with...
Scottish League
Scottish football champions
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
, while gaining full international recognition for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
Celtic
In 1966, however, his form plummeted and his goal scoring ceased, and, amid rumours that he had been "tapped" up by another club, his departure from Tynecastle was widely anticipated. The surprise was that his destination wasn't boyhood favourites RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
but their nemesis Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, for whom Jock Stein
Jock Stein
John 'Jock' Stein CBE was a Scottish association football player and manager. He became the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967...
paid £30,000 to secure his services.
Within 6 months he was to attain Scottish footballing immortality, as one of the "Lisbon Lions
Lisbon Lions
The Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967, defeating Internazionale 2–1. All the members of this team were born within 30 miles of Glasgow, Scotland. Celtic's style was the antithesis of the...
", the famous Celtic team who won the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 1967
European Cup 1966-67
The 1966–67 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Celtic for the first time in the final against Internazionale, who eliminated defending champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals...
. He also won the league championship in each season he was at the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
club, the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
in 1967
1966-67 in Scottish football
The 1966–67 season was the 70th season of Scottish League football.-Overview:A number of significant events occurred during the season...
, 1969
1968-69 in Scottish football
The 1968–69 season was the 72nd season of Scottish league football.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: Celtic Relegated: Falkirk, Arbroath-Scottish League Division Two:Promoted: Motherwell, Ayr United-Cup honours:...
and 1971
1970-71 in Scottish football
The 1970–71 season was the 74th season of Scottish league football.-Scottish League Division One:Aberdeen, with a 15 game unbeaten run, led the league from December until the last week of the season...
and the League Cup in 1968
1967-68 in Scottish football
The 1967–68 season was the 71st season of Scottish league football.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: Celtic Relegated: Motherwell, Stirling Albion-Scottish League Division Two:Promoted: St...
and 1969 during an era widely considered the greatest in the club's history. In total, he scored 135 goals in 234 games. The only blemish was a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
in the 1970
European Cup 1969-70
The season 1969–70 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Feyenoord in an extra time final victory against Celtic FC. It was the first time the cup went to the Netherlands, and beginning a run of four consecutive years the trophy went there...
European Cup final.
Later career
After five fruitful years with Celtic, Wallace and team-mate John HughesJohn 'Yogi' Hughes
John 'Yogi' Hughes is a Scottish former football player with Celtic, Crystal Palace and Sunderland. Hughes was nicknamed 'Yogi', derived from the popular cartoon character Yogi Bear...
were sold to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in October 1971 for a combined fee of £30,000. Neither enjoyed great success in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
and Wallace was back in Scotland with Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
less than a year later. As his career wound down, he moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in March 1975 to play for APIA
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers
APIA Leichhardt Tigers Football Club, also known as APIA Tigers and Sydney Tigers, is an Australian football club based in Sydney, Australia. The club was formed in 1954, known as APIA Leichhardt, by Italian Australians...
, where he won 2 league titles before returning to Scotland in March 1977, first to Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
for a week, before becoming player-coach at Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
for the rest of the 1976-77 season.
International career
In total, Wallace was capped seven times for Scotland and four times for the Scottish League, in an era of intense competition for attacking selection.Career after retirement
Retiring as a player in June 1977, he joined the coaching staff at DundeeDundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
. When this role ended he returned to APIA as a coach, eventually settling in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and starting his own sports shop.
In 2008 Tommy Burns a Celtic legend died and Wallace helped organise a tribute for 31 May 2009, over 35,000 people attended at Celtic park to see the current Celtic squad play against the Tommy Burns Select team - which ended a dramatic Celtic 11 TB Select 4.
42 days later, on 12 July Celtic took on Brisbane Roar in a friendly organized by Wallace. Celtic won the game 3-0. The game took place away in Australia his new home (well home for the last 30 years).