Sean Fallon: Celtic’s Iron Man by Stephen Sullivan

There are some people that when you mention their name, there is an instant association with Celtic, and only Celtic, despite what else they may have achieved in their life.

Jimmy McGrory is one, Robert Kelly another, Jock Stein of course , more recently you would add Davie Hay, Pat Bonnar and Paul McStay. One name is linked with all of these, one man whose Celtic career runs alongside all of those mentioned.

Sean Fallon.

He was signed by McGrory in 1948, and he,  in turn,  signed schoolboy Paul McStay before he left thirty or so years later. The times in between were rather eventful as well. Player, coach, assistant manager, manager, scout….

He was one of very few to excel at all of these.

The immediate difficulty facing the author- and one he admits to-was to tell the Sean Fallon story, something no-one else has done, without shouting from the rooftops that we should all recognise the mans contribution to the club.  He also avoids turning it into an attack on those who treated Fallon shabbily at the end of his time at the club, which is also commendable. The reader is left to make up his own mind.

His success in this is due in no small part to allowing Sean to add his own version of events in his own words, and this keeps the tone of the narrative low key, which mirrors perfectly how Sean lived his life.

What we get is an affectionate biography of a man who was loved and respected by those who knew  him.

Sullivan obviously enjoyed putting this book together, and it shows in the text. With such a long and fruitful Celtic career to choose from, one of the hardest decisions would have been what to leave out, and credit is due for including such lesser known details from the pre-Celtic  days in Ireland , where a young Sean dreamed of joining the club his father supported, as well as the more documented triumphs at the side of Jock Stein in the late sixties and early seventies.

The narrative ambles along at an easy pace which allows us to fully appreciate Fallons story, and his own contributions are placed in such a way that they become an addition , as though spoken from his armchair, rather than an interruption, as they allow for an injection of his personality.

If Fallon understates his contributions to the lives of those around him, this is more than made up for by the words of the guest contributors, whose genuine warmth and enthusiasm for the influence of the Irishman on their lives and careers contrast starkly with the mans own views.

Guest contributors ? Its more like a who’s who of Scottish football !

By repeating the names here it would lessen the effect it has in the book, as the author brings them in only when he feels it offers something to the story, instead of just putting them in for the sake of it. That, in itself is quite an achievement, because the book could easily have become a “we think Seans great because ” list. However, this is avoided by easing in the opinions of others when the time is right, and only when it adds to the text.

Whilst, of course, the author could only trawl through old clippings to get an idea of  how Sean performed on the pitch in other peoples eyes, the entries  from Sean himself bring them to life, quoted as he remembers them, not as how others saw them.  Incidents such as “that ” tackle ( ask your granda ) on  Rangers hard man Sammy Baird are told as though they only happened yesterday. And I defy anyone not to smile when Sean laughs about his defensive partnership with Jock Stein-

” If I didn’t kick them, he would ”

– or was it the other way round ? Doesn’t matter-the sentiment is there, and sentiment  leaps out of the pages of this book.

As the years roll by , there are a number of great we anecdotes, such as Alex Ferguson earwigging Stein and Fallon in a restaurant, retold with relish by Sir Alex, or perhaps the story of Willie McStay, seeing Sean Fallon coming to his front door, and deciding he would sign for Celtic at that precise moment….

The thing is, I  could quote dozens, maybe even hundreds of these little gems, from the book, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.

And anyway, I don’t think thats the point of the book. Then it would just be another football book. About another footballer.

And that wouldn’t do Sean Fallon  justice at all.

This  book tells us about Sean Fallon the man, about how he was with other people, at home and at work, and about how much they came to respect him. It tells us of  a man who gave one hundred percent in everything he did, a man who gave so much of himself to those around him, and who was humble enough to do it because he felt it was right for him to do it.

This Christmas, buy one for your Grandad. He might even have a few stories to tell you himself of the Iron Man. Or buy it for your Dad, he might have heard a few stories about him.

And when you get yourself a copy, don’t lend it to your mate. You’ll never get it back off him.

The book is billed as one of British footballs great untold stories.

Now its been told, and its been told well.

Sean himself had resisted any previous offers to tell his story, relenting only so he could “put something down for the Grandkids ”

We should all be grateful he did.

Sean Fallon, Celtic’s Iron Man by Stephen Sullivan is out now in hardback, and also available as an  e-book.