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Personal

Fullname: John Colrain
Born: 4 Feb 1937
Died: 14 Jul 1984
Birthplace: Glasgow
Height: 6ft 0in
Weight: 13st 0lb
Signed: 1953 (prov); 1957 (full)
Position: Centre-forward/Midfielder
Internationals: none

Biog

John Colrain came to Celtic with the weight of "the next big prospect in the game" to live up to. He could hit the ball hard but was poor in the air. He always considered himself a centre-forward when he may have performed better as a midfielder. He combined well with the talents of Jackson, Conway, Divers and Auld in the Reserve side in the 1957-58 season. He got his chance in the first team after the departue of Bobby Collins to Everton.

He left Celtic for Clyde and then onto Ipswich before moving to Glentoran as a player-manager at the age of 29. He created probably the greatest Glentoran side ever which failed to be beaten by Benfica in home (1-1) and away legs (0-0) in the European Cup (losing on away goals). He also put together a Glentoran team for a North American tour in 1967 which returned unbeaten. When he was sacked from Glentoran an EGM demanded his re-instatement.

He had two years as a manager with St Pats before returning to England as a Scout for Manchester City.

John Colrain is credited by Billy McNeill with giving him the nickname 'Cesar' after Cesar Romero at the time of the original Hollywood bratpack of Sinatra, Romero, Sammy Davies Jnr., Dean Martin, etc. Colrain himself had a fine voice and a full admiration for Frank Sinatra.

John died prematurely of a heart attack at home in Glasgow at the age of 47 in 1984.

Playing Career

Playing Career

Ashfield, 1952
Celtic (provisional) 20/11/1953
St Anthony's (farmed out) 1954
Duntocher Hibernian (farmed out), 1955
National Service, Army, 1955
Celtic, Full, 22/07/1957
Clyde, 18/11/1960
Ipswich Town, 23/05/1963
Glentoran player-coach, 30/07/1966
St Patrick's Athletic Manager. 1968-70
Manchester City Scout 1972
Partick Thistle Scout

Honours

With Glentoran:
Irish League Champions 1966-67, 1967-68
City Cup, 1966-67
Ulster Cup, 1966-67
Gold Cup 1966-67

Pictures

• John Colrain Photos.

Links

• Ipswich Career Notes
• Glentoran Site appreciation