Obituary: Willie Fernie, Celtic and Scotland footballer

Had he lived in the era of wall-to-wall television coverage of football, Willie Fernie's name would have been renowned across Scotland if not the world over. For he was the player every Scottish lad aspired to be - a dynamic all-rounder who could dribble superbly, pass, shoot and score, and even on occasion pop up in defence, though that was never his first inclination.

His misfortune was to be a great player in a team that only occasionally reached the heights, and the fact that he is accorded legendary status among older Celtic fans is a tribute as much to the way he played football as to his medal-winning achievements.

For this stocky, multi-talented individual of average height - a true utility player capable of playing on either wing or in midfield or attack - was a man who could dribble opponents into complete confusion and always gave 100 per cent to the side, that team for most of his career being Celtic.

Fernie will be recalled by Celtic fans for ever, if only for his finest hour-and-a-half which was the club's record 7-1 victory over Rangers in the Scottish League Cup Final of 1957. Fernie was magnificent that day, and was given the honour of slotting home the final penalty to round off the scoreline, which is still the biggest in any British cup final.

Former Rangers player Andy Cunningham opined in the press: "Yesterday I thought him the complete wing-half."

After the match, in a rare show of generosity by the Celtic board, the players were allowed to keep their jerseys as souvenirs of the historic victory. Interviewed shortly before she died last year, his wife Audrey Fernie recalled that her sons perhaps did not appreciate the significance of the hooped keepsake which today could be sold for thousands: "Our boys all took turns wearing it and, of course, I had to keep washing it, till it wore out."

Born of mining stock in the central Fife village of Kinglassie near to where Glenrothes new town was subsequently built, Fernie started work at the local colliery before his talents playing for the pit team and Leslie Hearts were spotted by Celtic's scout in Fife, Pat Duffy.

Signed by manager Jimmy McGrory, Fernie turned professional with Celtic at the age of 19 in 1948, and made his senior debut for the club in 1950. He soon became a favourite with the Celtic fans, who loved his dribbling skills and were prepared to forgive his occasional errors as they knew he would always give his all for the jersey. He was tough, too, enduring many a bad tackle yet always bouncing back and never retaliating.

Celtic at the time were quite maddening to their fans.In an era when Scottish football was much more competitive, Hibs with their Famous Five, Rangers with their Iron Curtain Defence and later the Terrible Trio-inspired Hearts were Scotland's dominant sides in the 1950s, but Celtic did notch up outstanding performances on occasion, with Fernie usually to the fore in these wins.

A side which included such great footballers as Bertie Peacock, Bobby Evans, Bobby Collins, Sean Fallon and the mercurial genius that was Charlie Tully should have won more, but it was in 1953-54 that they hit the heights, led by a miner turned centre-half and captain, a certain Jock Stein.

The Coronation Cup of 1953 was followed by the double of Scottish League Cup and Scottish Cup in 1954, with Fernie's dynamic play a constant feature.

A couple of seasons of under-achievement by Celtic followed before Fernie gained another medal, this time playing at outside-left in the 1956 League Cup Final, which was won after a replay against Partick Thistle. By contrast in the 1957 final, he played at right-half.

Fernie made one particular "match" at Parkhead that was to last almost his lifetime, when he married the manager's secretary. Audrey Fernie remained Willie's greatest supporter and a charming and delightful lady until her death in October last year, which was a devastating blow to Willie.

In 1958, Fernie transferred to Middlesborough for a club record fee of 18,000, sold by autocratic club chairman Bob Kelly to pay for Parkhead's floodlights.

In that year, Fernie made the last of his dozen appearances for Scotland in the World Cup in Sweden. Along with Eddie Turnbull, the Hibs' Famous Five member who died just a few weeks ago, Fernie, who had played in the 1954 World Cup, was one of the veterans who tried to organise a Scotland side that, as would become usual, did not progress beyond the first phase.

After three years at Ayresome Park, mostly supplying ammunition for a fine young striker called Brian Clough, Fernie returned to Celtic in 1960, but was not the same force. He finally left the club in a playing sense in November 1961, transferring to St Mirren. As his career wound down, he played for Alloa Athletic, Fraserburgh in the Highland League and Coleraine and Bangor in the Irish League.

Recalled to Celtic by Stein in 1967, he became reserve team coach when the club was nurturing such talents as Kenny Dalglish, Lou Macari and Danny McGrain. His fitness and professionalism inspired them and many others.

He wanted to try management in his own right, however, and in 1973 he took the job at Kilmarnock. The Ayrshire club had struggled since its championship winning days of the mid-1960s, but Fernie led them into the top flight only for them to be relegated, with Fernie leaving Rugby Park in 1977.

After managing Kilmarnock, Fernie dropped out of football and became a taxi driver in Glasgow.

He developed Alzheimer's and bravely battled the disease for over a decade with the support of the ever-faithful Audrey and his family.

Willie Fernie is survived by his four sons, Billy, Alex, Andrew and David, and his grandchildren.