| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Auld[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1938-03-23)23 March 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 14 November 2021(2021-11-14) (aged 83) | ||
| Position(s) | Outside left,midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Maryhill Harp | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1955–1961 | Celtic | 74 | (17) |
| 1956–1957 | →Dumbarton (loan) | 15 | (8) |
| 1961–1965 | Birmingham City | 126 | (26) |
| 1965–1971 | Celtic | 102 | (36) |
| 1971–1973 | Hibernian | 11 | (3) |
| Total | 328 | (90) | |
| International career | |||
| 1958–1965 | Scottish League XI | 2 | (0) |
| 1959 | Scotland | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1974–1980 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 1980–1982 | Hibernian | ||
| 1982–1983 | Hamilton Academical | ||
| 1986 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 1988 | Dumbarton | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Robert Auld (23 March 1938 – 14 November 2021) was a Scottishfootball player and manager. He was a member ofCeltic'sLisbon Lions, who won the1967 European Cup Final.
As a player, he made more than 200 appearances in theScottish League for Celtic,Dumbarton andHibernian, and more than 100 inthe Football League in England withBirmingham City.[2] He also earned threecaps forScotland early in his career.
He spent six years as manager atPartick Thistle, and was appointed to the club's hall of fame. He also managed Hibernian,Hamilton Academical and Dumbarton.
Auld was born inMaryhill, Glasgow,[3] the eldest of eight children,[4] and at the age of 15 joined local clubMaryhill Harp.[5] Rejecting offers fromClyde andPartick Thistle,[5] he first joinedCeltic in March 1955, making his debut in aLeague Cup game againstAirdrieonians and scoring his first goal for the club in a 6–1 win overEast Fife in the same competition four days later.[6] He was converted from afullback into awinger,[7] but his headstrong character and poor discipline impeded his progress and after spending a season on loan toDumbarton, he was sold toBirmingham City in 1961 for £15,000,[8] making his debut againstInternazionale in the semi-final of the1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[5] He appeared in the final of the competition, in which Birmingham were beaten 4–2 on aggregate byA.S. Roma.[9] With the Midlands club he won aLeague Cup medal in1963, as Birmingham beat city rivalsAston Villa 3-1 on aggregate.[3][10][11]
In 1965 Auld returned to Celtic in a £12,000 deal,[3] possibly on the initiative ofJock Stein, who had not yet been appointed Celtic manager.[8] No longer considered a winger, Auld formed a midfield partnership withBobby Murdoch.[12] He became an integral part of the side that won nine League titles, as well as the1967 European Cup Final. Prior to that match, against Italian clubInternazionale, Auld instigated a rendition of "The Celtic Song" in the tunnel, much to the bemusement of the Inter players.[13]
Auld left Celtic again in 1971, this time joiningHibernian on a free transfer.[14] While atEaster Road he combined his playing role with one as a trainer, eventually focusing solely on the latter role.[15]
Auld made three appearances forScotland, all in 1959.[4] He made his debut against theNetherlands, a game in which he became the first player ever to besent off for Scotland, after lashing out in retaliation at an opponent.[4]
Auld started a career as a manager in 1974, when appointed byPartick Thistle, where he stayed for six seasons. After Thistle won theScottish First Division title in1975–76.[16] Thistle also reached the semi-finals ofScottish Cup twice (1978 and1979),Scottish League Cup (1975), andAnglo-Scottish Cup (1977) under Auld's management.[16]
He returned toEdinburgh as Hibs manager in 1980,[3] in an attempt to revive the club following their relegation in the1979–80 season. Auld guided Hibs to promotion by winning the1980–81 Scottish First Division, but was replaced byPat Stanton in 1982.[17] He then spent a year in charge ofHamilton Academical before returning to manage Thistle for a brief second spell in 1986. His final appointment was withDumbarton in 1988.[3]
A pacey winger with short stature in his first years at Celtic and at Birmingham City, Auld was converted into a midfielder under Celtic managerJock Stein. In similar vein as his midfield partnerBobby Murdoch, Auld was capable of defence splitting passes.[18]
From 1963 until his death, Auld was married to Liz, with whom he had two children.[5] Following the end of his football career, he ran a pub namedThe Buccaneer inHamilton.[5] In the early 21st century Auld was a regular guest onCeltic TV.[8] During the2014 Scottish independence referendum, Auld stated his support for theBetter Together campaign againstScottish independence.[19] Auld died on 14 November 2021, aged 83.[4]
In November 2009 Auld was inducted into theScottish Football Hall of Fame.[12]
Celtic[6]
Birmingham City
Scotland
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
