| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1922-07-13)13 July 1922 | ||
| Place of birth | Renfrew, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 24 November 2001(2001-11-24) (aged 79) | ||
| Place of death | Dundee, Scotland | ||
| Position | Wing half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| ?–1947 | Queen's Park | 5 | (0) |
| 1947–1956 | Dundee | 190 | (0) |
| Total | 195 | (5) | |
| International career | |||
| 1949 | Scottish League | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Tommy Gallacher (13 July 1922 – 24 November 2001) was a Scottishfootballer in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Tommy was only seven years old when his mother died. He was thus brought up by his father, by this stage playing forFalkirk at the end of his career. At one point the thought of thepriesthood was a possibility for Tommy. However, that was not to be and he joinedamateur sideQueen's Park as a young man and played for them throughout World War II. He made five appearances in league matches for Queen's Park when the league resumed in the 1946/47 season.
Tommy moved toDundee in 1947 to become a professional player. That coincided with one of the greatest eras in the club's history and formed the backbone of the legendary Dundee team that included names such asBill Brown,Doug Cowie,Alfie Boyd,Bobby Flavell andBilly Steel. Together with Cowie and Boyd in Dundee's half-back line, Gallacher and Dundee missed out on theLeague Championship on the last day of the1948/49 season toRangers.
A few years later though, the same Dundee team won theScottish League Cup in1951 and in1952. Dundee became the first side to retain the League Cup. They could have won a cup double in 1951/52, but lost the1952 Scottish Cup Final toMotherwell 4–0 at Hampden.[1]
Tommy was unlucky not to have been capped forScotland. One appearance for theScottish League against theEnglish League at Newcastle in 1949 was his only international honour.[2] Gallacher was unfortunate that at the time there were an abundance of great Scottishright-halves - the likes ofBobby Evans ofCeltic,Ian McColl ofRangers,Tommy Docherty ofPreston North End andJimmy Scoular ofNewcastle United.
Gallacher's impact onDundee andTayside was not just as a footballer because after his retirement in 1956, he became one of the most respected journalists in the country working forthe Courier. Not only did he follow both theDundee teams through their ventures in Europe and at home, but he was also much respected in the peripheral areas ofSt Johnstone,Raith Rovers andForfar for the encouragement he gave to the smaller teams. He retired from this job in 1985.[3]
Tommy Gallacher was the son of Celtic legendPatsy Gallacher.[3] Tommy played for Dundee in a game in April1948 which could have relegated Celtic, if Dundee had won. His father was watching in theDens Park stand and his brother,Willie, was playing for Celtic that day. Celtic won 3-2 and avoided relegation.
Tommy married Cathy in 1952 and they had five children: Brian , Mark, Kevin, Sheila and Patricia.
FormerDundee United,Coventry,Blackburn andNewcastleforward and Scottish international,Kevin Gallacher, is Tommy's nephew.[4] Kevin now works in the media forSky Sports,BBC Radio 5 Live andBBC Scotland.
Brian's son Sean was briefly a reserve team player at Dundee.Amy Gallacher, Tommy's granddaughter, joined theCeltic women's team in 2022 after five years atHibernian.[5][6] The Gallachers are also related to another footballing branch of the family,John Divers and hisson of the same name who both played for Celtic.[7]
At the 2011Dundee F.C. Hall of Fame ceremony, Tommy Gallacher was awarded the Heritage Award by the club. The award is granted biannually to late greats of the club.[8]
Scottish League Cup:1951–52,1952–53