Benny Rooney
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bernard Rooney | ||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 28 July 2023 (aged 80) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1963 | Celtic | 0 | (0) |
| 1959–1960[1] | → Cambuslang Rangers (loan) | ||
| 1960–1961[2] | → Petershill (loan) | ||
| 1961–1962[3] | → Dumbarton (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 1963–1966 | Dundee United | 22 | (4) |
| 1966–1973 | St Johnstone | 222 | (12) |
| 1973–1976 | Partick Thistle | 62 | (3) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1976–1983 | Greenock Morton | ||
| 1983–1986 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 1986 | Albion Rovers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bernard Rooney (3 May 1943 – 28 July 2023)[4] was a Scottish football player and manager.
Playing career[edit]
Rooney played for Celtic as a youth and was a contemporary of the group of players who would form the core of their Lisbon Lions team, but was unable to break into the team in the face of such stiff competition for a place, and after being loaned out to the junior leagues and to Dumbarton, he was allowed to sign for Dundee United on a free transfer in 1963.[5] He was frequently relegated to United's reserve team, however, and he was eventually sold to St Johnstone in 1966 for £3,500.[5]
Rooney served the Perth club for nearly a decade during a very successful period for the club under the management of Willie Ormond.[1] Rooney was the club's captain during their UEFA Cup run of 1971–72, when they defeated Hamburg and Vasas Budapest.[6] He also had the honour of being captain for Saints' first ever national final when they were unlucky to lose 1–0 to a Celtic side who were among the very best in Europe at the time in the Scottish League Cup Final at Hampden Park in 1969. As a key member of the Ormond era, Rooney has a place in St Johnstone history and will always be well remembered by the fans.
Managerial career[edit]
Rooney was appointed manager of Morton in 1976. Morton were part-time and competing in the First Division at the time. In his second season in charge he led the club to promotion to the Scottish Premier Division. In the 1979–80 season Morton famously topped the Premier Division in the middle of the season, and ultimately finished in 6th place, quite an achievement for a part-time club.[7]
Rooney is also revered by Morton fans for assembling a memorable squad, including fan favourite Andy Ritchie, who was brought to Cappielow from Celtic in 1976.[8][1]
Rooney left Morton in 1983, and went on to manage Partick Thistle and Albion Rovers, before returning to his first club Celtic briefly as a coach.[9]
Personal life[edit]
Benny Rooney had two children with wife Marion. His son Kevin is an actor,[1][10] whilst his father, Bob, had been physiotherapist at Celtic in the successful Jock Stein managerial era at the club.[1][11]
Rooney’s great-nephew Shaun Rooney is also a footballer. He emulated his great uncle by playing for St Johnstone in the February 2021 Scottish League Cup Final, scoring the only goal of the game;[12] he also scored the winning goal in the 2021 Scottish Cup Final three months later.[13]
Rooney died in July 2023, at the age of 80.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Golden Years: Benny was never far away from the Lisbon Lions, David Walker, Sunday Post, 21 December 2019
- ^ "History". Petershill F.C. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
- ^ Bernard Rooney
- ^ a b Extract from Section 2 of The Rise of the Terrors Archived 19 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Arabest Publishing.
- ^ History - The European campaigns Archived 6 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, St Johnstone official website
- ^ "Chick Young's view". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
- ^ "Andy Ritchie". MortonOnline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
- ^ "Season 93-94 Part 1". The View. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "A striking role is nothing new for this guy". The Herald. 4 July 1997. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ "Ibrox Disaster: Survivors and former players remember stadium horror". Dailly Record. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ St Johnstone hero Shaun Rooney on his family ties to Saints and Celtic sides who squared off in 1969 League Cup final, Eric Nicholson, The Courier, 28 February 2021
- ^ Lindsay, Clive (22 May 2021). "Perth side complete domestic cup double". BBBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ "Benny Rooney Tribute". perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk. St Johnstone FC. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
External links[edit]
- Benny Rooney at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
- Profile at Sons Archive
- 1943 births
- 2023 deaths
- Scottish men's footballers
- Celtic F.C. players
- Dundee United F.C. players
- St Johnstone F.C. players
- Partick Thistle F.C. players
- Greenock Morton F.C. non-playing staff
- Scottish Football League players
- Scottish football managers
- Greenock Morton F.C. managers
- Partick Thistle F.C. managers
- Albion Rovers F.C. managers
- Celtic F.C. non-playing staff
- Scottish Football League managers
- Footballers from Glasgow
- People educated at Our Lady's High School, Motherwell
- Footballers from Cambuslang
- Dumbarton F.C. players
- Cambuslang Rangers F.C. players
- Petershill F.C. players
- Scottish Junior Football Association players
- Men's association football defenders