Sean Fallon (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Sean Fallon
fullname =
nickname = "The Iron Man" and "Man of Iron"
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1922|7|31
cityofbirth = Sligo, County Sligo
countryofbirth = Ireland flagicon|Ireland
position = Centre-half, Full back, Manager
years = 1946 1947 1947-1949 1949-1950 1950-1958
clubs = Longford Town Sligo Distillery Sligo Rovers Glenavon Celtic
caps(goals) = ? (?) ? (?) ? (?) ? (?) ? (?)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = Republic of Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 8 (0)
manageryears = 1962-1975
1975
1980-1981
managerclubs = Celtic (Asst. Manager)
Celtic (Acting Manager)
Dumbarton

Sean Fallon (b. 31 July, 1922) is an Irish former professional football player, who was a member of the famous Lisbon Lions of 1967.

Born in Sligo, Republic of Ireland, Sean Fallon played for Celtic F.C. and became a legend at the club during his playing days from 1950 to 1958, playing as a full-back and centre forward. He made 254 appearances, scoring 14 goals. He also earned 8 international caps with the Republic of Ireland.

Sean Fallon started his football career with St. Mary's Juniors and also played Gaelic football for Craobh Ruadh. He also played for McArthurs, Sligo Distillery and Longford Town before he arrived at the Showgrounds in 1947 to play for Sligo Rovers. He then joined Glenavon in the north before impressing Celtic F.C. with his performance for the Irish League against the League of Ireland.

Sean Fallon's love affair with Celtic started when the son of the Celtic legend Jimmy McMenemy saved Fallon's sister, Lilly, from drowning at Lough Gill. Fallon invited Joe McMenemy back to his house and the Scot returned the compliment by sending Sean presents of a Celtic shirt and Willy Maley's book "The Story of the Celtic". He realised his ambition when he made his league debut for Celtic, away to Clyde, in the last game of the 1949-50 season.

Within a year he had helped the team win the Scottish Cup, beating Motherwell, 1-0.

Fallon said later: "As I walked off Hampden Park I felt I had got everything out of life I had ever wanted. I had become a member of the famous Celtic F.C. and holder of a Scottish Cup badge all in one year."

Two years later Sean would also have a cup final goal to celebrate as he scored in the Scottish Cup Final as Celtic went on to defeat Aberdeen

The 1950s were a barren period for Celtic F.C., with two major triumphs providing rare moments of joy for the long-suffering support.

The first was the Double of 1953-54. Fallon suffered a broken collarbone against Hearts in October which kept him out for most of the season. In the days before substitutes were allowed he left the pitch for twenty minutes only to return with his arm in a sling and continued playing. The captaincy of the side, which had passed to him in 1952, was taken over by Jock Stein.

Fallon was back to full fitness for another momentous occasion in Celtic's history - the League Cup final victory in 1957, when Celtic beat Rangers 7-1 at Hampden Park. The match has since become known as "Hampden in the sun".

Sean Fallon's performances in a Celtic jersey earned him the nickname of "The Iron Man".

Fallon was forced to retire in 1958 through injury but his influence and importance at the club continued. He became assistant to Jock Stein when Stein took up the post of manager in 1965. When Jock Stein survived a near-fatal car crash in 1975, Fallon took over as caretaker manager.

He was an integral part of Celtic's success under Jock Stein, when he was the manager's right-hand man and his powers of persuasion were often called upon to secure the signatures of promising young players who would go on to become Celtic legends - David Hay, Danny McGrain, Kenny Dalglish, and Packie Bonner among others.

He once assessed his own talents as a player by saying -"I was just an ordinary player with a big heart and a fighting spirit to recommend me."

Fallon is the only living member of both the Lisbon Lions (were he was the assistant manager) and the team that beat Rangers 7-1.

External links

* [http://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1330&id=1921292005 Fallon's memories of Jock Stein]
* [http://www.sligoweekender.ie/news/story.asp?j=15921 Memories of Celtic]