The Celtic legend who managed Leicester City and nearly won the league
Close Call: Celtic Great Managed Leicester City
Taking another peek into The Celtic Star's collection of old articles to uncover another interesting tale from the legendary Celtic Historian David Potter...
Adams, McNair, and Orr were the core of an exceptional Celtic team, with Orr serving as their captain and guiding force. Surprisingly, Orr doesn't receive as much recognition as the other players from that team.
Additionally, he was a fantastic leader, and some may argue that he would have excelled as an Assistant Manager and potential future replacement for Willie Maley. He was smart, diligent, and completely devoted to the team's goals. However, even though he played as a left back (a position that some may view as unremarkable, although players like Dan Doyle and Tommy Gemmell may disagree), he has not received much recognition from those who write about the team's history.
He was born in 1873 and previously played for Airdrie. He joined Preston North End in 1897 and then became one of Maley's early recruits in the summer of that same year.
He mostly played as a left midfielder back then, but he made significant contributions to Celtic's League victory in 1898. He was able to fit in seamlessly, whether playing as a left midfielder or a right midfielder, alongside strong players like Sandy McMahon and Dan Doyle.
In the 1898/99 season, he did not do as well and for some unknown reason did not make it to the Scottish Cup final that year. However, he played a major part in the team's victory in the 1900 Scottish Cup by showing his cleverness in playing against the wind by holding onto the ball and passing it along the ground only when necessary. This led to him winning his first Scottish Cup medal.
He played for Scotland three times but never against England.
One of Maley's smart choices in 1904 was picking Orr as the captain and putting him at left back. This decision led to the powerhouse half back line of Young, Loney, and Hay working together.
Orr Led Celtic To Three League Titles. 1907 Cup Final Also Important
Initially, Orr played a crucial role in the first Scottish League and Cup double. His successful penalty kick in the Scottish Cup final not only secured victory for Celtic but also shaped the future of Scottish football. This momentous achievement propelled Celtic to sustained success while condemning Hearts to decades of mediocrity. The long-lasting inferiority complex towards Celtic still lingers among Hearts fans to this day.
The 1907 Scottish Cup final marked the near conclusion of Orr's successful time with Celtic, as he was soon replaced by the younger and quicker Jamie Weir, who was 14 years his junior! At the age of 34, Orr gracefully accepted this change, retired, and took a break from football for some time.
He got back into working with Airdrie, a team he had been a part of before, and later on we find him leading the team as the Manager. He had great success with players such as Hughie Gallacher and Bob McPhail, and in 1924, Airdrie managed to win the Scottish Cup, which remains the only major trophy they have ever won!
Orr could have led Airdrie to greater success, but in the 1920s, his talented players were sold to other teams, and he left to become the Manager of Leicester City. He found success there, especially with Scottish players like John “Tokey” Duncan from Raith Rovers. They finished in second place in the English League in 1929, narrowly losing to Sheffield Wednesday by just one point.
Manager's Fall From Grace In 1930s Scotland
Orr maintained his innocence and was backed by various parties, including Falkirk and Leicester City. Surprisingly, Celtic did not show support, despite the possible influence of Willie Maley. What can we infer from this?
Orr did not go back to playing football, even after he was allowed to return two years later. Instead, he took on the role of Manager at W.Alexander's Bus depot in Crieff for some time before retiring. He passed away in Airdrie in February 1946.
He was 72 years old, a powerful soccer player and a highly skilled Celt who was not given enough credit.
The Leicester City football club honored former Celtic player Willie Orr on their official website with a special tribute written by their Club Historian, John Hutchinson. Click here to read more.
