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Fullname: Joseph Dodds
aka: Joe Dodds
Born: 14 July 1887
Birthplace: Carluke (Lanarkshire), Scotland
Died: 14 Oct 1965
Signed: May 1908, & again in 1921
Position: Defender
Internationals: Scotland / Scottish League
International Caps: 3 caps / 8

Biog

Carluke-born Joe Dodds was the second of eleven children born to Joe Dodds Snr and his wife Margaret. He went to school with the highly lauded hero Willie Angus VC DCM who was also on Celtic's books at one point.

He played 378 games for Celtic in two spells at Parkhead and is regarded as one of the best defenders the club has ever produced.

The lightening quick left-back signed for the Bhoys from Carluke Milton Rovers in May 1908 and within a year found himself a mainstay in the Hoops starting line-up. He went on to form a fine defensive partnership with Alec McNair as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football.

Swift and athletic Dodds was also comfortable at centre-half and his fellow defenders knew that few, if any forwards, could match the pace and reflexes of Dodds. Never afraid to venture forward Joe possessed a tremendous shot and his powerful free-kicks were always a threat to the opposition goal. The Celtic defence was renowned to be possibly the best in the UK at the time.

Celtic historians say they can find no account of when Dodds had ever had a bad game! However, World War One intervened and lost him valuable years of service for club, but he served his colleagues on the front line in France in the Royal Field Artillery (which included a role as a driver).

According to legendary Celtic manager Willie Maley:
"Shaw, McNair and Dodds understood one another so well that they developed the pass-back into a scientific move of which there have been many imitators but none to equal the originators. It was indeed a spectacle to see either McNair or Dodds passing, with unerring accuracy and cheeky coolness, the ball to Shaw two yards away, with the opposing forwards almost on top of them. That was their method of getting out of a corner, which in all probability would otherwise have been fatal." (Weekly News 25 July 1936)

His fine form was not missed by the SFA, who awarded him 3 full international caps for Scotland which included a 3-1 win over England, and two draws v Wales (0-0) and N Ireland (1-1).

Between 1908 and 1920 he collected seven league titles and three Scottish Cup winners medals. However Celtic fans felt it was a great injustice that such a talent only picked up three Scotland caps. Dodds left Celtic for Cowdenbeath in 1920 (as they were offering him more money) but returned for a final season a year later which ended early (Aug 1922) after a dispute over money on a benefit match which is said to have been offerred to him by the management.

It wasn't the last we saw of Joe Dodds, as in 1936 he returned to Celtic as an assistant trainer. Celtic was too much of a part of him to be away forever.

Joe passed away in 1965, a much missed man by all.

Quotes

"Need I say more about Dodds than that when he was playing in front of me, I never once had to come out for a cross-ball."
Jimmy Brownlie, legendary Scottish international keeper



"There is a full-back playing football whom everybody knows
He partners gentleman McNair, the essence of repose
He plays a clean and clever game and never fears a foe
So the best way to describe him is to call him Fearless Joe"
(from Alphabet of the Celts)

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

League Championship medals

• 1908-09,
  
• 1909-10,
• 1913-14,
• 1914-15,
• 1915-16,
• 1916-17,
• 1918-19,
• 1921-22

Scottish Cup winners medals

• 1911,
  
• 1912,
  
• 1914

Pictures

• Player Pics

Links

• World War One