Kivilichan Willie Image 1 Glasgow Celtic 1908

Galashiels, Borders born outside right Willie Kivilichan was an amateur footballer who qualified as a medical doctor and began his football career with Dumfries St Joseph’s in 1902, playing for Maxwelltown Juniors in 1903 and Dumfries in 1904 before joining Glasgow Rangers while studying medicine at Glasgow University, for whom he made his Scottish League debut against Motherwell in November 1905, scoring 7 goals in 20 matches over two seasons for The Gers before a move across Glasgow to join Celtic in an exchange deal involving fellow forward Alec Bennett.

He spent four seasons with The Bhoys, winning three Scottish League titles, a Glasgow Cup in 1909 and the Scottish Cup in 1908 and 1911. He also represented The Scottish League XI three times in 1909 and 1910 while at Celtic, and came into consideration for a full cap for Scotland when he played in the Home Scots v Anglo-Scots trial match of 1910, although he wasn’t eventually selected for Scotland,

After 22 goals in 92 matches for Celtic he joined Second Division club Bradford Park Avenue in April 1911, making his Football League debut at Birmingham that September. He helped The Avenue to promotion as Second Division runners up in 1914 and played his last 6 matches in the top flight in the spring of 1915 before the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football, by when he had scored 5 goals in 96 matches,

During the war, Kivlichan served as a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to the King’s African Rifles. After he qualified in medicine from the University of Glasgow, and played for Queen of the South in 1920. Having finished his playing career, Kivlichan became the Celtic team doctor. He was by the side of John Thomson as the young goalkeeper died from an injury sustained in an Old Firm match on 5th September 1931.