William Kelly

Kilmacow F.C. lost one of the great characters and stalwarts of the Club when Willie Kelly sadly passed away last week.

Willie was a member of the 2nd division double winning side of 1976/’77. He was also a member of the 4th division side the following season of 1977/’78 who also completed the League and Cup double.

Willie was a firm believer that football should always be played on the ground and would definitely have subscribed to the Brian Clough theory that if God wanted football played in the sky he would have put pitches in the clouds.

Therefore ‘hoof it’ and ‘row z’ were phrases that were never in Willie’s vocabulary.

He believed in his ability to play his way out of trouble (wearing his favourite no.10 jersey) and that good play would always set up scoring opportunities for the team.

After all it wasn’t his fault if the strikers were slow to react and get caught offside.

Willie spent almost his entire playing career with Kilmacow F.C. (he had brief spells with Johnville, Crusaders and Granagh) and as a result there are many events and occasions that remain vivid in the mind.

No doubt many of these have been recounted during the past week and will continue to be. He also spent some years looking after schoolboys teams.


The ‘Kilmacow F.C. Notes’ of 7th May 1982 stated that Willie was also known as Gunter (after the German player Gunter Netzer) and Van Beag ( a play on the Belgian player Van Moor).

These were players whose football philosophy Willie could subscribe to.

The Club’s pitch in Kilmacow was officially opened in August 1992 when a Kilmacow All Stars selection played against League of Ireland side Waterford.

Former Waterford players Brian Gardner and the famous Peter Thomas guested for Kilmacow.

One gem from the former Waterford keeper was ‘You’re ball watching Willie’.

As already stated many yarns will have been told over the past week.

Willie’s love of the game meant that he was regularly to be seen at matches and of course he would always have something enlightening to contribute to the discussion that would be taking place.

Alas we won’t be able to benefit from his words of wisdom again. So long Willie and may you rest in peace.

You will be sadly missed.
To Alice, Mary, Eileen and Willie’s other relatives we offer our deepest sympathy.

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.