Footballer
Born: October 28, 1935;
Died: October 10, 2016
EDDIE O’Hara, who has died aged 80, was a footballer who played as an outside left in Falkirk’s cup-winning squad in 1957. His death, only days after that of his fellow Falkirk player Jimmy McIntosh, means there are now only two survivors of the famous team.
O’Hara will be fondly remembered by all Falkirk fans as the mercurial winger who played a huge role in the famous cup run. He was one of several promising youngsters signed by manager Bob Shankly as he tried to find a blend of experience and youth.
O’Hara’s footballing ability was obvious early on when he was selected to play for Scotland Schoolboys. He had caught the eye of the coaches while at Shettleston, and several senior clubs were on the trail of the speedy youngster.
He joined up at Brockville and there was fierce competition for the wide berths with O’Hara, Willie Sinclair and Tommy Murray all in contention for a first team place. The Scotland Under 23 selectors were often seen at Falkirk games and it came as no surprise when no fewer than four were selected in the squad to face Holland at Tynecastle on October 23rd 1957. They were Alex Parker, Jimmy McIntosh, Bert Slater (Reserve) and Eddie O’Hara.
The young Scots won 4-1 and O’Hara was impressive at that level. He earned two further honours at under-23 level, against England at Goodison in a 3-1 defeat, and finally in Amsterdam, where the Dutch won 2-1. It cannot be a coincidence that some of that Scotland side ended up as Everton signings and goalscorer Alex Young, Alex Parker, Alex Scott and Eddie O’Hara all moved to the Merseyside club not long afterwards.
Falkirk fans knew that the club would lose the talented Parker sooner rather than later, but few could have predicted that O’Hara would be part of that transfer double deal. The fee received was £18,000 - a pittance compared to today’s inflated fees.
O’Hara found the challenge at Goodison a tough one, but made 29 league starts for The Toffees before moving to Rotherham where he stayed until 1961.
He returned to Scotland and played a season with Morton before returning south to end his UK career at Barnsley. He gave good service at Oakwell, playing on either wing and scoring 36 league goals in a career of 127 matches.
He then emigrated to South Africa and played in the National Football League during the Apartheid era. The 1960s and 1970s saw the NFL become a chance for a final pay-day for British players reaching the end of their careers. Many stars would come to South Africa in the close season and guest for clubs. FIFA had banned clubs, but not individual players, from playing in South Africa.
O’Hara was flown over from South Africa by the Falkirk Senior Bairns to attend the 50th anniversary dinner for the surviving cup-winners in 2007, and was able to renew friendships with his old team-mates. He was a lively character and a great player for Falkirk.
MICHAEL WHITE
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