For decades, George Connelly has occupied a unique place in Celtic folklore.
To some, he was the great enigma. To others, he was one of the finest footballers they ever saw in green and white. But for filmmaker Ged Fitzsimmons, the story of George Connelly is not one Celtic supporters should look back on with regret. It is one they now have the chance to celebrate properly.
Speaking exclusively to CeltsAreHere about his upcoming documentary on the Celtic great, Fitzsimmons made it clear that this project is about much more than simply revisiting a remarkable football career. It is about giving Connelly the recognition his service deserved, but circumstances denied him at the time.
“George was at Celtic for around 10 or 11 years and was on the cusp of a testimonial,” Fitzsimmons explained. “Because of his own misfortunes and difficulties, he was deprived of that testimonial.”
That, in many ways, is the heart of the film.
Connelly’s Celtic career was not ordinary. Far from it. He won seven league titles, five Scottish Cups and three League Cups. He played in a European Cup final. He was part of the side that took on Leeds United in 1970, a team widely regarded south of the border as the best around, and helped Celtic prove otherwise.
Yet the story has too often been framed around what might have been. Fitzsimmons is trying to shift that completely.
“The film being by the fans, for the fans, is crucially important,” he said. “My call to Celtic fans the world over is this: we now have the power and the potential to do something absolutely incredible. We have the power to do something extraordinary. We can give George his testimonial.
“It just won’t be in a football stadium or on a football park. It’ll be in a cinema.”
That line says everything. This is not about pity. It is not about rewriting history. It is about giving one of Celtic’s great figures a moment of warmth, love and recognition while he is here to receive it.
Supporters can back the project through the official Crowdfunder page, with the team looking to raise a minimum of £50,000 to get the film completed and a maximum target of £125,000 to deliver it to the highest possible standard.
This will be a truly independent film, with no BBC or broadcaster involvement. As the team puts it, it is “a film by the fans, for the fans.“
Fitzsimmons was also keen to stress that the idea of a testimonial should not be misunderstood as a financial appeal for Connelly.
“When I say testimonial, I don’t mean a big payday,” he said. “I need to be totally clear about that. We’re not doing a crowdfunder to pay George. George will be paid in the making of this film, but the crowdfunder won’t do that.”
Instead, the crowdfunder is aimed at finishing the film and elevating its quality. Fitzsimmons explained that £50,000 would allow the film to be completed, while higher targets would help secure archive material, fund a cinematic score from Barry McKenna of Twin Atlantic, and support the post-production work needed to do the story justice.
“I’ve always been transparent about this as well,” he added. “Not a single penny from the crowdfunder will go into my pocket or into the production company’s coffers. All of that money gets spent on the product. It gets spent on stuff that will elevate the quality of the film.”
For Celtic supporters, that matters. This is not a glossy outside production parachuting in to tell a sanitised story. It is a fan-backed tribute to a player whose name still carries meaning across generations.
Fitzsimmons described Connelly as “a gentleman and a Celtic hero”, but also revealed the emotional weight carried by the player himself. Despite the affection supporters still hold for him, Connelly feared the opposite.
“George always thought the fans would hate him,” Fitzsimmons said. “He thought they would reject him or turn their back on him because he did so many disappearing acts, because he feels he turned his back on them.
“Obviously, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fans adore George.”
That is why this documentary lands with such force. It is not just another Celtic history piece. It is a chance for supporters to say, clearly and collectively, that Connelly was never forgotten.
Fitzsimmons also wants the film to challenge the tired idea that George Connelly’s career should only be viewed through the lens of absence. He achieved more in a shortened career than most players could dream of across a full one. The sadness is part of the story, of course, but it is not the story.
The filmmaker’s ambition is for the documentary to build towards a powerful moment of reconnection. He described plans for Connelly to confront different versions of himself, the schoolboy talent, the iconic footballer, and the man in crisis, before emerging at Celtic Park in the present day to be reunited with the fans.
It is clear Fitzsimmons sees that as the emotional destination of the film.
A player who feared rejection being met instead with love. A career too often discussed in hushed tones being celebrated out loud. A testimonial denied by circumstance finally delivered by the people who never stopped caring.
For Celtic fans, this is the chance to do right by George Connelly.
Not with pity. Not with nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.
But with recognition.
And after everything he gave Celtic, that feels long overdue.
The campaign is now live, with supporters able to watch the trailer and back the project through the official Crowdfunder page. The team are looking to raise a minimum of £50,000 to complete the film, with a maximum goal of £125,000 to help deliver it to the highest possible standard.
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