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Ian McWilliams

1952 – 2004

Scottish footballer

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About Ian McWilliams

Lived 1952 – 2004 (aged 52).

Career McWilliams would initially serve as a police cadet before signing with Queen's Park. In a surprise decision, Celtic would take interest in the footballer and would sign him as a free transfer alongside Roy Kay. He was immediately known for his enormous height at six feet and five inches as he would be recognized as being the tallest British footballer at the time and currently holds the record for being the tallest player to play for Celtic. He would make his debut in a 5–0 victory against Jeunesse Esch during the 1977–78 European Cup. However, the 1977–78 Celtic F.C. season was a difficult time for newcomers for the club as neither McWilliams nor Kay would make much of an impression with the club. This was due to how in the course of his three domestic league appearances with the club, Celtic would earn just a single point with his final one being a 2–0 victory against St Mirren on 16 November 1977.

Following his spell with Celtic, he would travel abroad to play for Hong Kong based club Seiko on 12 August 1978. He found better success over there until he would briefly play for Blackpool as he would win a trial before playing the rest of his career with Rutherglen Glencairn.

Beginning in 1996, McWilliams began suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as he would have an eight-year long battle with the disease before succumbing to it on 3 May 2004.

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Important facts

Birth century
Died

People in Ian McWilliams's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ian McWilliams's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ian McWilliams?

Scottish footballer (1953–2004)

When was Ian McWilliams born?

Ian McWilliams was born on 2 February 1952.

When did Ian McWilliams die?

Ian McWilliams died on 3 May 2004.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ian McWilliams

· Wikidata: Q133544830

· DBpedia: Ian McWilliams

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ian McWilliams. https://biography.guide/ian-mcwilliams/

MLA: "Ian McWilliams." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ian-mcwilliams/.

Chicago: "Ian McWilliams." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ian-mcwilliams/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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