| John Fitzsimons | |
| Fullname: | John Thomas Fitzsimons |
| Position: | Outside left |
| Birth Date: | 3 March 1915 |
| Birth Place: | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Death Place: | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Youthclubs1: | St Joseph's College |
| Clubs1: | St Roch's |
| Years2: | 1934–1938 |
| Clubs2: | Celtic |
| Caps2: | 5 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 1938–1941 |
| Clubs3: | Alloa Athletic |
| Caps3: | 28 |
| Goals3: | 22 |
| Years4: | 1941–1942 |
| Clubs4: | Clyde |
| Caps4: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 1942–1946 |
| Clubs5: | Falkirk |
| Caps5: | 15 |
| Goals5: | 6 |
| Years6: | 1946–1947 |
| Clubs6: | Hamilton Academical |
| Caps6: | 11 |
| Goals6: | 3 |
| Years7: | 1947–1948 |
| Clubs7: | Clyde |
| Caps7: | 21 |
| Goals7: | 7 |
| Totalcaps: | 80 |
| Totalgoals: | 38 |
John Thomas Fitzsimons (3 March 1915 – 3 September 1995) was a Scottish footballer who played as an outside left, and a medical doctor who acted as Celtic F.C.'s club physician for 34 years, also working for the Scotland national football team in the role.[1]
He began his senior football career at Celtic in 1934, also training for his medical qualifications at the Anderson College of Medicine[2] (then associated with the University of Glasgow but today an integral part of the University of Strathclyde). Due in part to his educational commitments he was only a fringe player at the Hoops (five Scottish Division One appearances in four seasons),[3] and transferred to lower division Alloa Athletic in 1938.[4] During World War II when the usual competitions were suspended for seven years, he switched to Clyde then Falkirk,[5] where he made over 150 appearances in total, played on the losing side in the 1943 Southern League Cup final[6] [7] [8] and was still with the Bairns when official competitions resumed in 1946,[9] though by the end of that year he had signed for Hamilton Academical,[10] soon making a return to Clyde before retiring from playing in 1948.[11]
In his medical career, Fitzsimons worked at Belvidere Hospital (Parkhead) then as a GP in his native Glasgow.[12] In 1953 he was appointed as Celtic's club doctor, a position he held until 1987 spanning the highly successful period under manager Jock Stein. He had a similar occasional role with the Scottish international squad from 1970 to 1982, accompanying them to three FIFA World Cup finals tournaments.[1] He was made a Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester by Pope Paul VI in 1976 for his commitment to the local Lourdes Hospitalité pilgrimage foundation.[13] [14]