Like all Junior clubs, the Bens are proud of the players they developed and moved on to Senior clubs. The successful sides of the 1930s saw a notable exodus of Johnstone, Dunlop and Devers to Aberdeen. Tiger Shaw and Ronnie Mackinnon ended up at Ibrox although in Ronnie's case the Bens can't claim a lot of credit, moving him on to Dunipace who provided the stepping stone.
The Bens have also furnished Celtic with some new talent over the years.
The previous Benburb club (see Early History) provided many players for Celtic in the 1890s- the beginning of that decade they were at the peak of the Junior game while Celtic were in their infancy.
Of the Benburb club of today, one of those who made the step up to Parkhead in the 1950s was Mike Jackson.
Born in 1939, he signed for Celtic in 1957 from the Bens but could've become a Busby Babe when he spent two weeks on trial at Man United. Homesick Mike was invited back to Scotland by a telegram from Celtic asking him to play in a match with Dunfermline and he jumped at the chance signing after the game.
He made his debut after Celtic's demolition of Rangers in the League Cup of 1957 and went on to play 74 times for Celtic, scoring 30 goals before moving to St Johnstone in 1963. He was frustrated at his lack of first team action in what was a barren spell for the Parkhead club in the pre-Stein era.
He went on to play for Third Lanark, Drumcondra, Athlone Town, Clyde, Morton, Queen of the South, Clydebank, Hamilton Accies and Benburb again before retiring at the age of 41.
He returned again to Tinto Park for a short spell in a coaching role in 1974.
*the image and information was taken from www.thecelticwiki.com which provides a comprehensive coverage on all things Celtic.
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