Actor and director Peter Mullan has signed on as executive producer for a new feature-length documentary exploring the life and sudden disappearance of Celtic icon George Connelly.
The film, titled George Connelly: Far From The Madding Crowd, has been seven years in the making and follows the rise, fall and re-emergence of a footballer once seen as one of Europe’s finest.
George had no trouble picking up trophies in his heyday. (Image: Marsh PR)
Connelly, who was a member of Celtic’s famed Quality Street Gang, seen as natural successors to the Lisbon Lions, walked away from the game in 1975 at the height of his career.
Mullan said: “George Connelly’s story is a powerful and poignant reflection on talent, vulnerability and the cost of fame.
“It’s a story that deserves to be told with honesty and heart, and I am honoured to support a film that shines a light on a man who has remained a mystery to so many people for so long.”
The documentary features personal video diaries, unprecedented access to Connelly and his family, rare archive footage and interviews with Celtic legends including Jim Craig, Lou Macari and Davie Hay.
41 years after his disappearance, George is back to tell his story. (Image: Marsh PR)
Director Ged Fitzsimmons began the project after finding Connelly living quietly in Clackmannan.
He said: “When I first started this project, my priority was to challenge the narrative about George and instead celebrate him as an incredible success story, not just a career that was mysteriously cut short.
“Over 15 or 20 years, 99% of footballers do not achieve 1% of what George did in less than half of that time.
“But George’s story goes far beyond football. It is a story about genius, pressure, masculinity, mental illness, addiction, and redemption.
“It is also about the unseen victims of these crises; the immediate family. For decades people have wondered what happened to George. This film finally gives him the opportunity to answer that question in his own words.”
the film is currently in production, with release slated for 2027, to help complete the film, the team has launched a public crowdfunding campaign backed by Creative Scotland.
Eligible donations of up to £250 per supporter will be matched by Creative Scotland, up to a total of £10,000.
You can donate to the campaign here.
And see the film’s trailer here.