| Matches: 1891 1892 | 1887-1900 | League Tables: 1891-92 | Forum |
Celtic Games 1891 – Clyde
Trivia
- Played at Barrowfield Park.
- Before 10,000 Spectators.
- Willie Maley played in place of Gallagher who was lame.
Review
The Scotsman – Monday, 31st August 1891, page 5
Clyde v Celtic – This league match was played on Barrowfield Park before an enormous attendance. From the kick-off the pace was tremendous, the players showing considerable excitement, as did the spectators. The play on both sides was of a high order, the Clyde front rank excelling for choice, though the Celtic succeeded in scoring the first goal after ten minutes’ play through McCallum. Play swayed swiftly from end to end, thought the pace was beginning to tell, and the Celtic were having slightly the best of it, Madden and McCallum sending shot after shot without effect. However, a magnificent piece of work by the Celts nearly brought disaster a second time to the Clyde. Every inch of ground was still being hotly contested, and each custodian kept on the alert. Towards half-time the Clyde made a dangerous raid on the Celts without effect, and then the Celtic scored a couple. Half-time :- Celts, three goals; Clyde, nil. The second half began in a very slow fashion, neither exerting themselves much. At the end of ten minutes the scoring began again, Clyde scoring from a free kick thirty yards out, and a minute later they added a second goal from a long dropping shot. The Celts now played up desperately, and five minutes only had gone when McMahon put on their fourth point. McMahon was the hero of the game. He had two of the goals in the first half, McCallum having the other. The form of the Celts’ first rank was now superb, and the Clyde were seldom allowed to get away. McMahon succeeded in scoring a fifth goal, after the Celts had been pressing for a long time with the worst of luck. McCallum then added No. 6 and kept incessantly near Clyde’s fortress till the final. Brady scored the seventh. Result :- Celtic, seven goals; Clyde, two goals.
Teams
Clyde:-
Fortune, A Sawers, Maxwell, Paterson, Bowie, Buist, McIntosh, Harvey, W Sawers, McInnes, Lambie.
Goals:- Maxwell, Lambie.
Celtic:-
Duff, Reynolds, Doyle, Maley, Kelly, Dowds, McCallum, Madden, Brady, Campbell, McMahon.
Goals:- McCallum 10, McMahon 40, McMahon 42, McMahon 60, McMahon, McCallum, Brady
Att:- 10,000.
Ref:- Mr Bishop.
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
- Match Pictures
From a newspaper report at the time
Brady kicked off for the Celtic, who burst away at the very outset, the ball, however, passing the post. the Clyde retaliated with a very spirited attack, relieved by a huge kick by Reynolds. Runs and counter runs followed in rapid succession, the pace being exceedingly fast, and raising the excitement of the spectators to fever heat.
Campbell and McMahon were loudly cheered for one of their electrifying runs along the left, but they were well watched by Sawers. The Clyde men were playing all they knew, and twice McIntosh had hard lines in not scoring.
Neil McCallum, who was figuring exceedingly well on the right, scored the first goal for the Celts after ten minutes' play. It was a rather easily taken goal, Fortune bungling the ball as he touched it and allowed it to slip through. A minute or two afterwards McCallum nearly scored again.
For a long time the Celtic held the upper hand, but the defence of the Clyde was exceedingly good and steady, and time after time the determined runs of the Celtic forwards were broken up. McIntosh and Harvey instituted several grand runs for the Clyde, but they were not properly taken advantage of, and all their efforts so far were useless.
McCallum again scored after 25 minutes' from a pass by Brady, but he was clearly offside, and the point was promptly disallowed by Mr Bishop. McCallum had another try for goal, but this time he was very wide of the mark. The Celts had one or two splendid combined runs, and from one of these Fortune had to fist out, but he had plenty of time, and there was really no danger.
McIntosh and Harvey never relaxed their efforts for the Clyde, and many severe tussles were witnessed between that couple and Dowds and Doyle on the other side. from one of these the Celts had to concede a corner kick, but Doyle headed the ball away, and finding it's way to McMahon, that player, single handed, had the run of the day, fairly running round his opponents until at length the ball was run over the line.
Occasionally the Clyde forwards would break away with a good combined run, but the defence was too good for them, and they were never allowed to get within proper shooting distance. McInnes tried a long high shot but it went far over the bar.
On the other hand, the Celts were almost continuously in front of the Clyde goal, and McMahon, who had been working hard for an opening, at length found one, and with a quick low shot, which Fortune could not reach, scored the second goal for his side after 40 minutes' play. The Celts were now fairly to it, and Fortune and his backs were kept exceedingly active defending their charge.
A minute or two later, from a grand pass across the goalmouth, McMahon ran in and smartly headed through the third goal.
At half-time the score was – Celtic, 3 goals; Clyde, nil.
On restarting, Brady, from a pass by McCallum, sent in a swift high shot, which just grazed the crossbar, but many thought the ball had gone through. Harvey and McIntosh had a very clever run for the Clyde, the latter passing the ball across the goalmouth, but his pass was missed by Sawers.
At length success came to the Clyde. A foul was given against the Celts about midfield, and Maxwell, with a long, well-judged kick, sent the ball through. A second or two after this the Clyde scored the second goal amidst a scene of the greatest enthusiasm, a long kick by one of the half-backs taking effect while Lambie attended to Duff.
The Celts wakened up a bit at this unexpected reverse, and McMahon forced a corner kick, which came to nothing. the Clyde played with renewed vigour, and Reynolds had to kick out to save their onward progress.
A quarter of an hour after restarting McMahon scored the fourth goal off Campbell, the result of some clever manoeuvring between Brady and that couple in front of Fortune. Some beautiful passing by the Celtic forwards, and splendid backing up by the half-backs, fairly aroused the spectators. Campbell and Brady made some terrible mistakes in front of goal, being too keen to score. The Clyde were seldom in it now, but an effort of W Sawers deserved better success. He outwitted Kelly and shot for goal, the ball just passing outside the post.
The Celts again had the ball through, but offside was given against them.
The Celts' forward play was simply irresistible, and McMahon scored the fifth goal, Fortune having run out and got hustled.
McCallum scored the sixth and Brady the seventh goal for the Celts, who were now simply playing with the Clyde.
Celtic, 7 goals; Clyde, 2 goals.
Stats
All the League clubs were engaged on Saturday for the first time since the opening of the season. Though the afternoon was in many places showery, the game was not interfered with to any extent. The Heart of Midlothian accomplished a brilliant performance by defeating Dumbarton by three goals to one, thus placing themselves at the head of the championship.
| Teams | Played | Won | Lost | Drew | For | Ag | Pts |
| Hearts | 3 | 3 | – | – | 11 | 4 | 6 |
| Dumbarton | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| Celtic | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 11 | 2 | 4 |
| Renton | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Cambuslang | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Leith Athletic | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Rangers | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 6 | 7 | 2 |
| Clyde | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 12 | 8 | 2 |
| Third Lanark | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Abercorn | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| St Mirren | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| Vale of Leven | 2 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 14 | 0 |