| Match | 1931 Pictures | 1931 – 1932 | Year By Year Pictures | Picture Library |
Trivia
- This is the last game Peter Scarff would play for Celtic. He complained of feeling unwell after the game and coughed up blood. As a result he was taken into a sanatorium but never regained his health and died on 9 December 1933.
- After a draw at Aberdeen the previous week, Rangers were defeated at Dundee on Saturday. There were six goals in the game, and the Rangers had two of them. Dundee's centre-forward, David Balfour, had a "hat-trick" for the second week in succession. The lbrox club lost a lot of ground in the League competition, for both Motherwell and the Celtic kept on their victorious ways. Celtic's talasmanic leader McGrory had four goals, Bertie Thomson one and Charlie "Happy Feet" Napier who scored and then entertained the crowd with his dribbling skills in the later stages of the game.
- In England, Arsenal by beating Middlesbrough 5-1 gained ground as the two leaders faltered; Everton lost, and West Brom drew on hard pitches in fog. Newcastle United actually took the lead four times before at home they managed to master Sheffield United by five goals to three. In one of the best games seen at Newcastle there was scarcely anything to choose between the sides, and as the match progressed and the Sheffield team fought back with such success, the excitement of the 25,000 spectators became intense. It was not until just on time that the home club appeared certain of victory.
- An outbreak of fire early on Saturday morning in Cardowan Colliery, Stepps, near, Glasgow, followed by an explosion which resulted in two men being removed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary suffering from various injuries. When the fire was discovered, the two men were detailed off to build a brick wall at the affected part as a precautionary measure against the flames spreading to other parts of the workings and it was while this work was being carried out that the explosion took place. 850 men have been laid off as the colliery is unworkable. One miner was killed in a roof fall at the Whistleberry Colliery, Blantyre.
- 2017: Programme for this match in 1931/32 sold at auction for £500 in Feb 2017.
Review
Teams
CELTIC:
Kennaway, Morrison, McGonagle, Wilson, McStay, Scarff, R. Thomson, A. Thomson, McGrory, Napier, Solis.
Scorers:
R. Thomson, McGrory, (4); Napier.
LEITH ATHLETIC:
Todd, Allan, Forrest, McNeil, Bruce, Crawford, Laidlaw, Marshall, Nicol, Johnston, McWilliams.
Scorers:
Referee: H. Morrison (Falkirk).
Attendance: 3,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
The Scotsman – Monday, 21st December 1931, page 5
CELTIC'S BIG SCORE
The Celtic beat Leith Athletic by six goals at Parkhead, Glasgow, and did it without going all out.
They had Morrison for Cook at back, Scarff at left half, and the left wing was made up of Napier and Solis. They had the side who beat the Airdrieonians easily, and they had even less trouble with the Leith opposition.
The pace was an easy one all through, and because of that the Athletic had spells of aggressive work. Indeed, in the first quarter of an hour Kennaway did more saving than Todd, though nothing really dangerous in the way of shots were sent in to him.
A faulty pass-back by Allan, Leith Athletic's right back, let R. Thomson in for the Celtic's first goal. Allan next gave away a "penalty." Todd stopped Napier's drive, and also cleared when the same player followed up and tried again.
Then McGrory came with two goals before the interval.
The Celtic dominated the second half. McGrory soon added his side's fourth goal and his own third in quick succession.
Then there followed another goal by McGrory and one by Napier, who in the late stages of the game amused the 5,000 spectators by the ease with which he could beat the defence when dribbling.
