| Match Pictures | Matches: 1939 – 1940 | 1939-40 Pictures |
Trivia
- "Man-of-the-match" Chic Geatons on the losing side as Celtic – placed15th in a league of 16 – fail to impress.
- The Glasgow Herald is all about inside-right Peter McKennan's return from England, but the much-vaunted wanderer was second in the scoring to Robert Morrison who had two, Alex Younger had the other.
- General Franco's troops have made a bloodless conquest of the island of Minorca and the Herald editorial writer floats the proposition that this may set the pattern for mainland Spain where, it is opined, resistance to Franco's forces is futile.
- British troops in France holding positions on the Maginot Line are visited by the King.
Review
Teams
PARTICK THISTLE:
Henderson; Curran and Stewart; Elliot, Busby and Husband; Morrison and McKennan; Younger, Douglas and Picken.
Scorers:
Morrison, (2); Younger, McKennan.
CELTIC:
McKay; Hogg and Morrison; Geatons, Lyon and Paterson; Gould and Carruth; Crum, Divers and Murphy.
Scorers:
Carruth, Crum.
Referee:– J Baillie (Motherwell).
Attendance: 3,500
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
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Articles
The Glasgow Herald – December 11, 1939
THE RETURN OF McKENNAN
Celtic Set a Problem
From a Special Correspondent
Partick Thistle, 4; Celtic 2.
Only a few of the 3,500 crowd at Firhill Park knew before the start that McKennan was once more to sport Partick Thistle colours, but all were ready to acknowledge at the end the immense part he had played in this magnificent game in the mud.
It is not exaggerating the case to state that McKennan defeated Celtic, a Celtic who had early in the game suggested that their old brilliance had returned.
For the first half-hour Celtic were in rampant form, making the ball do wonderful things in the sea of mud, and harassing Thistle’s defence into conceding corner-kicks and free-kicks galore – but no goals.
During this period, McKennan, with Paterson always ready to pounce on him, was subdued, and for most part rid himself of the ball as soon as he received it.
INTO HIS OWN
Suddenly the powerful inside-right decided to assume his favourite role – that of the individualist – Paterson started to lose the place, as he sprawled full length in the rear of McKennan’s mazy dribbles, and disintegration of the solid-looking Celtic defence began.
McKennan capped a splendid performance with a goal in the closing minutes.
There was only one Celt who knew how to match McKennan’s trickery – and almost every one of the visitors tried his hand at some time or other.
When Geatons approached the danger-man the dual of wits was invariably won by the half-back. He waited on McKennan and did not allow himself to be provoked into the wild lunges some of his colleagues essayed.
Indeed while McKennan’s solo runs and shots stole the limelight the most accomplished player afield was Geatons. In the second half the veteran half-back was here, there, and everywhere, urging on his forwards, helping fellow defenders. Both Celtic’s goals were “made” by Geatons, the first with a brainy slip to Gould and the second a cunningly placed free kick.
Celtic hardly deserved to lose. McKay should not have conceded the first goal of the game when he allowed a cross from Morrison to slip over his head into the net. The hard-working Carruth equalised 20 minutes later – in the 24th minute of the second half – and a minute later Morrison scored a second goal. Five minutes more and Younger and Crum had scored within minutes of each other, and then came McKennan’s goal from Morrison’s corner kick that brought the house down. Teams –
PARTICK THISTLE –Henderson; Curran and Stewart; Elliot, Busby and Husband; Morrison and McKennan; Younger, Douglas and Picken.
CELTIC; McKay; Hogg and Morrison; Geatons, Lyon and Paterson; Gould and Carruth; Crum, Divers and Murphy.
Referee – J Baillie (Motherwell).