| Matches: 1896 1897 | 1887-1900 | League Tables: 1896-97 |
Trivia
- Scottish Cup First Round, Second Stage Tie
- Played at Dunterlie Park, Barrhead
- Due to accidents, suspensions and a strike, Celtic played with seven first team players and four reserves.
- Pat Farrell was pulled in to help make up numbers for Celtic, and played his one and only match for Celtic. He would later win an international cap for Ireland (IFA).
- Junior club Arthurlie, had played the role of underdogs to perfection, narrowing the pitch and sending out the team to get “stuck-in”, it worked, and Celtic were humiliatingly out.
- Celtic were equal top of the Scottish League and Arthurlie were bottom of the Renfrewshire Combination. In fact, Arthurlie had left the Scottish Alliance by then (it was on its last legs) and were in the Renfrewshire Combination that season. They finished bottom, and the week after beating Celtic they lost at home to Kilbarchan!
- Possibly Celtic’s worst result ever? There are a bunch of others that can challenge this but even after well over 100 years this result still stands out. Is it the worst result in Scottish Cup history? Well, respected Scottish football historian Andy Mitchell argues it possibly is, but Darvel’s victory over Aberdeen (2023) and Berwick Rangers victory over Rangers (1967) are likely contenders for that unwanted wooden spoon too!
Review
The Celtic defeat created a feeling of consternation in city football circles, but after all, to those who know the crippled condition of the Parkhead team, combined with the peculiarities of the ground they had to play on at Barrhead, the defeat is easily explained.
From various causes, over which the executive had no control, the Celtic had only seven regular players in the team, and their opponents, knowing this, played with a confidence which carried them to victory.
Almost from the start there was really no doubt about the result, and the four to two goal victory just represents the general run of play. The Celtic committee are certainly to be sympathised with, for, what with accidents to and suspension of players, they found themselves utterly unable to get a decent team together.
However, must say congratulations to Arthurlie. A day in their history still celebrated to this day.
Teams
Arthurlie: –
Airston, Smith, Hirst, Miller, Tennant, Boyd, Hannigan, Tait, Ovens, Speir, McGregor.
Goals:-
Hannigan 3, McGregor.
Celtic:-
Cullen, J King, Crossan, Farrell, Kelly, A King, Morrison, Blessington, McIlveney, Henderson, Ferguson.
Goals:- McIlveney, Ferguson.
Att:
Ref:- Mr Hendry, Glasgow.
Articles
- Match Report (See Below)
Pictures
- Match Pictures
From newspaper reports from the time.
Report 1
At Barrhead, The Arthutlie team was the strongest that could be produced, while that of the Celtic was composed of seven first-eleven players and four reserves. The home team kicked off, and for a little the Celtic looked rather dangerous; but the pressure being relieved, the Arthurlie had then a good run up the field, and Hannigan placed the ball between the uprights amidst great cheering.
The Celtic then succeeded in breaking away, and after a brilliant rundown the Arthurlie goal the home custodian cleverly stopped a well-directed ball from going through. Celtic, continuing to press their opponents hard, next succeeded in putting on an equalising point, which was loudly cheered by their followers.
Again assuming the aggressive, the strangers made a hot attack on the Arthurlie goal, but the danger was soon averted, and after some give-and-take play in midfield the Arthurlie had a look in at the Celtic goal, and Hannigan again sent the ball through, giving Arthurlie again the lead.
On resumption of the second half of the game, the Arthurlie continued to show their supremacy, and within 20 minutes succeeded in increasing their previous score by another 2 goals.
Nothing daunted, the Celtic played up most determinedly, and were ultimately rewarded with a goal just a few minutes from the finish.
In the remaining few minutes the game was stubbornly fought, but no further scoring was made on either side, the game, which was one of the hardest ever played at Barrhead, ending in the defeat of the Celtic by four goals to 2 goals.
Report 2
This game in the second stage of the Scottish Cup competition was played on Dunterlie Park, Barrhead, before a large crowd of local enthusiasts.
Celtic won the toss, and kicked off downhill, but against a strong sun. Hannigan opened the local account twelve minutes after the start amidst loud cheers.
Arthurlie pressed strongly, but Ferguson, with a fine run, relieved the pressure. McIllveney however, shot right at Airston, and Kelly, on the rebound, sent the ball high over the bar. Ferguson, a little later, just grazed the post, and then at the other end, McGregor and his partner were finely brought up by J King.
The Celtic left pair were getting in some fine work, even on the prehistoric pitch, and from one of Ferguson’s crosses McIllveney equalised eight minutes after the registration of the first point.
The Celtic taxed the defence severely, and Airston just saved from Kelly.
After a long spell of pressure, in which the halves played resolutely, the Arthurlie forwards burst through. McGregor passed across, and Hannigan added to the local score with a terrific shot.
At half time the score was Arthurlie 2 goals: Celtic 1 goal.
Playing downhill, Arthurlie were expected to improve their position, and they opened finely. The Celtic backs were very weak, and did not stand up at all to the rushing of the locals. Cullen had to save twice in the first couple of minutes, and then the game opened out. The Celtic forwards, playing with more dash, pressed for a couple of minutes, but the local defence were resolute and sure. The Barrhead left got away again, and McGregor passed right into goal. With two men on the top of him, Cullen punted out gamely, and Hannigan scored seven minutes after the resumption, amidst perfectly hysterical enthusiasm. The whole Barrhead forwards came away in class style, and McGregor, waltzing through the defence with unmistakeable precision, scored the fourth goal in another scen of terrific enthusiasm.
The Celtic started to go all to pieces, and Hannigan, but for a A King, who with Kelly throughout played a hard if uphill gam, would have made the total five.
Celtic rallied a little, Smith, who had been one of the mainstays of the Barrhead defence, was injured, but after a minute’s delay the game proceeded. Cullen saved finely from Hannigan, with two men in close proximity, and was cautioned by the referee for embracing both, and then the Celts had a look in, but the defence, if not particularly pretty, was sound, and their efforts went for nothing. The locals rallied again, and Hannigan just missed a fine pass of McGregor’s. Crossan saved from the same player at the expense of a fruitless corner, and Celtic approached Airston again,
A fine try of Ferguson’s was well held by the veteran, but a couple of minutes later Ferguson made the Celt’s score two from a pass of Morrison’s.
With six minutes to go the Parkhead task was a hopeless one, but they played resolutely. The Celts almost added a third, but until the close the Renfrewshire team had the pull of their League rivals, and the game ended in another scene of tremendous enthusiasm.
Result:- Arthurlie. 4 goals; Celtic, 2 goals.
The report (Giant Killing) is taken from ‘The History of the Scottish Cup’ (ISBN-10: 1785312146). The book, by David Potter and Phil H Jones, can be purchased from Amazon. The other report (Defeat of The Celtic) is from the Book A Game of Two Halves which was written by John Byrne the former Club Historian who also wrote for the club Programmes.
