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Fullname: John McMenemy
aka: John McMenamin (surname at brith which evolved into McMenemy)
Born: 25 April 1906
Died: 5 February 1983
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 1 December 1925
Left: 25 October 1928 (to Motherwell)
Position: Inside-right
Debut: Falkirk 4-1 Celtic, League, 6 April 1927
Internationals: Scotland/Scottish League
International Caps: 1/3
International Goals: 0/0
Biog
Son of all-time Celtic great Jimmy McMenemy, John McMenemy was a young and solid if unspectacular performer for the Hoops, and with the weight of family history on his shoulders, it was likely not an easy burden.
An inside-right, he was signed in December 1925 from St Roch’s. John made his competitive debut for the Hoops in a 4-1 league defeat at Falkirk on 6th April 1927 which was the tail-end of the league season. Despite that tough start, he did score in only his second match as Celtic drew 3-3 with Dundee Utd.
His next match was likely his greatest experience at Celtic by winning a place in the Scottish Cup final side v East Fife which saw Celtic triumph 3-1 on 16 Apr 1927. At the young age of just 19 this was quite an experience.
His father would have been proud having won six Scottish Cups himself, so a lucky seven Scottish Cup winners medals now in total in the family.
So quite a start, and incredibly that Scottish Cup final was his first taste of victory with the Celtic first team. The problem was that Celtic that season had finished far behind Rangers who had won the league title, and Celtic had finished third behind Motherwell. The task at hand was shown to John McMenemy when Celtic lost just two days after that Scottish Cup final to Rangers in a league game (1-0) and then to St Johnstone (1-0) to bring matters all down back to earth.
He won appearances in & out of the first team in the next season in a Celtic team already in decline. He scored a goal in a 3-0 victory over Queen’s Park in a 3-0 victory, but seemed to be used more as a filler for the first team.
A good passer of the ball he was viewed by some critics as being too slow and deliberate in his play to suit Celtic’s more fast flowing style, however he was still young and maybe just needed more time to develop.
He only played two games early in season 1928/29, with Celtic winning both matches. He got to sign off in his final Celtic match on a high note, as Celtic defeated Rangers in the first round of the Glasgow Cup (2-1) in September 1928. Sadly it wasn’t to be for John McMenemy at Celtic.
He made a total of 16 league & Scottish Cup appearances for the Bhoys and scored two goals.
Post-Celtic
John McMenemy left Parkhead in October 1928 to join Motherwell where he would become a regular fixture, and was regarded as a creator of goals for Willie MacFayden who was a great goalscorer.
Success met John McMenemy in a golden period for Motherwell, winning the League title in 1932 (their first and only time), although he also appeared in the Scottish Cup finals of 1931 and in 1933, losing both to his old club Celtic. In the 1931 final, John McMenemy had scored one of the goals in a 2-2 draw which took the final to a replay. Motherwell were actually 8mins from time from sealing a victory in that match only for Jimmy McGrory to score and Motherwell’s Craig to score a late own goal.
Season 1932/33 was a sore one as Motherwell came close to repeating their league title victory and making it a double with the Scottish Cup, but achieved neither. They were still well ahead of Celtic who languished far further behind in the league title race with Rangers winning the title by 3pts over Motherwell.
He gained a sole Scotland international cap (Wales 3-2 Scotland 4th October 1933). His brother Harry McMenemy was actually chosen to play in this international match, but had to pull out through injury, and John McMenemy took his place. Harry McMenemy was to never be capped for Scotland so quite a cruel twist of fate.
He also won three Scottish League XI caps, which included playing in a 4-3 victory over the English League Select.
He later moved to Partick Thistle and St Mirren, but Motherwell is where his name will remain amongst their greats and most favoured sons.
With Celtic’s often poor form during much of the decade after his departure, maybe it’s a case that Celtic were wrong to let him go, but still he went on to have a good career in Scottish football which is much to admire.
After football he worked in an aircraft production company, and in his father’s pub, and later was a clerk.
He passed away in 1983.
Notes:
John McMenemy on birth was registered as McMenamin has probably been the cause of the confusion on certain research. Born 25 April 1906 at 18 Greenhill Road, Rutherglen; parents James McMenamin and Rose McCluskey, who married 4 July 1905. He himself married Margaret Mary McBrearty in 1940, by then called John McMenemy. The date is also confirmed by his death certificate, age 76.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1925-28 | 15 | 1 | – | – | 16 |
| Goals | 2 | 0 | – | – | 2 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish Cup
Pictures
Articles
McMenemy junior – It is never easy to be the son of a famous father
By David Potter 27 April, 2020
McMenemy junior – It is never easy to be the son of a famous father
It is never easy to be the son of a famous father. John McMenemy’s father was of course Jimmy Napoleon McMenemy – arguably Celtic’s best ever player. John was slightly taller, perhaps a little leaner than his famous father, but he played in the same position – inside right – as Jimmy, and when he joined the club in December 1925, it was generally reckoned that Celtic were on to a good thing, for he had played with distinction in Glasgow junior football with St Anthony’s and St Roch’s. He was only 17, having been born in February 1908 at the time when his father was at the height of his powers.
But 1925/26 saw no obvious gap in the excellent forward line of Connolly, Thomson, McGrory, McInally and McLean for young McMenemy to fit into, and naturally he had to bide his time. The League was won that year, and the good form of the forward line continued into the following season with John perhaps becoming a little despondent at not getting an opportunity.
But his debut came in April 1927 on a Wednesday evening game at Falkirk where he has asked to cover for Tommy McInally out with a broken nose. It was a horrendous debut, and the team went down 4-1 at Brockville with Patsy Gallacher (now with Falkirk) totally on song. McGrory was carried off with a couple of broken ribs, and the game simply passed McMenemy by.
McInally returned for Saturday’s game against Dundee United at Tannadice, but Thomson was out, so McMenemy was given a game at inside right. The result was 3-3, but McMenemy is described as “lacking shooting power” and without McGrory, Celtic struggled. But the next game was the Scottish Cup final against Second Division East Fife at Hampden. John may have been surprised to discover that he was chosen to play at inside left while McInally moved into the centre to replace the still injured McGrory.
We can imagine the scene in the dressing room. The wordly wise McStay brothers trying to calm everyone down, McInally clowning and telling jokes trying to keep everyone happy, while those whose first Scottish Cup final this was – John Thomson and John McMenemy – shaking like the proverbial leaves, McMenemy in particular, totally aware of all the family pressure that was on him.
After all, his illustrious sire had won six Scottish Cup medals with Celtic and one with Partick Thistle. Enter Willie Maley. Noticing McMenemy shaking and struggling to lace his boots, he went over to him “And what are you shaking for, John? It’s the men in the next room that should be shaking, the miners from Fife!
“It’s an honour and a privilege to wear that green and white jersey! Your father did it often enough! It’s your turn now! Get out and bring me back that Cup!”
Whether that pep talk did any good or not, Celtic won 3-1, the McMenemy family won its eighth Scottish Cup medal, and Waverley in The Daily Record talks about his “real football brain”.
But that was about as good as it got for young John at Celtic Park. He never really did much else, playing only 10 indifferent games the following season, and clearly finding the burden of being the “son of Napoleon” a hard one to carry.
Perhaps it was the weight of expectation, perhaps he found the atmosphere at Celtic Park difficult (it was not a great season), perhaps he found the permanent clowning and irresponsible behaviour of Tommy McInally too much, perhaps he found the increasingly dictatorial Willie Maley too much to cope with, but in 1928 he moved on. He could hardly have made a better choice, for it was to the fast rising Motherwell side of John “Sailor” Hunter.
At Fir Park, his career really took off, and he was a key part of the Motherwell forward line of Murdoch, McMenemy, McFadyen, Stevenson and Ferrier which won the Scottish League in 1932 (and it was as well that they did, for otherwise Rangers might have won the first ever “Nine In A Row”!), and of course lost to Celtic the Scottish Cup finals of 1931 and 1933.
He won one Scottish cap – and it was a strange one. It was v Wales in October 1933, and it was his brother Harry McMenemy of Newcastle United who was originally awarded the “cap”, but when Harry pulled out injured, John was given the place! Sadly Scotland lost 2-3 at Ninian Park.
John died in 1983, he and his brother Harry (and of course before 1965 his father as well) being often seen at Celtic Park. It was a shame that Celtic did not see the best of him, but he still has his small moment of glory for Celtic and is a worthy part of a great footballing family. Jimmy was proud of him, and Harry (who won an English Cup medal with Newcastle in 1932) and that counts for an awful lot!
David Potter