Celtic Crusaders

Miscellaneous

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Details

Name: Celtic Crusaders
aka: Celtic Swifts, Celtic Reserves
Dates: 11 May – 27 Jul 1889
Ref: Celtic reserves/second/invitational team side in the early years
Note: Winners of the Kilsyth Charity Cup

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Background

Back in the early years of the club, the first team played mostly friendly competitive matches across Scotland, as the league system was not in place as of yet.

However, if the side to be put forward was not of the calibre of the regular first team, as a scratch or reserves/invitational side was to be used, then this Celtic XI would play under the alternative title of the ‘Celtic Crusaders‘.

The name clearly has religious overtones, not surprising as the club were more directly linked to and even managed by elements connected to the church, the club having only recently been set up with their support.

It wasn’t just at Celtic that this was the general set-up. The inaugural match played by the Celtic first team was against Rangers but some have wrongly tried to argue it was against ‘The [Rangers] Swifts‘, a scratch/reserves side of Rangers players from the time. One early report even referred to a Celtic side it dubbed similarly as the ‘Celtic Swifts‘.

The Crusaders side was the second Celtic side to win a trophy. The actual first cup won by Celtic was the Glasgow North Eastern Cup in May 1889.

In 1889, Celtic were invited to play in a small invitational tournament for The Kilsyth Charity Cup, and entered their Celtic Crusaders side. Celtic played Kilsyth Wanderers, Renton and 1-2 other sides.

This was a charity competition, initially held to help raise funds for Kilsyth Wanderers FC, and open to invited senior clubs mainly within the district of Kilsyth in Stirlingshire.

Celtic Crusaders went on to reach & win the final 5-0, and so win the first trophy for the club. A small first footstep in the right direction for the club, but a significant one.

Albeit this tournament may not be generally reflected in most of the club’s history reviews and has often been overlooked as it is regarded as a reserve team triumph, the truth is that this side was actually bolstered with some major first team names: Dowds, Jerry Reynolds and Willie Maley. So stronger than the usual reserve side, and really can be argued to have been a close-First Team side.

The trophy awarded was actually quite diminutive in size, and fitted into a jacket pocket of Celtic committee member John Glass.

Sadly the trophy was stolen out of John Glass’ home not long after this tournament, and so in retrospect a major piece of Celtic & football history was lost forever. In response to the loss, John Glass brushed off the loss by replying that: “It was another cup“.

Thankfully Willie Maley’s medal from the victory is still with us. Reports have it that this was later bought by Glasgow businessman Willie Haughey and is now thought to be held at Celtic Park [TBC]. It has more importance than many have realised to the club’s history.

Post-note

Sadly, the ‘Celtic Crusaders‘ title has long been retired, but it’s a wonderful further reflection of the character & development of the club from the early days.

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Articles

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Links

• Kilsyth Cup History

The Kilsyth Cup was won by the Celtic reserves and not the first team.Celtic Crusaders won the final 5-0.

However despite what the Celtic View article claimed, this was not Celtic’s first ever trophy. Instead that was the Glasgow North Eastern Cup, won by the first team in May 1889.

Willie Maley who played in that game alongside Dowds & Jerry Reynolds. Probably never get a chance to see that cup which John Glass lost, it was that small he could fit it in his jacket pocket according to Maleys Bould Celt’s article.

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Cambuslang businessman ensures Willie Maley medals will remain at Celtic Park

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/cambuslang-businessman-ensures-willie-maley-9983052
Lord Willam Haughey OBE bought four gongs won by Willie Maley from a Blantyre couple who inherited the items.

Lord William Haughey (right) bought medals belonging to Willie Maley from Jimmy and Kathleen Downie who donated the cash to Greta McGuinness, widow of Tony (left), of the Kilbryde Hospice

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A Cambuslang businessman has ensured medals belonging to one of Celtic’s greatest managers will remain at Celtic Park for years to come.

Lord Willam Haughey OBE bought four gongs won by Willie Maley from a Blantyre couple who inherited the items.

Jimmy and Kathleen Downie wanted to raise money for the Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride and decided to sell the four medals, as well as another passed to them belonging to Joseph Cullen.

They had been passed to Kathleen from her father, Charlie McGuinness, a former Celtic scout and friend of both Jock Stein and Sean Fallon.

The items had been loaned to Celtic and Willie was keen for them to stay at Parkhead.

He paid £15,000 for the medals, as well as £2000 for letters sent to Charlie McGuinness from Jock Stein and former Celtic chairman Bob Kelly with the agreement they would stay in the McGuinness family for future generations.

Charlie was uncle to Tony McGuinness, the founder of Kilbryde Hospice.

After meeting Jimmy and Kathleen, Lord Haughey joked that the medals had come from Celtic Park and would go back to Celtic Park but he was £17,000 out of pocket, adding: “Who’s the businessman here then?”

Willie Maley was Celtic manager for 43 years, winning 30 major honours.

He was also one of their first ever players, signing for the club officially in 1888.

The medals are: 1912 Glasgow Charity Cup, 1889 Kilsyth Charity Cup, 1891 Glasgow Football Association and 1893 Scottish Cup runner-up.

Joseph Cullen’s medal is also from the 1893 Scottish Cup final.