On This Day – October

1938: Celtic beat Albion Rovers 8-1 at Cliftonhill with Johnny Crum scoring five goals.The other goals were scored by Jimmy Delaney (2) and Chic Geatons.

1955: Debut for Jim Sharkey in a 2-0 win v Raith Rovers

1960: Airdrie 2-0 Celtic, League; Willie Goldie makes his debut, the strangest selection ever. Spotted going to the game, picked up by the team coach, impressed the chairman with chat, and then got picked on the spot to play!

1977: Rangers announced on the 1st October that they will sign players regardless of their religion [although they never did still for donkey’s years].

1985: Celtic played Atletico Madrid behind closed doors at Celtic Park following the Rapid Vienna travesty – the Bhoys lost 2-1 with Roy Aitken scoring the Celtic goal.

1977: Red and Yellow Cards are introduced.

1982: Dundee United 2-2 Celtic, Premier Division; Celtic fans sing ‘When it’s spring again we’ll sing again 2-1 in Amsterdam’ after their famous 2-1 win over Ajax three days earlier. United fans in great mood after their equally fine win over PSV Eindhoven. 

1987: Celtic sign striker Frank McAvennie from West Ham United for a reported £1.2m.

1927: Scottish Cup holders Celtic beat FA Cup winners Cardiff 4-1 – Jimmy McGrory scored all four goals for the Bhoys, possibly the most cross-British (& Irish) match ever (Welsh holders of the English FA Cup title defeated by the Scottish Cup winners Celtic who have an Irish heritage (north & south)).

1984: Celtic 3-0 KAA Gent, ECWC; Celtic walk a tightrope at 2-0 knowing that an away goal will cost them the tie. McStay gets the third goal and makes it safe. 

2007: Celtic 2-1 AC Milan, Dida (Milan keeper) goes down claiming that he has been viciously assaulted by an on-field invader at end of match, banned for two games for his embarrassing antics. Italian media were more measured and saw it as silly over-exuberance by a mad fan and nothing more.

1952: Charlie Tully scores both of Northern Ireland’s goals in a 2-2 draw with England in Belfast.

1920: Celtic ace Tommy McInally defeats sprint champion WR Applegarth in a 100 yard challenge race held at Shawfield. Applegarth gave his opponent a 10-yard start but could catch the Celtic man

1964: Parkhead Railway Station is closed after 67 years of service.

1922: Jock Stein born in Earnock, Lanarkshire.

1937: Scottish Cup holders Celtic defeat reigning FA Cup champions Sunderland 2-0 in a challenge match at Roker Park. Jimmy McGrory and Willie Buchan score for the Bhoys.

1964: Carfin Emerald v Manchester Select: Celtic players ‘under disguise’ play in a charity event to help raise funds for an Irish church. Sounds like a comedy but it actually happened!

1993: Liam Brady quits as Celtic manager after a league defeat at St Johnstone.

1965: Jim Craig made his debut against Go-Ahead Deventer in what was the first time the Lisbon Lions back five played together.

1995: Celtic fan Mark Scott murdered whilst returning from the Celtic – Partick Thistle game. RIP

1910: Charlie Napier born in Bainsford.

1966: Hibernian 3-5 Celtic, Celtic win an incredible high scoring match away with four goals by Joe McBride.

1963: Celtic defeat FC Basel 5-0 in second-leg of European Cup Winners Cup 1st round tie.

1964: Keeper Frank Haffey is sold to Swindon Town for £8,000

2001: Celtic defeat Rosenborg 1-0 in the Champions League at Parkhead in a game re-arranged after being originally postponed following the September 11 attack on New York. Celtic View cover was designed by the legendary Scottish author/artist Alisdair Gray.

1930: Lisbon Lions goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson born in Glasgow.

1930: Celtic win the Glasgow Cup in a 2-1 victory over Rangers, the headline in the Herald is “Rangers Lose Glasgow Cup”

1959: Celtic lose 2-0 to Wolverhampton Wanders in a friendly match to mark the switch on of the Parkhead floodlights.

1975:Bobo Balde born, France. Nationality – Guinea

1888: Celtic 4-1 Albion Rovers, Scottish Cup; strictly the longest continuing competitive fixture for Celtic in the club’s history

1939: Willie Buchan who left Celtic in 1937 makes a very welcome guest appearance in a 5-2 defeat to Hearts. Despite his wishes the board ridiculously turn down the opportunity to keep him for a longer term.

1948: Middlesbrough turn down a cash plus player exchange deal from Celtic for Wilf Mannion.

1961: The Celtic Song is played at Celtic Park for the first time at 5-0 win over Stirling Albion in the league

2000: Celtic 2-0 St Mirren; debut for Didier Agathe; A day better remembered for Dundee Utd’s manager Jim McLean took to fisticuffs when BBC Scotland’s John Barnes questions did not meet with his liking. He resigned the next day.

1865: James Kelly born in Renton.

1934: Ex-Celtic great Jimmy McMenemy  appointed as Celtic coach, and is actually the first team manager in all but name. Helps to turn things around.

1977: Frank Munro makes his Celtic debut as captain but scores an own goal in the 2-1 home defeat to St Mirren.

1937: Jimmy McGrory plays his final game for Celtic in a league clash at Parkhead against Queen’s Park. He scores once in a 4-3 victory.

1999: Celtic defeat Aberdeen 7-0 in the league, in what turns out to be the peak result for John Barnes in his time. ‘Maginficent Seven’ tune played at Celtic for first time.

1987: Celtic draw 2-2 with Rangers in a league match at Ibrox. In a stormy encounter the home side have two players sent off while Frank McAvennie was also ordered off. McAvennie alongside Rangers’ Terry Butcher Chris Woods and Graham Roberts would be charged by police and taken to court for ‘a breach of the peace’.

2010: Dundee Utd 1-2 Celtic, League, Oct 2010; Referees conspiring to undermine Celtic and cover their backs. Corruption revelations led to 6-7 refs & others resigning (sacked?).

1967: Celtic beat Racing Club 1-0 in the 1st leg of the World Club Championship.

1976: Celtic release George Connelly from his contract

1957 Celtic hammer Rangers 7-1 in League Cup final (“Hampden in the Sun”)

1971: John Hughes and Willie Wallace join Crystal Palace for a combined fee of £50,000

1981 Celtic winger Johnny Doyle dies

1982: James McGrory dies in a Glasgow hospital at the age of 78.

1999: Henrik Larsson suffers a horrific leg break as Celtic lose 1-0 at Lyon in the UEFA Cup.

1904: Third Lanark 1-2 Celtic; The referee was accidentally hit in the mouth by a Sunny Jim clearance and could not resume!

1964: Paul McStay is born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire.

1991: Neuchatel Xamax 5-1 Celtic, UEFA Cup; a disastrous result from which Liam Brady couldn’t ever escape from for the rest of his managerial career.

2013: Celtic 2-1 Ajax, European Cup; Kayal’s best 90mins for Celtic. Ajax fans cause trouble & damage at Celtic Park.

2022: First Use of VAR in a domestic game for Celtic: Heart of Midlothian 3-4 Celtic, League.

1916: Sgt Robert Downie for his action on this day, became a recipient of the Victoria Cross for bravery. He was a Celtic fan and later worked as a cashier at the turnstiles at Celtic Park.

1926: Celtic defeat Aberdeen 6-2 in a league clash at Parkhead. Jimmy McGrory scores five goals – including four headers.

1962: Celtic play their first ever Euorpean home tie as they draw 2-2 with Valencia in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

2019: Celtic defeat Lazio in Europa League group stages; Next day Alessandra Mussolini, an Italian non-entity politician, laughably calls for prosecution of Celtic & Green Brigade for slurring the name of her odious fascist despot grandfather

1911: Celtic sign Patsy Gallacher from Clydebank Juniors.

1947: Celtic 4-3 Queen of the South; Celtic debut for Tommy McDonald who was brought in to address the lack of goals, and scored in this debut. His goals helped save Celtic from relegation!

1895: Celtic record a record 11-0 victory over Dundee during a league clash at Parkhead.

1963: Celtic thrash Airdrie 9-0 in a league clash at Celtic Park – goalkeeper Frank Haffey also misses a penalty!

1974: Celtic 6-3 Hibernian, League Cup; Celtic win the League Cup for the first time since 1969 after four consecutive defeats. Dixie Deans scores second hat trick against Hibs in only seven days Joe Harper scored a hat-trick for Hibs and still ended up on the losing side in a final!

1979: Dom Sullivan signs for Celtic from Aberdeen for £80,000.

1888: Celtic defeat Rangers 6-1 at Ibrox in a Glasgow Cup tie, their first “competitive” meeting.

1962: Airdrieonians 1-6 Celtic, league; Cuban Missile crisis was in full swing in the Caribbean, but at least Celtic won.

1899: The Grant Stand is officially opened at Celtic Park.

1908: Celtic 0-4 Third Lanark, Glasgow Cup Final 2nd Replay; This was actually the third final (and last of the matches), Celtic finally overdone in this game, the first two games were draws.

1967: Celtic 5-3 Dundee retain the League Cup in a thrilling final in a golden year (5 goals in 17 mins!)

2018: Celtic 3-0 Hearts, League Cup; match played at Murrayfield; biggest crowd since 1989.

1938: Celtic thrash city rivals Third Lanark 6-1 in league clash at Parkhead

1966: Celtic claim the first trophy of what would prove to be a remarkable cleansweep as they defeat Rangers 1-0 at Hampden in League Cup final.

1993: Celtic defeat Rangers at Ibrox 2-1, in what is Lou Macari’s first match in charge, but really was Frank Connors last match as manager (temp).

1999: Veteran striker Ian Wright marks his Celtic debut with a goal as the Hoops demolish Kilmarnock 5-1 in a league clash at Parkhead.

1956: Celtic win their first ever League Cup by defeating Partick Thistle in the final replay.

1971: Celtic sign John ‘Dixie’ Deans from Motherwell for £17,500