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Fullname: John Black
aka: Johnny Black
Born: […]
Died: […]
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 28 September 1912
Left: 2 May 1914
Position: Centre-Forward
Debut: Celtic 3-1 Hibernian, League, 28 Oct 1911
Internationals: N/A
Biog
Signed from Benburb, forward John Black was a blacksmith by trade, who tried out for Celtic on the same day as Patsy Gallagher and Willie Angus did. Surprisingly, it was John Black & Willie Angus who got chosen, and then Patsy Gallagher picked up later on. It was Patsy Gallagher who went on to write his name into Celtic playing history, and Willie Angus into Scottish wartime history (winning the Victoria Cross for bravery).
All John Black’s appearances came in his debut season – 1911/12 – with his actual debut being a 3-1 home league win against Hibs on October 28. John Black was picked when Quinn & Willie Nichol were unfit.
His only goal for the Bhoys came in a 3-2 defeat at Motherwell on 25 November 1911, the only defeat in his handful of games.
He made just four league appearances for Celtic, with two victories, one defeat and one draw. Celtic finished the season in second place to Rangers.
He had a short loan to Belfast Celtic in May 1913, but was released a year later in May 1914 departing for Clyde. Celtic had just won the league title in 1913/14 and to begin to enter a major period of domestic dominance in the league, so he was unfortunate to leave in a football sense, but society was to change radically as the First World War was to begin later in the year.
He never made it at Celtic, but played for a multitude of clubs over the next ten years or so, much on loan but always in demand it seems.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1911-14 | 4 | 0 | n/a | n/a | 4 |
| Goals: | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 |
Honours with Celtic
none
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Research
thx to @andyboyd1967 for this work.
Note: “I was asked a question about the Abercorn team & noticed that the middle row had an error – Howden, the goalkeeper being a space across – & it started me searching the players”