Kelly, John (1939-40)

Note: There has been more than one player to play for Celtic with the same name, so please check the other namesakes if need be.

Personal

Fullname: John Kelly
Born: c1917
Died: […]
Birthplace: […]
Signed: 10 May 1939
Left: 12 Aug 1940 (Free); 15 Aug 1940 (Shawfield Juniors)
Position: Left-Half, Left-Back
Debut: Celtic 1-0 Clyde, League, 2 Sep 1939
Internationals: Scotland junior caps (3)

Biog

Left-half John Kelly was a highly rated junior international (even captained Scotland juniors v England) who signed for Celtic from Shawfield Juniors in May 1939: “an artist on the ball“, “judgment and sure kicking” and “always smiling and obliging“. Described as a “grand little, clean-kicking left-back“.

He made his debut in a 1-0 league win over Clyde at Parkhead on 2nd September 1939 – the last game to be played before the league was suspended due to the war; the start of the war was actually declared the next day. For his debut appearance, one report says credit is due to him for his performance, but another notes that he faded out after an hour.

John Kelly would then make just four appearances for Celtic in wartime competitions before being released by the club in August 1940; so five appearances for Celtic in total.

He played often only when as a makeshift for Jock Morrison, a celebrated player, so not an easy task to try to displace him from the first team. It wasn’t easy, and Celtic lost all three wartime league games he played in (3-2 away to Kilmarnock, 4-2 away to Third Lanark and 2-1 away to St Mirren) but did play in a 4-2 win over Raith Rovers in a first round Scottish War Emergency Cup game.

There were many young players during those war years who only played for Celtic in only a handful of games, and John Kelly was amongst others to likely wonder how their career may have turned out if it weren’t for the war.

However, season 1939/40 was a disaster for Celtic, finishing 13th out of 16 teams in the truncated wartime regional league. Queen of the South finished second that season behind Rangers who took the title with Hamilton third.

There was no relegation that season which likely was a reprieve for the new Celtic management, a major period of transition as Willie Maley finally stepped down as the team manager at the start of 1940 to retire after a 50 year career on the frontline with Celtic, to be replaced by Jimmy McStay.

John Kelly later moved to Shawfield Juniors, before a stint at St Mirren and St Anthony’s, and then back to Shawfield Juniors, retiring from play in 1947.

Later he became the coach and assistant trainer at Shawfield Juniors.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

none

Pictures

• Player Pics

Links