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Fullname: Martin Moran
aka: Mighty Midget, Martin Moran McInally (*see below notes for details)
Born: 8 December 1873 (*see below notes for details)
Died: 26 January 1967 (* see below notes for details)
Birthplace: Blantyre (*see below notes for details)
Signed: 12 March 1898 & 13 May 1908
Left: 15 October 1898 (free); 20 October 1898 (Clyde); 9 June 1909 (Hamilton)
Position: Outside-right
Debut: St Mirren 4-0 Celtic, League, 1 Oct 1898
Internationals: none
Biog
Outside-right Martin Moran was a former Benburb player who first signed for Celtic in March 1898. A short player and in modern terms probably would be seen as lightweight: “A midget… light as a feather“.
His first game of note for Celtic was in the ‘Championship for Great Britain‘ v English title holders Sheffield Utd in March 1898, which Celtic lost 1-0 away: “I played the game of my life… I haven’t played a better one since“.
After several of these friendlies/exhibition games, his competitive debut finally came in a 4-0 defeat in the league at St Mirren on 1st October 1898 but he would be released by the club just weeks later. He was one of a group of players released by the club at the time. Celtic had just lost the league title that season (1898/99) finishing in third, 12 points behind title winners Rangers.
He moved on to Clyde to restart his career, before making a move to clubs down south (Sheffield Utd and Middlesborough) , and had a successful spell with various clubs in England (becoming a ‘mighty midget‘ and success at Millwall).
He returned up north to Hearts for a season, and then on the back of this, he managed to sign up and win a part in Chelsea’s debut league game. Their club began with a very large Scottish contingent. He went on to play for Chelsea for three full seasons without missing a game. According to one Chelsea site he was dubbed as a “Muscular Midget“.
He returned to Celtic in May 1908 and was used by the club as experienced cover “being kept for the more strenuous games where an old head is of value“.
His return match was straight into the Glasgow Charity Cup final in May 1908, with Celtic defeating Queen’s Park 3-0, so earning him a medal.
In this second spell, he was to play in two league matches. Ironically the first was again against St Mirren, played on 5 Sep 1908 practically ten years since his league debut (and then sole league match for Celtic). But once again he played in a losing Celtic side to St Mirren, this time a 1-0 defeat. Such a record must be almost unique in football.
Thankfully he was given one more league appearance for the first team a few months later in Dec 1908 as Celtic defeated Aberdeen away 2-0, a league victory with Celtic that was a long time in coming for Martin Moran.
In retrospect, it meant that Martin Moran had won a small walk-on part in a league title winning season for Celtic, having just missed out in his first spell. As Celtic won the league title by just the one point that season ahead of Dundee, he could look back on his part in the victory over Aberdeen as having helped Celtic get over the line.
Bannockburn-born Martin Moran was to play only those two league appearances in his second spell for the Bhoys, before finally moving on to Hamilton in June 1909, and then wrapped up his playing time in Scotland at Albion Rovers signing on there in 1910.
With the reward of his second spell opportunity at Celtic, he could finally look back on his career to have played in a league match winning side with Celtic but also to winning a cup medal with Celtic & playing a part in a league title winning side, rectifying any possible disappointments from his first spell. In many ways, a heart-warming story.
Post-Scottish football
He later emigrated with his family to the USA, and appears to have played for Fore River FC in Massachusetts, and worked at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. He later moved to Canada to work for Canadian Vickers Ltd.
He lived a long life and passed away in Montreal, Canada on 26th January 1967, aged 93.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES (goals) |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1898 & 1908-09 | 3 | 0 | n/a | n/a | 3 |
| Goals: | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League
Glasgow Charity Cup
Pictures
Notes
- Previous research & sources claimed that Martin Moran born in Bannockburn, born on 19 December 1879 and passed away prematurely on 28 Nov 1944 (as we had stated). However, further research by the Chelsea Graves Society (full details below), has gone more in depth and we believe more likely that his passed was on 26 Jan 1967 in Canada. Thank you to all who assisted.
Articles
Below info thx to the the Chelsea Graves Society and thx to @jimmy_mccoll & @CelticGraves too for sending this over in February 2024, the references to the errors in our biog above have now been amended in the above.
Martin Moran was a key player for Chelsea in their history as he was pert of the 1905 team and remained with them for 3 years before returning to Scotland to play for Celtic in 1908.
MARTIN MORAN (Born 19th December 1879 in Bannockburn)
The first part of this is to highlight the Martin Moran as detailed in the Alphabet of Celts & the Celtic Wiki is the wrong person.
This Martin Moran is recorded as being born in Bannockburn, Stirling on 19/12/1879 to Michael Moran & Jane (nee Muir).
He is shown in the 1891 Census living in Lochee, Dundee with his mother.
He then married Margaret Winters in 1907 with his address still given as Lochee, Dundee
He then immigrated to Providence, Rhode Island, USA in January 1911 and on the ship’s manifest his address is given as being in Lochee, Dundee
Some sources record his death as being 28/11/1944 but this is incorrect as he is listed with his wife in 1950 Census for Rhode Island. His date of death is not known.
The key findings that show this is not the Martin Moran who played for Celtic relates to his military record.
He is recorded as enlisting with Highland Regiment in 1896 and then re-enlisting again in February 1897 and remained in military service until he was placed in the army reserves in 1905. In addition, his military record states that he served in South Africa during the entire Boer War (1899-1902). On that basis, he could not have played for Sheffield United, Middlesbrough & Millwall Athletic during the same period.
MARTIN McINALLY or MORAN (Born 8th December in Blantyre)
The investigative work was done by the Chelsea Graves Society using official documents and newspapers of the day.
This Martin was born in Blantyre, Lanarkshire on 8th December 1873 as Martin McInally to Michael McInally & Mary Ann McAulay.
Martin’s father Michael, died in an accident in 1877 when Martin was only 3 years old and it is after this point that the surname varies on records.
Martin’s junior football career starts with Benburb in 1895 (based on available match reports) although he may have played for Elder Park FC from Govan before this. Following a Junior International trial at Celtic Park, Martin is signed by Celtic in March 1898 as a 24 year old. He would only be at Celtic for a few months before moving onto Clyde in October 1898. He would play for various clubs before arriving at Chelsea in 1905 and then a short 2nd spell at Celtic in 1908. For all of his football career in Scotland or England he was registered as Martin Moran and even in the 1901 Census at Middlesbrough where is shown as a “Professional Footballer”.
Martin married Agnes McBlane McLachlan in 1905 and he is recorded on the Civil Registration record this time as Martin Moran McInally and children of the marriage are also recorded as Moran McInally.
Martin then immigrates to Quincy, Massachusetts, USA in 1911 with his wife and children joining him in 1913. They had another child born in Quincy in 1915 and that child is registered as Mary McInally MORAN. From this point, all references are in the name of MORAN.
A newspaper report in the Port Glasgow Express from 8th December 1911 references Martin Moran as “Moran, is he of Celtic fame” playing for Fore River FC which was in Massachusetts. He was probably employed at the Fore River shipyard in Quincy. There is also a Fore River FC team photo from 1913 with Martin Moran in the line up.
Martin then immigrates to Montreal, Canada in July 1916 to work for Canadian Vickers Ltd with his wife and children joining him in October 1916.
Martin’s wife Agnes dies in 1920 and Martin is shown as a Widower living with 4 children at Notre Dame Street in the Maisonneuve district of Montreal.
Moving forward, a local Montreal newspaper report from 1931 mentions a charity football match for the Maisonneuve Unemployment Fund and included in the team is “Marty Moran of Celtic, Sheffield United & Chelsea”. Martin played and managed Maisonneuve FC from after WWI until the 1930s.
There is then a letter in the Daily Record from 1936 regarding memories of Benburb FC and it mentions “Marty Moran(s) to Celtic then to Canada where he was a football a manager but died a few years ago”. A later edition of the Daily Record then corrects this comment to advise that Martin Moran is still alive and living at 64 Notre Dame, White House, Montreal. This is the same street where Martin & his children were living in the 1921 Census. The 1931 Census has him living in a street near to Notre Dame Street so he doesn’t seem to have moved very far from where he first settled in Montreal.
An obituary records the death of “Martin Moran at Reddy Memorial hospital on 26th January 1967 in his 93rd year, beloved husband of the late Agnes McBlane McLachlan”. He was buried in the Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal
In my view, working this evidence backwards in time does confirm that the Martin Moran who died aged 93 years in Montreal was the same person born as Martin McInally on 8th December 1893 in Blantyre, Lanarkshire who played for Celtic & Chelsea as well as other clubs.