Since our formation in the small parish hall of St Mary’s in the Calton in the late 1800s Glasgow Celtic have flourished & grown, first as force helping the impoverished people of the east end of the city, then as a successful footballing side in the Scottish game & across Europe.
The direction of the club both on & off the pitch has been driven by individuals, families, friends players & legendary figures . Over the last 14 decades a number of greats have helped cement the clubs place in world football. All of these accolades & honours were achieved as a team, but that’s not to distract from those players who had a little bit extra skill, craft & gallus style that entertained the masses on the slopes of Celtic Park over the years, there is also room for the men who struck up a partnership in different areas on the pitch & in the club management to take the team & the fans to new highs of footballing glory.
In this series, I will look at a number of partnerships over the decades that have ensured Celtic have stayed at the forefront of Scottish football & punched above their weight in the elite European club competitions.
James Kelly & Willie Maley
It is difficult to think of the footballing side of Celtic without these 2 key figures leading the club through our early years.
James Kelly & Willie Maley were on the pitch as Celtic took their first strides into the new footballing world on the 28th May 1888, with Kelly scoring as Celtic beat Rangers 5 goals to 2 in a friendly match. Both men played their part just 4 years later when Celtic overcame Third Lanark to win the Scottish Cup for the first time.
The pair would spend over 40 years together serving the club, initially as players & then as board member & manager respectively. During their time at Celtic Park an incredible 17 league titles & 13 Scottish Cups were secured. This partnership guided Celtic through their formative years, achieving many firsts including 6 in a row & the first Scottish league & Cup double. However, their partnership wasn’t all about the silverware, the ethical stand point which is still true today was forged during their tenure.
A quote as simple as “It's not the creed nor his nationality that counts. It’s the man himself" from Maley ensured Celtic would not be hamstrung for years by a narrow minded signing policy & ensured an open mind for finding the best players & managers available throughout our history.
The Kelly family name would continue to be heard around Celtic Park for over 100 years as the family controlled the fortunes of the club through the many highs & the difficult lows of our first 108 years.
Celtic were blessed with a number of strong leaders in those early years & they all played their part in building the foundations of the club we follow today. Willie Maley & James Kelly built on those strong foundations & helped propel the club into 20th century & on to unrivalled success.
