Under the guidance of Willie Maley the Celtic side of the first decade of the 1900s had delivered an all conquering, record breaking & history making “6 in a row" champions of Scotland, with the last of those 6 titles secured in the 1909/10 season. However, Maley had already started to lay the foundations of a new side that he would develop into a team of winners to deliver further success into the following decade.
In the short term there would be a break in the monopoly of league titles for Maleys Celtic side. A three year gap in title celebrations between 1910 & 1914 would be tempered with back to back success in the Scottish Cup in 1911 & 1912. A further Scottish Cup was secured in 1914 to make it a league & cup double celebration for the hoops. That domestic double would be the catalyst for further dominance as Celtic secured 5 of the next 6 league championships.
At this time Celtic seemed to be able to field attackers who could not only put the ball in the net, but could entertain the burgeoning crowds gathered on the terraces of Celtic Park & at other football stadiums throughout Scotland. Jimmy Quinn “The Croy Express" & Patsy Gallagher “The Mighty Atom" would form part of the 5 forward options at the disposal of Willie Maley during the first half of the 1910’s & it is sometimes easy to focus on the goal scoring heroics. However, in defence a Trinity of players would form a partnership that set records & help secure success for the club.
A defensive pairing of Alec McNair & Joe Dodds along with goalkeeper Charlie Shaw, known as The Holy Trinity provided the secure foundations for this Celtic team to deliver more silverware .
Alec McNair was a veteran of the Celtic side who helped secure 6 titles on the trot just a few years earlier. Spending 21 years at the club, Willie Maley described him as a "Calm, cool head". His compatriot in defence Joe Dodds joined the club in 1908 & was known for his pace & ability as a full back & centre back . With Maley making changes throughout the team, it would be 1911 before the pair would begin to form a more stable partnership together. The speed & flexibility of Dodds & the coolness of McNair allowed the rest of the team to focus on winning matches.
The final piece of the defensive trinity arrived in 1913 when Goalkeeper Charlie Shaw was signed from Queens Park Rangers. It didn't take long for the new man to grow in to his role between the posts at Celtic Park. During the winter months of December 1913 & February 1914 Shaw & the defensive pairing in front of him would go an incredible 13 matches in league & cup duty without conceding a goal.
There would a regular selection of “The Holy Trinity” as the first three names on the Celtic team sheet for the next 5 seasons. This particular Trinity served a collective 45 years at the club winning every major honour available & helped make Celtic the dominant side in Scottish football.
