Legendary Celtic Players - Bobby Evans

In the years and decades that’s followed the end of the second world war it’s fair to say Celtic had lost the winning mentality that had delivered so much success in the initial half century of our clubs existence. The grand gala which marked our jubilee celebrations in 1938 was a distant memory along with the gilded dreams of a flourishing club at its peak. After winning the Empire Exhibition trophy and League championship in 1938 Celtic would be starved of any sustained success until the golden era of Jock Stein & the Lisbon Lions team he nurtured. However, even in amongst those darker days Celtic still produced moments of magic along with players that will live forever in the folklore of the club.

The immortal names of the players who wore the Hoops with distinction and pride, and still echo around our modern arena helped deliver success during a downturn in fortunes. Mochan, Fallon, Peacock, Stein, Tully and Evans all played their part in providing some of the biggest days in the clubs history. The latter of the names mentioned Bobby Evans joined Celtic in 1944 from juniors side St Anthony's and spent 16 years in the east end of Glasgow before leaving in 1960 to join Chelsea, during his time as a Bhoy, he amassed over 500 first class appearances winning 1 league championship, 2 Scottish cups, 2 league cups and the Coronation cup. 

When the wait for a major honour finally ended after 13 years Evans took his place on the field as the side overcame Motherwell by a single goal in the 1951 Scottish cup final. Not a classic final by any stretch but a winning mentality was a welcome change for the Celtic officials and faithful on the terraces. 

In 1953 a one off Cup competition was created to commemorate the Coronation of the new Queen. 8 clubs took part in the festival of football starting on the 11th May, 4 clubs each from Scotland & England. Celtic, although finishing 8th in the Scottish league beat Arsenal and Manchester United on route to the showpiece final where they overcame a fantastic Hibernian team that included their “Famous Five” frontline. Goals from Mochan & Walsh ensured Celtic would forever hold on to this piece of history.

In season ‘53-54 his stamina and durability were put to the test as Evans played in all but one of the clubs league, Scottish & league cup fixtures throughout the season. His reward for competing in 41 of 42 matches was helping Celtic achieve the league & cup double, our first domestic double for 40 years.

With Jock Stein sidelined due to injury Bobby Evan’s found a new lease of life at the heart of the Celtic defence. With the entire playing field in front if him Evans ability to read the passage of play and game management paid dividends as he secured 2 more medals as captain of the club. Firstly in 1956 when Celtic defeated Partick Thistle 3-0 in the league cup final replay at Hampden park. This victory ensured the league cup would be held in the Celtic park trophy room for the very first time. 

The following season Evans won his final medal at Celtic leading the club to their greatest domestic cup victory of all time. On the 19th October 1957 an inspired performance by the men in green & white rewrote the history books by notching up the biggest margin of victory in a UK cup final. Celtic thrashed Rangers 7-1 to retain the league cup, a simply stunning performance that is still celebrated by Celtic fans around the world.

His medal haul does not reflect the influence he had in the team, nor does it fully recognise the talent of a hugely versatile talented leader on and off the pitch. At a time when Celtic players found it hard to make an impact at International level Bobby Evans was selected as captain of the Scottish national team and earned every one of his 48 caps. 

Bobby Evans ability to play, marshal and eventually lead a Celtic side for 16 years ensures that he will always be considered as one of the greatest names to have worn the hoops.

Legendary Celtic Players - Alec McNair

The wonderful and timeless quote from Willie Maley “It's not the creed nor his nationality that counts. It's the man himself" could be used to show the open signing policy displayed by Celtic from it’s humble, but outward thinking beginnings. Over the years a number of players who may not have been Celtic fans have been influential in the clubs success on and off the park. 

Alec McNair fits this narrative perfectly, signed from Stenhousemuir in 1904 he was not brought up on Celtic traditions, he was in fact raised as a Rangers fan. However this had no impact on a glittering Celtic career for the man nicknamed “The Icicle” because of his cool and measured approach on the field of play.

In the formative years of organised football there was an expectation for players to deal with more stern challenges and rough play from opponents. McNair had an athletic physique that allowed him to deal with whatever was thrown at him. He wasn't all about strength though, McNair read the game instinctively well and those attributes along with his footwork meant he was seldom found second best.

Spending an incredible 21 years at the club as a player, Alec boasts the highest league winners medal tally of any Celtic player past or present. In all he won 12 league titles between 1904 and 1925 incorporating the 6 consecutive titles by the all conquering Scottish champions from 1905 to 1910 - which also included the winner take all league championship play off match against Rangers at Hampden where Celtic won 2-1.

He was a colossus for Willie Maley in developing that groundbreaking Celtic style and winning mentality. During the 1910/11 season Alec McNair would represent Celtic in every Scottish league and cup match, running out 40 times for the Hoops collecting a third Scottish Cup winners medal as his reward.

Alec McNair formed part of the very first “Trinity" that came out of Celtic Park. He along with goalkeeper Charlie Shaw and fellow defender Joe Dodds created one of the finest defensive backline to have played the game, which included a shout-out lasting over 1200 minutes covering 10 league & 3 cup matches during season 1913-14. Such foundations allowed the club to maintain its stranglehold on the Scottish game. Conversely this was a far cry from the early appearances for Alec, when his name was included amongst the attacking players at inside right on some occasions. 

Perhaps Willie Maley captured it best talking about Alec “he would have distinguished himself in any position, even in goals, with that calm cool head and the sharp eyes" 

With the changing face of football ensuring players move at will for significant sums of money, it is difficult to imagine any similar commitment to one team over such a long period of time now.

Alec McNair like so many other illustrious players to have served the club over the years may not have been a Celtic supporter from the outset, but his commitment to the club and its success certainly ensured that he will forever remain a Celtic legend. 604 Appearances 11 goals 12 league winners medals 6 Scottish Cup winners medals 1

Legendary Celtic Players - Jimmy McMenemy

In over 130 years of footballing excellence a number of Celtic players had been tagged with legendary status. These powerhouses of the club have written their names into the history books as great goalscorers, skillfull wingers, commanding defenders or natural leaders. There are a select few have made over 500 appearances for the club. However, only one man can lay claim to being the first to do so.

Signed from Rutherglen Glencairn just before his 22nd birthday, Jimmy McMenemy was a mainstay of the early Celtic side, making his debut in 1902 shortly after joining and just before the club strip was changed to the iconic Green & White Hoops. “Napoleon” as he was known was an integral part of the Willy Maley team that simply swept aside the rest of Scottish football in the opening decades of the 20th century. His instincts and intelligence on the field made him one of the many commanding leaders in the all conquering 6 in a row championship winning sides between 1905 & 1910.

Coupled with dominance in the league, McMenemy also played his part in making history in the first Celtic side to win the League & Cup double in 1907, then repeated the feet the following season securing back to back doubles (the first time it had ever been achieved). McMenemy scored the only goal of the game as Celtic overcame Aberdeen in the 1908 Semi-Final to set up that date with destiny. 

As the team evolved during the 1910s Jimmy played an important role in bridging that gap between the experienced players and those brought in to continue the success of playing the “Celtic Way". Celtic remained the dominant side during these years, securing 5 league titles between 1913 & 1919, along with 3 Scottish cups from 1911-1914. Including a 2-0 win over Clyde in the 1912 final at Ibrox when Jimmy scored the opening goal, his only Cup final goal.

After securing 17 winners medals at Celtic his presence was sorely missed when he left for Partick Thistle. The Celtic team would go into decline during the roaring 20s, unable to match the silver laden success of the previous 20 years. A return to Celtic in a coaching capacity in 1934 was hailed as a triumph by fans, players and officials. McMenemys influence and leadership shone through again as Celtic won the league in 1936 & ’38 along with the Scottish Cup in 1937 against Aberdeen in front of a record breaking crowd. The brutality of the 2nd world war meant football took a back seat, Jimmy finally left the club in 1940.

Jimmy McMenemy will always be considered one of the all time greats to be associated with Celtic. A man who most definitely played “The Celtic Way”. Attack minded along with quick feet with the ability to control a match from his position as a forward. At a time when the beautiful game was still finding its way, Jimmy McMenemy provided secure footing not only for Celtic, but as a pioneer in everything we love about football and our club.

One Day in Madrid in the Green & White

By the time most of Celtic supporters club busses had started the journey up the A9 to Dingwall for the lunchtime kick off against Ross County, I was in a small cafe finalising my travel plans for the day ahead. Over the next 14 hours or so I would be immersed in the footballing obsessed city of Madrid, thankfully I had my wife and son for company for the journey. 

The crisp cold morning that met many Glaswegians as they opened their doors on Sunday morning was in stark contrast to the soaked avenues and cobbled lanes of Madrid, but no amount of rain would dampen our spirits as we set off on the first leg of the journey and the Santiago Bernabeu.

For me, every trip to a stadium tour has to have a link to Celtic, so I was delighted to be in the venue where our greatest ever player lit up the Madrid sky back in 1967. Real Madrid had arranged to play a testimonial match for the legendary player Di Stéfano and “Los Blancos" looked at this as an opportunity to topple the newly crowned kings of Europe. 

Celtic arrived in Lisbon fresh from our victory at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon and put on a performance that even had the Real Madrid fans cheering “ole” whenever Jinky had the ball. Celtic won the match 1-0 thanks to a goal from Bobby Lennox and ensured that the magnificent Madrid trophy cabinet would always be short of one piece of history. Overall, the stadium tour was excellent, but I can only imagine it being much more of a challenge during the summer months when there are plenty more tourists in the city.

From the end of the tour, conveniently placed next to the Real Madrid club shop we had a 10 minute walk to our next venue – Paddys Irish Bar and a catch up with Madrid Emerald Celtic Supporters Club for the Celtic and Ross county match.

The downstairs bar had been converted into a shrine for all things Celtic by the time I picked my seat to watch the match. Around 30 fans all crowded round the telly gave it a proper big match feel, with accents from Glasgow, Ireland and even a couple of local Spaniards who had caught the bug for Celtic. Most of the fans there had made the journey through the Madrid metro to keep in touch with the hoops. 

Our hosts shared details of their annual Christmas appeal where they are raising money to buy up products to be donated to food banks in the city to help those less fortunate. Once again, that charitable arm of Celtic and its supporters shone even in the most miserable of Madrid weather. By full time we had watched a convincing Celtic victory, had a good sing song, picked up a Madrid Emerald CSC scarf and an invite back to join the club members to a Rayo Vallecano match. Now we were ready for the last part of our Super Sunday football feast.

Making our way to the Wanda Metropolitano stadium for the Atletico Madrid v Barcelona match saw us snake through the city metro system crossing from one side if the city to the other. In amongst the red & white stripes of the Atletico colours the Green and white of our newly acquired Celtic scarf stood out brilliantly as commuters looked to check our badge of honour. 

As the stadium filled up it was easy to sense that the Atletico fans and particularly the ultras were using this match to remind the Barcelona players & travelling fans that Catalonia was still very much under control of Madrid. Orchestrated banners & Spanish flags were waved throughout the match. In the end a moment of genius from the 2019 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi secured 3 the points and silenced the hostile Madrid crowd.

The metro journey home was a quiet one, with much frustration amongst the Madrid faithful. As the carriages began to empty the green and white Celtic scarf became more noticeable, one Madrid fan approached us saying, “Celtic - it's a historic club" and shook our hands. Our walk back to the hotel was peppered with shouts of “Celtic – Glasgow”. As far as footballing mad cities go Madrid is high on the list and it’s good to know that Celtic and our fans are still recognised in the madness.

Legendary Partnerships - The Roaring 20s

After the unbridled success enjoyed by Celtic in the opening decades of the 20th century, the 1920s in comparison delivered much less for Celtic fans to cheer. Celebrating 2 league titles and 3 Scottish cups shows significant achievements for many clubs, but such was the dominance of the early Willie Maley sides the roaring 20s were a little more tempered in contrast. 

The reduction in trophies did not result in a decline in quality names throughout the team, the emergence of a young striker in James Edward McGrory and the talents of Patsy Gallagher ensured that playing football “The Celtic Way" was preserved. Stalwarts of the club in the guise of Jimmy & Willie Mcstay supplied the grit & guile in defence that helped provide some high points during the mid twenties. Those celebrations were particularly special between March 1925 and April 1927, when Celtic secured the league title and two Scottish cup triumphs. 

On the 21st March 1925 Celtic made the trip to Hampden very much in the shadow of our city neighbours. Rangers were the form team and were expected to seal a passage to the final, however 2 goals each from James McGrory and Adam McLean with a solitary strike from Alec Thomson secured a 5-0 victory as we sailed into the final. This result was the springboard to silverware.

In the cup final against Dundee just 3 weeks later James McGrory secured the cup heading in the winner with only a few minutes left to play, but he was upstaged by the mercurial talents of Patsy Gallagher as he weaved his way through the Dundee team and somersaulted into the net with the ball between his feet to bring Celtic level late in the second half. 

The following season Celtic were crowned champions of Scotland winning the league by 8 points over second placed Airdrie. In his second full season as a Celtic regular, James McGrory played 43 league & cup matches scoring 42 goals. Both Willie and Jimmy McStay barely missed a match as Celtic missed out on a league & cup double, losing to St Mirren in the April showpiece final.

In season 1926-27 Celtic rattled in over 100 goals during the 38 match league season, this century of goals included 3 matches where James McGrory scored 4 goals and another 3 matches where he scored 5 goals in the games, ending the season with 56 goals. Scoring wasn't the issue, but perhaps stopping the opposition was. With over 50 goals lost in the league campaign Celtic finished 3rd. The season did end brightly with another visit to the national stadium to contest the Scottish Cup final. 

East Fife were the underdogs, but that didn't stop the 2nd division side taking the lead after 7 minutes. Celtic were not behind for long scoring the equaliser just 60 seconds later thought an own goal. A goal each for Adam McLean and Patrick Connolly ensure the Scottish Cup returned to Paradise as Celtic ran out 3-1 winners in front of 80,000 fans. 

Celtic may no longer have been the dominant force in the Scottish game, but the names that represented the club during the 20s certainly made their mark and would be considered amongst the greatest to wear the green & white hoops.

Legendary Partnerships - The Holy Trinity

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.

Lubo - A gift from god

After a painfully long wait to celebrate winning the Scottish premier league the Celtic players and fans were well with in their rights to keep the party going for a good few days and weeks after the final whistle was blown on the last day of the 1997 / 98 football season. Not long after the last bottle of booze was finished news broke that the manager & mastermind of the title triumph was no longer in charge of the newly crowned champions. The departure of Wim Jansen not only left a gaping hole in the clubs plans for the new season, but it also exposed the toxic relationship between General Manager Jock Brown and the clubs management team. 

The change at management level ushered in the arrival of the likeable and dignified figure of Dr Jozef Venglos. Dr Jo was a largely unknown quantity amongst Celtic fans, but had a strong pedigree in coaching long before he was unveiled at Celtic Park, the good Doctor was given the impossible task of following up on a long awaited championship success. Celtic fans were still in a state of confusion and surprise as our first championship flag in 10 years was unfurled in front of our newly completed stadium. The 60000 sell out crowd watched on as Dunfermline were dismantled 5 - 0 in Celtics first home start to the league since 1988. 

The match proved to be something of a one off in the opening months of the season. Inconsistency in results meant that the hangovers from the championship win started to hit hard on the fans. The performances, results and injury list highlighted the fact we needed more players, but any new signings always seemed to be a few weeks away, especially under the frugal watch of Jock Brown. 

When the purse strings were loosened, a rather unknown Slovakian thought to be in the twilight of his career was paraded in front of the Scottish sporting press to much derision. Lubo Moravcik had to wait over a week before taking a bow in front of the Celtic faithful. However, before he took his first touch for the club, the air of gloom that had hung over Celtic Park since the end of the previous season was lifted in a truly joyous moment when General Manger Jock Brown left the club. Lubo made his debut serving up a masterclass that had many in the Scottish press eating their words. That performance gave an insight to what was to follow later in the month.

On the 21st November 1998 Rangers made the trip to Celtic Park already with a healthy lead in the league, however a Lubo inspired Celtic team simply tore apart the visitors scoring our biggest margin of victory over our city rivals in over 30 years. Moravcik helped himself to two goals, including a wonderful strike after 11 minutes to open the scoring. Henrik Larsson scored two and a young Mark Burchill wrapped up the scoring in the final minutes. In truth that victory may have been the highlight of a difficult season, Dr Jo was replaced at the end of the season, but the little magician he signed from Duisburg continued to grace The Hoops for another 3 seasons.

Lubo cast a spell on Scottish football, mesmerising defenders and enthralling fans around the country. His genius was used to devastating effect in the early Martin O'Neill years when Celtic conquered all in front of them sealing the Treble before displaying his skills on primetime viewing in the champions league.

Lubo Moravcik was one of the most technically gifted and skilful players to have pulled on the hoops for almost 30 years, he arrived as an unknown quantity but will forever remain a Celtic hero.