And we gave them James McGrory and...Peter Shevlin

Showing 7 of 7

Celtic and Accies now presented the immediate threat to Rangers, both clubs tucked in two points behind the League leaders, and they would face off at Parkhead as the Hoops run of tough fixtures continued. Both teams would be without key players, Peter McGonagle suspended for 14 days and fined £20 in midweek for his dismissal at Ibrox whilst as mentioned above, Jimmy McStay was deemed unfit to face his former club. Jock Morrison replaced McGonagle, Chic Geatons came in for the injured Malcolm MacDonald at centre-half and Jimmy Delaney replaced Frank O’Donnell in a revamped attack.

It was another Old Bhoy who stole the show, Peter Shevlin in the Accies goal defying Celtic time and again, albeit he was still beaten three times on the day as Celts recorded a 3-1 win. Jimmy McGrory was on target within the first five minutes, a Delaney double in an eight-minute burst just before the break settling the issue of the points much to the delight of the majority of the 28,000 crowd. David Wilson did manage a consolation goal for the visitors with eight minutes remaining, but the contest was over long before that.

Accies hopes of silverware now resided in the Scottish Cup, but there was a cruel sting in the tail for the man who did so much to get them there.

There was a 10-day gap before Celtic’s final League game of the season could be played. That was due to the Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Hamilton Academical at Hampden on Saturday, 20 April 1935.

Having won five Scottish Cup-winners medals as a Celtic player – the last two as captain – the now 40-year-old Jimmy McStay would play for the Accies at the end of his highly successful first season at Douglas Park. His former Parkhead teammate Peter Shevlin would not be so lucky. He had kept goal for Celtic as they won the Scottish Cup at Hampden in 1925, the Hoops beating Dundee 2-1 thanks to a last-minute Jimmy McGrory strike, in a game forever remembered for Patsy Gallacher’s ‘somersault’ equaliser, before winning a Championship medal the following season, the last title won by Celts to this point.

Peter returned to the national stadium with the Bhoys for the 1926 Scottish Cup final against St Mirren, however on this occasion he would be blamed in some quarters for the two goals which took the trophy to Paisley.

Shevlin would now suffer more Scottish Cup heartache. Having been man-of-the-match in the semi-final win over Aberdeen, the injury suffered in a meaningless League game with Queen of the South seven days before the final cost him his place against Rangers at Hampden. He had to look on from the stand in the driving rain as Jimmy Morgan performed heroics in the Accies goal, the young deputy saving a Bob McPhail penalty as Rangers edged home by the odd goal in three to complete back-to-back Doubles.

Peter was then released by Hamilton, finishing his football career at nearby Albion Rovers.

Peter did indeed receive a free transfer from Douglas Park, joineing another Lanarkshire First Division outfit in Albion Rovers on 7 May 1935. He was appointed captain at Cliftonhill and played 16 League games there before retiring at the end of the 1935/36 season. He did not feature in either of the matches with Celtic that campaign.

Just five years after his playing career ended, whilst living in the English Midlands in 1941, Peter was a civilian casualty of the second world war, seriously injured following a Luftwaffe bombing campaign and spending months in hospital thereafter. Sadly, he would never fully recover, passing away seven years later in Withington Community Hospital, Manchester on 10 October 1948. Peter was only 45 years old. You may recall that his father Hugh had been one year younger than that when he died in Hamilton 40 years earlier. Peter’s mother Helen had a much longer life. She also passed away in Hamilton, but not until 1943, aged 78.

Just over six years after Peter died, he and his wife Rose were reunited. She passed away on 18 February 1955 at the County Hospital in Cleland, aged 53, and at that time was living with their son John at 33 John Street, Craigneuk. She is described as the widow of Peter Shevlin, Professional Footballer.

Rest in peace, Peter, another man who fought through adversity to live the dream.

And as a final aside, the Celtic connection for the Shevlin family didn’t end with Peter’s involvement back in the 1930s. His cousin just happens to be the grandfather of one of the stalwarts of the Celtic FC Foundation Supporters’ Committee, Lorna Shevlin, who will be honouring Peter and all of the other Celts who made the first 50 years of our club’s existence so special at our unique event in Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza hotel on Saturday, 23 March 2024.

That’s an international weekend so please do yourself a favour and get your ‘Celtic fix’ by joining us for what promises to be something extra special. An evening full of fun, music, laughter and Celtic content you just won’t get anywhere else. Tickets available at this link.

Hail Hail!

Matt Corr

Follow Matt on Twitter/X @Boola_vogue