Celtic in the 1930s – And they gave us James McGrory and Jack Connor (Part 3)

On Saturday, 10 April 1909, a new record attendance of 70,000 turned up to see the Scottish Cup Final between the Glasgow rivals, Quinn heading the Bhoys in front, a lead they held until the 72nd minute. The game then turned on its head within three minutes. Firstly, Tom Gilchrist equalised then the knife was further and cruelly twisted, as Alec Bennett, having won four successive titles and two Doubles with Celtic and having scored the winning goal for the Bhoys at Ibrox in April 1908 before making the switch across Glasgow two weeks later, edged the Govan side ahead.

With time quickly running out, Quinn’s pressure on the Rangers keeper, Harry Rennie, forced him into the concession of an own goal. Rennie had been the hero of Hibernian’s win over Celtic at Parkhead in the 1902 final, however, it would be his error which would take this tie to a second game, and subsequently, into notoriety.

Seven days later, the teams met again. At stake for Celtic was a ‘Treble Double’, whilst the Ibrox club was desperate to break the trophy monopoly of their now fiercest rivals. This time it was Rangers who struck first, through Jimmy Gordon, with the prolific Jimmy Quinn again on the scoresheet for Celts, as the replay finished 1-1. What happened next will forever remain a mystery. Despite the competition rules allowing extra-time only if teams were level after a third match, players of both sides remained on the pitch at the end of the ninety minutes, in anticipation, presumably, of a further thirty.

The 60,000 crowd would appear to have been like-minded in their expectation. When it became clear that no such additional period would ensue, all hell broke loose from the terracing, the ‘old firm’ tag coming back to haunt the clubs, with suggestions of conspiracy and commercial collusion abounding. Police and fire service personnel were attacked at random and the stadium itself was quickly under siege, with turnstiles, goalposts and the playing surface set on fire.

The full-scale riot would endure for over two hours, neighbouring properties then finding themselves the target as the mob finally dispersed from the stadium. In the aftermath, both clubs were fined and the cup withheld. There would be no Treble Double and it would be more than a decade before the Scottish Cup Final returned to Hampden.

The following year would see a sixth successive title won by Celtic, prompting the presentation of that beautiful shield by the Scottish League, which remains on display in the Parkhead boardroom to this day, although their Scottish Cup hopes would be ended by Tom McAteer’s Clyde in the ‘Leigh Roose’ semi-final at Shawfield, mentioned previously. Quinn and McAteer would then score the goals against Hamilton Academical which took the trophy back to Celtic Park twelve months later, in April 1911.

Celtic’s first 6-in-a-row winning side

Thus, when baby John Connor entered the world in September of that year, it’s probably fair to say that Jimmy Quinn would have been the darling of the Celtic support, and therefore, of the Garngad. If James Kelly had been Celtic’s first superstar, and Dan Doyle and Sandy ‘Duke’ McMahon the key Bhoys throughout the 1890’s, then the shy Croy powerhouse would pick up that baton and drive the club forward into the new millennium.

The first Celtic match of John Connor’s lifetime took place two days after his birth, on Saturday, 9 September 1911, a Glasgow Cup-tie against Partick Thistle at Parkhead, goals from Andy McAtee, Jimmy McMenemy and the lesser-known John Brown securing a 3-3 draw. By now, Quinn was 33 years-old and in his twelfth season at Parkhead, however, there was yet more history to be made. On Monday, 1 January 1912, he scored his third hat-trick against Rangers in a 3-0 victory at Celtic Park. Jimmy Quinn was the only player from either club to ever achieve that feat.

By the time young Connor was starting school at his local primary, St Roch’s on the Garngad Road, the country was at war and the Celtic fans had a new hero to worship. The great Quinn had played his last match for the club on Saturday, 30 January 1915, a 1-1 home draw with Hearts, having featured only sporadically in the previous two years, as Maley’s next great side began their own run of consecutive titles. His place in history was assured, with 239 goals from 369 games in all competitions, 6 successive League championships and 5 Scottish Cup-winners’ medals, Quinn having scored 8 goals in the various showpiece finals since 1901. But now there was a new Bhoy in town, and he was pretty special too.

On Saturday, 2 December 1911, the 12,000 supporters inside Parkhead caught their first glimpse of a diminutive inside-forward from Donegal by the name of Patsy Gallacher, in a 3-1 win over St Mirren. He would score his first goal for the club the following week at Hampden, with Jimmy Quinn grabbing a double in a 4-1 victory over Queen’s Park.

The little genius with the huge talent would go on to thrill a generation of Hoops fans over the next fifteen seasons, by which time he had amassed almost 500 games and scored an incredible 200 goals for Celtic. He would be the lynchpin in the Hoops side which would win five championships in six seasons, including four-in-a-row between 1914 and 1917, adding another medal to his collection in 1922. And although the Scottish Cup was suspended between 1914 and 1919 due to the war, he would manage four successes in that competition also, scoring in the final victories of 1912 and 1925, his goal in the latter being that iconic ‘somersault’ goal against Dundee.

Against that background, things were happening closer to home for John Connor in a football sense. In 1920, the local priest at St Roch’s had entered a side representing the parish in a local tournament, which they subsequently won. This led to the formation of St Roch’s as a junior club, the new team winning the Second Division championship at the first time of asking, with a side featuring a number of lads from the parish Boys Guild, including a lean 16-year-old forward called James Edward McGrory.

If that debut season was impressive then the following campaign, 1921/22, would be the stuff of dreams. The newly-promoted Garngad outfit would pip St Anthony’s to the First Division title, whilst reaching the final of junior football’s showpiece competition, the Scottish Junior Cup. Their opponents at Firhill in front of an amazing 28,000 crowd would be the experienced Kilwinning Rangers. Con Hilley gave the ‘Candy Roch’ the lead before the half-hour.

Con was Jimmy’s neighbour growing up, his mum and dad acting as godparents to the young McGrory. His older brother, Hugh, had signed for Celtic in May 1921 and would later play at Parkhead with Jimmy McGrory. Hugh is featured in a previous part of this series, his sad departure the trigger for the introduction of William Peter McGonagle as a Celt.

Back at Firhill, the Ayrshire side had equalised early in the second half before young McGrory headed the winner with ten minutes remaining, to secure an unbelievable double. There was a twist in the tale, however, as Kilwinning Rangers registered a protest at the eligibility of St Roch’s full back, Hugh Millar, who had recently been signed from Bellshill Athletic.

The appeal was upheld by the SJFA and a replayed final ordered at the same venue on Tuesday, 6 June 1922. In the interim, the street party celebrating the initial success had gone ahead. In his autobiography, ‘A Lifetime in Paradise’, Jimmy McGrory tells how the St Roch’s parish priest did not want to disappoint the locals who had thronged the streets of the Garngad. He handed the Inter-Parish trophy, recently won by the Boys Guild team, to the players to parade from the bus. No-one caught on.

The real celebration was merely delayed.

Over 32,000 crammed into Firhill for the rematch, with McGrory on the scoresheet again, netting the equaliser after Kilwinning had taken an early lead. Johnny Rollo would settle the destination of the trophy with a winner for St Roch’s, and this time there would be no dispute. With the Double secured, the Garngad side then met another Rangers, the Cambuslang version this time, in the final of the Glasgow Charity Cup, four days later at Cathkin Park, home of Third Lanark.

There would be no Treble as St Roch’s went down to a solitary goal, however, there would be a silver lining for the 17-year-old McGrory. Waiting in the dressing-room afterwards was the Celtic manager, Willie Maley, and Jimmy would be a signed Hoops player before he left the ground that evening. The rest is history, as they say. Curiously, for all his later success with Celtic, the League and Cup Double of 1922 with St Roch’s would be the only time Jimmy would achieve that feat in his entire career.

Jimmy McGrory

One can only imagine how much inspiration the early success of St Roch’s would provide to the young footballers of the Garngad, amongst them 10-year-old John Connor, seven years McGrory’s junior. By this time, John would be looking to follow in the great man’s footsteps by turning out for the Boys Guild team, and he would do.

There is a wonderful photo in the Celtic Wiki (see below), which features John in a side labelled ‘the best-ever St Roch’s Boys Guild team’. High praise indeed, considering some of the men who have worn that shirt. Jimmy McGrory had played wide throughout his early football career, due to the presence of Peter McGonagle’s cousin at centre-forward. There is another McGonagle in the photo with John, so perhaps he was also a relation. However, John is up front and centre with the ball between his feet, usually a sign that he was the regular centre-forward, team captain or both. At some point in time, John will become known as Jack, and most career profiles refer to him accordingly.

Jack Connor would indeed follow the same career path as Jimmy, from Boys Guild through the junior ranks with St Roch’s then eventually to Celtic. He would have a trial at Parkhead in August 1931, just before his 20th birthday, as the events which would lead to John Thomson’s tragic death at Ibrox were being organised by fate, before signing a permanent contract on 6 June 1932, ten years to the day his old club had lifted the Scottish Junior Cup for the one and only time in their now century of history.

He would witness a mixed start for Celtic to season 1932/33, the Hoops trying to wrestle the title back from Sailor Hunter’s Motherwell and claim the crown for the first time since 1926. Despite a damaging 2-1 defeat by Partick Thistle in August and dropped points against Hamilton Academical, Falkirk and Rangers, a 3-1 victory at Firs Park, Falkirk over East Stirlingshire on Wednesday, 14 September saw the Celts move to the top of the table, albeit having played a game more than their Ibrox rivals, thanks to a second-half hat-trick from Charlie Napier.

Three days later, Celtic made the short trip to Hampden for a League clash with Queen’s Park, with a side showing four changes from midweek. Willie Cook and Peter McGonagle made way for Bobby Hogg and Jock Morrison at full-back, whilst Frank O’Donnell and Jack Connor came in for Jimmy McGrory and Malcolm MacDonald up front.

It would be a Celtic first-team debut at inside-left for Garngad-Bhoy Connor, with O’Donnell playing through the middle and Napier wide left, Alec and Bertie Thomson linking on the right flank. Behind that strike force were wing-halves Chic Geatons and the versatile Willie Hughes, either side of captain Jimmy McStay. Joe Kennaway, nearing the end of his first year as replacement for John Thomson, was between the sticks.

It would prove a difficult afternoon for the Celts amongst the 10,000 crowd, O’Donnell providing the only moment of hope with an equaliser just before the interval, as the amateurs ran out comfortable 4-1 winners. Jack would not play again in the first team that season as Celtic finished fourth in the table, ten League defeats leaving them a distant fourteen points off champions Rangers and behind both Motherwell and Hearts. They did regain the Scottish Cup with a second-half Jimmy McGrory goal against the Steelmen at Hampden, a second such triumph in three years against the same opposition.

By that time, Jack had enjoyed a very productive spell on loan with Airdrieonians, scoring 22 goals in just 21 League games for the Diamonds that season, despite the Lanarkshire side fighting relegation throughout, a battle they would win but only just. He would be in his preferred centre-forward role at Broomfield on Saturday, 3 December 1932, when he faced his parent club for the first time, a Bertie Thomson double either side of a Charlie Napier spot kick conversion giving Celts a commanding lead they would not relinquish, despite Connor securing a late penalty for the hosts which McQueen then contrived to miss, as Airdrieonians slumped to an eighth successive defeat.

Jack would also feature in the return League fixture, played at Celtic Park on Tuesday, 18 April 1933, just three days after the Bhoys had beat Motherwell 1-0 in the Scottish Cup Final mentioned above. Maley had made three changes to his cup-winning line-up for the last home match of the campaign, Joe Kennaway, Jimmy McGrory and Charlie Napier making way for Jock Wallace, Frank O’Donnell and debutant George Paterson, the latter appearing at centre-forward and opening the scoring with a header which went in off both post and keeper Morrison, ten minutes before the interval.

George would later be converted into one of Celtic’s best ever wing-halfbacks. Five minutes after the restart, it appeared to many onlookers that Jack Connor had scored an equaliser for Airdrieonians, goalkeeper Wallace scrambling frantically to clear his effort from the foot of the post. Controversially, referee Baillie chose to play on and the Lanarkshire side would then go on to concede the next goal, Alec Thomson netting with fifteen minutes remaining.

Morrison did pull one back for the visitors in the dying minutes, however, the 2-1 defeat meant their battle to stay up would go to the wire. Despite losing both of their final games, away to Ayr United then home to St Mirren, the Diamonds would survive by two points, Morton and East Stirlingshire taking the dreaded drop. There is no doubt that Jack Connor’s 22 goals were crucial in prolonging their stay in the top-flight and he would have returned to Celtic Park that summer with high hopes for the season ahead.

Celts would make an indifferent start to the following season’s campaign, newly-promoted Queen of the South winning 3-2 at Palmerston on the opening day, their first-ever top-flight match and Willie Buchan’s Celtic debut, then the Hoops and Falkirk sharing four goals at Parkhead, with Bob Shankly scoring an equaliser for the Bairns, a game famous for the referee blowing prematurely for full-time as Celtic desperately chased a winner.

He would then be forced to call the players back from the dressing-room to complete the match. Quite bizarre. Celts would finally register a victory at the third time of asking, at Firhill in midweek, goals from Jimmy McGrory, Johnny Crum and Frank O’Donnell failing to tease a response from a Partick Thistle side featuring the great Adam McLean at outside-left.

Johnny Crum

The game in Maryhill was just a third Celtic start for Johnny Crum. He had replaced Bertie Thomson on the right-flank, following the winger’s transfer to Blackpool a few days earlier. Bertie liked to ‘live life to the full’, as they say, which would bring him into regular conflict with manager Willie Maley. He had been the Scottish Cup final hero of 1931, setting up the last-gasp equaliser in the first match with Motherwell before matching McGrory’s double in the replay, a 4-2 victory for Celtic. He had also been providing the service from the right-wing in the Hampden rematch two years later, as the great man won the trophy for Celtic again.

However, in between times, he had fallen out with Maley, who was concerned over his ‘unsatisfactory play and physical condition.’ Such disputes at Celtic tended to end one way, with the player leaving, which is exactly what he did, on 21 August 1933. Thomson would spend just one season in Lancashire before heading north to join that same Motherwell side, returning to Celtic Park with the Steelmen on Saturday, 8 December 1934, beside another former Bhoy, John McMenemy, son of the legendary ‘Napoleon’.

Both men were received warmly by the home crowd, Bertie presented with a horseshoe adorned in both club colours by his previous fans. However, such kindness would not extend beyond the referee’s whistle, as Motherwell would then be beaten 3-2. Bertie would retire shortly after this, at 27, his lifestyle excesses prematurely ending his career then his life. He would die suddenly from heart failure in Glasgow three years later, on 17 September 1937, just two months into his third decade and on the third birthday of his daughter. Yet another tragedy in a period where grief had become a regular visitor to those with Celtic Football Club in their hearts.

Three days after the 3-0 defeat of Partick Thistle, Saturday, 26 August 1933, Celts were on the road again, this down heading for Ayrshire and a match with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. The only change in the Hoops side would see Jack Connor replace Hugh O’Donnell, in an attack comprising four players who would feature at centre-forward for the Bhoys at one time or another, Crum, McGrory, Frank O’Donnell and Connor himself. Alec Thomson was the exception in that sense.

On a scorching hot day, left-back Peter McGonagle put the visitors ahead from a trademark free-kick, after McGrory had been fouled at the edge of the box. Kilmarnock equalised within four minutes through Williamson before Connor’s moment of glory arrived, in the closing stages of the first half, McGrory failing to connect with Crum’s cross but his fellow Garngad man making no mistake to restore the lead, his first goal for Celtic. Incredibly, that lead would be gone before the interval, Killie hitting back with two goals in 60 seconds, Maxwell then Liddell beating Joe Kennaway to send the hosts into the break 3-2 ahead. They would again dominate the second period without adding to their lead before a mistake between the Celtic keeper and McGonagle with eight minutes to play allowed Liddell a tap-in for his second of the day. Crum reduced the deficit from close-range near the end, however, it would be too little, too late.

Jack Connor would retain his place in the team for the trip to face Third Lanark at Cathkin in midweek, a first round Glasgow Cup-tie. Maley did shuffle his pack with three changes, 18-year-old Willie Buchan getting his second start following the opening day defeat in Dumfries as Alec Thomson dropped out, Charlie Napier filling the other inside-forward slot at the expense of Frank O’Donnell and Peter Wilson coming in for Malcolm MacDonald at right-half.

The first half was goalless with Napier giving Celts the lead five minutes after the restart, with a fine solo effort, Johnny Crum adding a second on the hour mark before Peter McGonagle missed a penalty, his shot hitting the post after the referee had spotted a handball. Hasson then kept the hosts in the tie at 2-1 before a second goal from Crum with four minutes remaining and a last-minute counter from Jimmy McGrory set the Hoops up for a semi-final clash with Rangers. Jack Connor would thus get to enjoy his first taste of victory as a Celt that night.

Three days later, Saturday, 2 September 1933, Jack would make his home debut, Celtic Park the fourth different venue in his four appearances in the first team. Hearts were the visitors as Maley fielded an unchanged line-up, both Johnny Crum and Jack Connor struggling on the day in their unaccustomed wide roles, whilst Jimmy McGrory found the Edinburgh side’s keeper, Wembley Wizard, Jack Harkness, in sensational form. Despite incessant pressure from Celtic, the game would end a disappointing 0-0.

To be continued…

Thanks, as always, to the Celtic Wiki, a wonderful source of reference information.

Hail Hail!

Matt Corr

READ THIS…Exclusive Interview with former Celtic Star Tommy Callaghan. “Right, lads, any wee Bacardi’s for me?”

About Author

Having retired from his day job Matt Corr can usually be found working as a Tour Guide at Celtic Park, or if there is a Marathon on anywhere in the world from as far away as Tokyo or New York, Matt will be running for the Celtic Foundation. On a European away-day, he's there writing his Diary for The Celtic Star and he's currently completing his first Celtic book with another two planned.

Comments are closed.