Celtic On This Day – 17th March – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

The late, great Celtic Historian David Potter’s Celtic Diary each morning on The Celtic Star looks back at key Celtic events and matches on this day starting on 17th March 1928…

Jimmy McGrory

SATURDAY 17 MARCH 1928 – With McInally still out of favour, the team continue to do well, winning today 2-1 against Hearts at Parkhead in a game where Celtic were “smooth-moving and harmonious” and should really have scored more goals. As it was, McGrory scored twice and Celtic retain their position at the top of the League.

David Potter at the Celtic Graves Society’s Jimmy Delaney Commemoration

SATURDAY 17 MARCH 1945 – Optimism is in the air as the German Reich now begins to implode with the Russians driving them back in the East and the British and Americans advancing on the West, but it is still the same dismal war time story from Celtic, as they rely on a Jimmy Delaney penalty to earn a draw against Clyde before 10,000 at Parkhead.

The Celtic team at Airdrie on St Patrick’s Day 1962

SATURDAY 17 MARCH 1962 – Any outside chance Celtic may have had of winning the League flag disappears today when they go down 0-1 to Airdrie at Broomfield. It is a shame because they have been playing some good football, but it is typical of this season in which they had already lost to small teams like Falkirk and Stirling Albion. Today’s game is another story of missed chances by the young forwards, then just the one mistake at the back.

SUNDAY 17 MARCH 1991 – Celtic beat Rangers 2-0 at Celtic Park in the quarter final of the Scottish Cup – but that is only half the story for three Rangers players are sent off – Terry Hurlock, Mark Walters and Mark Hateley as BBC Scotland on live terrestrial television ruthlessly expose the ugly side of Rangers success. Graeme Souness has the grace to apologise at the end. Celtic’s goals are scored by Dariusz Wdowczyk and Gerry Creaney. Peter Grant is also sent off, but for the less than totally heinous crime of breaking from a wall too early at a free kick!

Henrik Larsson scored

WEDNESDAY 17 MARCH 2004 – In a match preceded by a minute’s silence for the victims of a bombing in Madrid, Celtic beat Dundee 2-1 at Dens Park more easily than the score line would suggest with goals from Stilian Petrov and Henrik Larsson. Celtic are now almost within touching distance of the League title.

David Potter

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About Author

David was a distinguished Celtic author and historian and writer for The Celtic Star. He lived in Kirkcaldy and followed Celtic all my life, having seen them first at Dundee in March 1958. He was a retired teacher and his other interests were cricket, drama and the poetry of Robert Burns. David Potter passed away on 29 July 2023 after a short illness. He was posthumously awarded a Special Recognition award by Celtic FC at the club's Player of the Year awards in May 2024. David's widow Rosemary accepted the award to huge applause from the Celtic Supporters in the Hydro.

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