Celtic On This Day – 20th February – 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 20th February 1926…

SATURDAY 20th FEBRUARY 1926 – At a dangerously overcrowded Tynecastle 52,000 see Celtic beat Hearts 4-0 in the Scottish Cup. Tommy McInally is the star of the show scoring twice and the other goals are scored by Jimmy McGrory and Paddy Connolly.

SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY 1954 – Willie Fernie is superb as Celtic turn it on today to beat Dundee 5-1 at Celtic Park. Neil Mochan scores twice and the other goals come from Jimmy Walsh, Johnny Higgins and Fernie himself. Celtic are behind Hearts in the Championship race following some poor results, but they do have games in hand.

SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY 1965 – Celtic pay a rare visit to Hampden to play Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup. They surprise everyone by appearing in all-green, feeling perhaps that the green and white hoops would clash with the black and white of the Spiders. It is not a great Celtic performance for the 27,443 fans to enjoy, but Bobby Lennox scores the only goal of the game in the second half. Everyone, of course, is very aware that Jock Stein will soon be arriving to take over.

WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 1980 – Celtic win a thrilling Scottish Cup tie against St Mirren at Love Street, Paisley. Celtic are down to ten men following the sending off of Tom McAdam, and the game finishes at 2-2 after 90 minutes, both sides having scored a penalty (Bobby Lennox scoring Celtic’s) and a goal each from open play with Celtic’s coming from Johnny Doyle. And it is Johnny Doyle who scores the winner in the 91st minute of the game with a delightful individual goal. He nutmegs a defender on the wing, pulls the ball back just as it is about to cross the bye-line, then cuts back and with everyone expecting a pass, scores himself. 27,166 enjoy this game.

David Potter