Celtic On This Day – 21st August – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

Day 21 of Celtic Historian David Potter’s new diary on The Celtic Star which will run throughout the new season and will highlight key Celtic related events relevant to each day, today covering 21 August…

SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 1926

Cowdenbeath are given a good reception by the Celtic crowd out of sympathy with the ongoing miners’ strike and all its deprivations. The League flag is also unfurled that day. Perhaps as a portent of things to come, it sticks for a few minutes and needs several undignified tugs by Chairman Tom White. On the field Jimmy McGrory and Alec Thomson score the goals that earn Celtic a 2-0 victory.

 

SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 1948

Celtic’s awful start to the season continues with a 0-1 defeat at home to Rangers.

It was a strange and unfortunate game with Rangers scoring when the ball skewed into the net off goalkeeper Willie Miller’s hand when it looked as if the ball was going past. Then Jimmy Mallan missed a penalty kick!

SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 1976

Celtic record a fine 5-0 victory over Arbroath at Gayfield in the League Cup with the goals scored by five separate players – Kenny Dalglish, Paul Wilson, Danny McGrain, Johannes Edvaldsson and Ronnie Glavin.

SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 1993

The first Old Firm fixture of the season at Parkhead is a distinct anti-climax, ending in a 0-0 draw. In a sense, Liam Brady’s Celtic are relieved not to lose, but on the other hand, their fans in the 47,942 crowd are very aware that each of the three games played so far in the League have ended in draws, and there seems to be a distinct lack of creativity among the forwards.

SUNDAY 21 AUGUST 2011

In the second SPL home game of the season, the team unaccountably underperform and go down 0-1 to St Johnstone at Celtic Park. Kris Commons misses a penalty in the early stages, and the team never really get going in any positive way.

David Potter

David Potter’s new book, Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style is featured in the new edition of the Celtic View which is out now and available from the Celtic Stores. You can also pick up the Willie Fernie book there too or order direct from Celtic Star Books, link below…

About Author

I am Celtic author and historian and write for The Celtic Star. I live in Kirkcaldy and have followed Celtic all my life, having seen them first at Dundee in March 1958. I am a retired teacher and my other interests are cricket, drama and the poetry of Robert Burns.

1 Comment

  1. So on this day in 1948 and 2011 Celtic miss a penalty and lose 0-1. Have never searched the statistics but it seems to me that we miss at least as many penalties as we score! In my early days of Celtic (late 50’s, early 60’s) I can think of at least 3 games V Rangers where we lost 0-1 and missed penalties. (off the top of my head – Bertie Auld, Pat Crerand, Bobby Murdoch). Anyone got statistics on this, or is it all in my imagination!?!?