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Celtic On This Day – 26th October – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

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The late, great Celtic Historian David Potter’s Celtic diary highlights key Celtic-related events relevant to each day, today covering 26 October…

SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER 1895

Celtic beat Dundee 11-0 at Parkhead in what is still a record score in the Scottish League. The pitch is frankly unplayable after heavy overnight snow and Dundee are very critical of referee Mr J Baillie’s decision to let the game go ahead. Dundee have three players injured and in the second half take the field with only nine men, but by this time the score is already 6-0 for Celtic, who have had to change their strips because the green and white vertical stripes clash with the blue and white vertical of Dundee. Accounts of who scored all the goals vary, but the general consensus seems to be that Johnny Madden scored three, Jimmy Blessington two, Barney Battles two, Allan Martin two, James Kelly one and Willie Ferguson one.

Barney Battles
SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER 1907

At the third attempt after two draws, Celtic win the Glasgow Cup by beating Rangers 2-1 at Hampden before 55,000 spectators. Both Celtic goals come in the first half from Peter Somers from a defensive mix-up and Davie McLean with a “finely judged shot of power”. It is McLean’s first competitive game for the club because Davie Hamilton is suspended. Rangers score in the second half, but Celtic finish the game well in command.

Davie McLean
SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER 1963

Celtic beat Airdrie 9-0 in a brilliant display of attacking football, sadly watched by only a paltry crowd of 13,000 – such has been the disillusionment with failures earlier in the season, But to-day both John Hughes and John Divers score hat-tricks, and Charlie Gallagher, Bobby Murdoch and Steve Chalmers score one each. At the end, Celtic are awarded a penalty, Frank Haffey the goalkeeper takes it – and misses! Was this compassion for the other goalkeeper poor Roddy McKenzie of Airdrie? On the same day, however, Rangers win the Scottish League Cup final by putting five past second division Morton – something that says a great deal about how easy it is for Rangers when Celtic have been in the doldrums for so long!

SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER 1974

Celtic, having lost the last four League Cup Finals in a row, turn it on and win this one with a scintillating display of attacking football. The final score is Celtic 6 Hibs 3 before 53,848 fans at Hampden on a crisp autumn day. Two hat-tricks are scored – one by Dixie Deans of Celtic and one by Joe Harper of Hibs, who thus has the rare, if not unique, distinction in world football of having scored a hat-trick in a major Cup final and ended up on the losing side.

Never exactly the darling of the Celtic crowd, he is nevertheless given a round of applause by the magnanimous Celtic fans as he collects his loser’s medal. One of Deans’ goals is truly remarkable as he dives to head home a rebound from a Jimmy Johnstone drive, which cannoned off a defender’s leg. Celtic’s other goals are scored by Paul Wilson, Stevie Murray and Jimmy Johnstone, and Celtic have now won the Scottish League Cup 8 times.

WEDNESDAY 26 OCTOBER 2011

Celtic delight their fans at Easter Road and in the TV audience with a splendid second half performance to beat Hibs 4-1 in the League Cup quarter-final. Down 0-1 at half-time, Celtic then turn it on with two lovely goals from James Forrest, a bullet header from Anthony Stokes and a crisp finish from Gary Hooper.

David Potter

Out now! We have a limited number of copies signed by both John Hartson and the author Matt Corr – click on the image to order….
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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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