Celtic On This Day – 27th January – 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 27th January 1906…

Peter Somers scored

SATURDAY 27 JANUARY 1906 – Before a huge crowd of 25,000, the biggest crowd that Dens Park had ever seen, Celtic edged through to the next round of the Scottish Cup 2-1. It was generally agreed that Dundee deserved a draw, but Celtic won through thanks to an own goal and a Peter Somers header after the goalkeeper could only parry a Davie Hamilton drive. The receipts were an astonishing £670.

SATURDAY 27 JANUARY 1968 – 47,000 people are stunned at Celtic Park as Celtic exit the Scottish Cup, beaten 0-2 by a competent but by no means outstanding Dunfermline side. The Pars are simply the better side, faster to the ball and slicker passers than a Celtic side who have still not shaken off their South American hangover from last November. This result leaves Celtic with only the Scottish League to play for this season, and they are behind in that, and they are no longer masters of their own destiny.

SUNDAY 27 JANUARY 1974 – Because of the miners’ strike and the three-day working week introduced by Edward Heath’s Government, Sunday football is allowed. This is the first ever Sunday football played in Scotland, and Dixie Deans has the honour of scoring in the fourth minute Scottish football’s first ever Sunday goal. This was against Clydebank in the Scottish Cup at Parkhead before 28,000 fans. Dixie will score another two, Bobby Lennox two and Vic Davidson one in the 6-1 demolition of the Second Division “Bankies”.

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 1998 – Celtic show great character in coming back from being 0-1 down to Dundee United at Tannadice in the last quarter of an hour to win 2-1 with goals from Simon Donnelly and Craig Burley. It was a tremendous night, and Celtic owe an awful lot to Jonathan Gould in the goal for keeping Celtic in the game.

SUNDAY 27 JANUARY 2008  – A Scott McDonald goal, which he himself created and finished off after a cross found him, just on the half time whistle was enough to beat Falkirk at the still incomplete Falkirk Stadium today. It was a far from convincing performance from Gordon Strachan’s side, but it keeps them in the League race. The Sunday lunch time TV audience are mighty relieved to hear the full time whistle, although Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink had tough luck when he hit the post seconds before that.

David Potter

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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.

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