Celtic On This Day – 29th-31st May – David Potter’s Celtic Diary – The Last Post
The late, great David Potter’s Celtic Diary started back on 1st August 2022 and has appeared every morning on The Celtic Star taking us through an entire season season before last looking at Celtic on each and every day. it’s been a remarkable journey and the addition of videos posted at midnight every day by Li’l Ze
@LilZe_7 on Twitter (now X) not only covered many games that David didn’t highlight but brought the Celtic story on that day and every day of the season vividly to life.
When David sadly passed away at the end of July last year we decided to repeat and update the dairy every day during the season just ended as a special tribute to David Potter, who was recently posthumously honoured by Celtic FC for his outstanding lifetime contribution to the club at the recent Player of the Year awards at the Hydro. And what a brilliant reception the Celtic support delivered to David’s widow Rosemary.
Today we bring David Potter’s Celtic Diary to a close, with heavy hearts David Potter’s work will still be published on The Celtic Star as we post his articles on the wider Celtic story every so often. But the man himself remains is missed every single day.
At the Scottish Cup Final on Saturday myself and young Lubo98 stopped outside the Police station next to the Celtic end at Hampden for a few months to remember David in the exact spot where we saw him last ahead of the Cup Final against Inverness the previous June.
Here’s David’s last post in his wonderful Celtic Diary which has been hugely popular and informative on The Celtic Star….
Not many games have been played at this time of year so to take is up to the end of May on the last day of David Potter’s Celtic Diary we have one match from 29th May, two from 30th May and one from 31st May. The Diary posts of Celtic On This Day are all easily found on our home page and are there as a permanent record.
SATURDAY 29th MAY 1999 – A truly terrible season comes to an end with a 0-1 defeat by Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final. The game is even enough but it is Rangers who get the goal through Rod Wallace. Near the end, a net bound Celtic shot seems to hit a Rangers player on the arm but referee Hugh Dallas says “no”. TV replays seem to indicate that Dallas was right, but nevertheless “I’ve seen them given” says one of the commentators, and it proves that when you need a break, that is when you will not get one! The supporters’ buses are silent at this low point in the club’s history.
SATURDAY 30th MAY 1908 – Celtic complete a remarkable season by beating Queen’s Park 3-0 at Hampden to win the Glasgow Charity Cup. This means that Celtic have won every trophy they entered for, a feat that would be emulated only in 1967. Two goals are scored by Jimmy McMenemy and the other by Jimmy Quinn.
TUESDAY 30th MAY 1950 – Celtic play Lazio in Rome to celebrate the Roman team’s Golden Jubilee. Celtic captain John McPhail and his marker Remondini clash and are ordered off after 30 minutes, but it is admitted afterwards that McPhail was only sent off to appease the crowd. Perhaps fortunately, the game ends in a 0-0 draw.
30th May 1950, Celtic visit Rome to play against Lazio.https://t.co/CATWqe4k3o pic.twitter.com/ZVaf4Hb8wv
— Li’l Ze (@LilZe_7) May 29, 2023
SUNDAY 31st MAY 1931 – On their tour of North America, Celtic lose 0-1 to Fall River in the United States. They play well in the searing heat and would have won the game but for the sustained brilliance of the local goalkeeper James “Joe” Kennaway, who has expressed his desire to play in Scotland and has sounded out John Thomson to ask if he knows of any Scottish team needing a goalkeeper.
David Potter (YNWA)
🗓️ On This Day – 30th May 1950 :
▪️ We played a so called "Friendly" with Lazio 🇮🇹
▪️ The match ended 0-0 ⚽️
▪️ John McPhail & Leandro Remondini of Lazio were both sent off – McPhail seen red to appease the crowd! 🟥 pic.twitter.com/aEkhnca5qj
— Celtic Curio (@Celticcurio) May 30, 2024
READ THE CELTIC RISING ON KINDLE – David Potter’s bestseller The Celtic Rising ~ 1965: The Year Jock Stein Changed Everything is completely sold out in print on but is available on Amazon kindle, with all the photographs of the hardback edition, for HALF PRICE at just £3.49...click on the image below to order this brilliant Celtic book.
Always enjoyed reading the diary and watching the accompanying clips, remembering matches I attended from the late 70’s onwards.
Thanks to David for collating all the information.
As you get older and look back you realise that so many of your favourite memories are in and around “Paradise”.
I always enjoyed the diary and I am grateful to you for continuing with it after David Potters sad and unexpected passing.
Though I never met him I have read a few of his books and thoroughly enjoyed them.
I shared his admiration of Jimmy McMenemy and the iconic Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson.
Please pass on our best wishes to his Wife and family.
RIP