Celtic On This Day – 3rd December – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

Celtic Historian David Potter each morning on The Celtic Star looks back at key Celtic events and matches on this day starting on  3rd December 1898. David’s latest book The Celtic Rising ~ 1965 The Year Jock Stein Changed Everything is very close to selling out on Celtic Star Books with just a few books remaining. You can order one of the last remaining copies by clicking on the book’s cover below…

Sandy McMahon scored a hat-trick

SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 1898 – Celtic probably won’t win the Scottish League this year – such was their bad form in September – but today at Meadowside, they score eight against Partick Thistle with a hat-trick from Sandy McMahon, two from the impressive young Peter Somers, one from Willie Orr, one from John Divers and an own goal. The fans cannot complain about lack of entertainment as the final score is 8-3.

Joe Cassidy scored

SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 1921 – On a foul day before a meagre crowd at Parkhead, the ever-reliable Joe Cassidy scores the only goal of the game as Celtic beat the strong Airdrieonians team (now managed by ex-Celt Willie Orr).

Frank Murphy scored the winner

SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 1938 – Celtic and Hibs served up a marvellous game of football at Celtic Park today to cheer up 25,000 fans. The thrills were constant as the game swung to and fro, and Celtic were probably a little lucky to edge home 5-4 thanks to a late Frank Murphy goal. Earlier Jimmy Delaney and Jackie Watters had each scored two, but Hibs, even with only ten men after an injury to McLean, fought well and probably deserved a point.

SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 1983 – Celtic attune themselves for the visit of Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night with a competent and impressive 3-0 win over St Johnstone at Muirton Park. Jim Dobbin, Jim Melrose and Roy Aitken score the goals.

SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 1994 – It is a low point of Celtic’s history. Parkhead is demolished and being rebuilt, and Celtic play their home fixtures at Hampden. It is a week after the disastrous loss of the League Cup final to Raith Rovers, and Celtic seem able to do nothing other than draw. Wednesday night saw a weak draw at Easter Road, and today’s game against Motherwell sees another insipid feckless performance from a poor Celtic XI. They were two up thanks to an own goal and a goal from Willie Falconer, but then they managed to squander it all. The word “depression” does not quite cover it these days!

David Potter

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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