Celtic On This Day – 3rd January – 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 January 1905. David’s latest bestseller The Celtic Rising ~ 1965: The Year Jock Stein Changed Everything SOLD OUT on Celtic Star Books but the good news is that it is now back in stock! You can place an order here and we’ll post your order immediately. The Celtic Rising is also now available on Amazon Kindle, link below.

Peter Somers scored

TUESDAY 3 JANUARY 1905 – For no apparent reason, Celtic disappoint their supporters and go down 2-3 to Airdrieonians at Celtic Park today. Two excuses are offered in referee Neilson’s decisions and the absence of Jimmy Quinn, but it was quite simply a bad day. Celtic’s two goals are scored by Willie Loney and Peter Somers.

MONDAY 3 JANUARY 1955 – 30,000 are at Celtic Park to see Celtic beat Raith Rovers 4-1 with goals scored by Bobby Evans, Bobby Collins, Jimmy Walsh and Charlie Tully. It is a fine “bounce-back” after a disappointing performance at Ibrox on New Year’s Day.

Steve Chalmers scored a hat-trick

MONDAY 3 JANUARY 1966 – If there were the slightest doubt that the Glasgow pendulum were beginning to tilt towards Celtic, it is dispelled on this day as Celtic put Rangers to the sword in a 5-1 thrashing on a bone hard pitch as the mist begins to descend over Celtic Park. Rangers score first through Davie Wilson but in the second half, Steve Chalmers scores a hat-trick and Charlie Gallagher and Bobby Murdoch one each to record an emphatic Celtic victory.

Jim Brogan is swamped as Celtic celebrate his winner

MONDAY 3 JANUARY 1972 – It is not often that Jim Brogan scores for Celtic, but today he appears from nowhere in injury time to latch on to a Harry Hood lob to beat Rangers in front of a huge 70,000 crowd at Parkhead. Earlier Jimmy Johnstone had scored for Celtic, and Colin Stein had levelled for Rangers. This result keeps Celtic well ahead in the League race, although their second placed rivals Aberdeen also won.

SATURDAY 3 JANUARY 2004 – Celtic, with a 100% League record apart from the first day of the season (a 0-0 draw at Dunfermline) deliver a comprehensive hammering to Rangers today as they beat them 3-0 with goals from Stan Varga, Alan Thompson and Stilian Petrov. It is generally agreed that the score should have been a great deal more.

David Potter

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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