Celtic On This Day – 4th April – 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 4th April 1908. David’s latest bestseller The Celtic Rising ~ 1965: The Year Jock Stein Changed Everything is available now in print on Celtic Star Books, and also on Amazon kindle, links below…

Davie McLean scored

SATURDAY 4th APRIL 1908 – Davie McLean and Willie Loney are the scorers today as Celtic take another step towards the League championship by beating Morton 2-0 at Parkhead. The crowd was only 3,000 but that was because so many supporters were “up the road” at Hampden watching Eck McNair and Jimmy Quinn play for Scotland in a 1-1 draw against England.

Peter Scarff and Jimmy McGrory both scored

SATURDAY 4th APRIL 1931 – Celtic keep their hopes of a League and Cup double alive with an easy 4-1 victory over Ayr United at Celtic Park today. The goals are scored by Jimmy McGrory, Peter Scarff, Charlie Napier and an own goal. Next week however sees the much awaited Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Motherwell.

Glasgow Celtic captain John McPhail (right) with his American counterpart prior to the match against the American All Stars soccer team at Triborough Stadium in New York City on 20th May 1951. Celtic won 5-1. (Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

MONDAY 4th APRIL 1955 – On a dull day, two goals from John McPhail are enough to beat Airdrie 2-0 at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-final replay. There seems little doubt that the return of McPhail, playing only his third game of the season has made all the difference to this Celtic side. In the end, Airdrie of the “B” Division have no answer to his power and positional sense. For a Monday afternoon, even a holiday Monday, the crowd of 71,000 is astonishing.

John Fallon saved a penalty

SATURDAY 4th APRIL 1964 – Not a great deal is at stake today at Muirton Park, Perth but Celtic are saved from defeat by a penalty save in the last minute by John Fallon from Bill McCarry. Bobby Murdoch had scored in the first half but Celtic had then faded badly from the game, and St Johnstone had equalised.

Johan Mjallby scored

WEDNESDAY 4th APRIL 2001 – An astonishing game at Celtic Park sees Celtic beat Dundee 2-1 and this means that the Scottish Premier League can be won on Saturday against St Mirren. 59,190 erupt in joy as Johan Mjallby prods home a late winner into the net after Dundee had equalised Tommy Johnson strike.

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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