Celtic On This Day – 4th 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 4th December 1909. 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…

Jimmy Quinnn scored twice

SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 1909 – A slightly disappointing Celtic performance at Parkhead in front of a small crowd of only 5,000 fans, but it is still a victory as Jimmy Quinn scores twice to beat Kilmarnock 2-1. Peter Johnstone, playing at inside left is the best player on the field. Glasgow was blanketed in hard freezing fog, and such conditions do not lend themselves to good football.

Tommy McInally scored twice

SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 1920 – Tommy McInally who mysteriously disappeared from the Celtic team last week is restored today and is back to his tricks again, scoring two goals at Falkirk in a 3-1 win. Adam McLean scores the other Celtic goal.

Stevie Chalmers scored twice

WEDNESDAY 4 DECEMBER 1963 – Celtic, playing as well as they have played for some time, beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 in the first leg of the European Cup Winners’ Cup before 42,000 fans. Steve Chalmers scores twice and John Hughes once, and in reality, there should have been more goals. Most unusually for the times, the second half of this game was shown live on STV and Grampian TV, and the vast TV audience were very impressed with the team which only a few months ago was the object of supporters’ demonstrations!

SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 1982 – Celtic win the Scottish League Cup for the 9th time as they beat Rangers 2-1 at Hampden before 55,372. It is a wet, miserable, depressing day – but not for Celtic! The north side of the ground is being redeveloped and there is a slightly surreal atmosphere to proceedings. Celtic reach half-time two goals up, one from Charlie Nicholas, the other a piledriver from Murdo MacLeod. Rangers pull one back in the second half through a free-kick, but Celtic remain comfortably on top, and the soaking conditions cannot dampen the spirits of the exultant Celtic fans. Celtic’s next success in this tournament is 15 years away!

TUESDAY 4 DECEMBER 2007 – Once again Celtic go down away from home in Europe losing 0-1 to AC Milan at the San Siro. It is disappointing, because home form has been very good, but losing 0-1 to AC Milan is hardly the world’s greatest disaster, and in any case great news comes Celtic’s way when Benfica beat Shakhtar Donetsk meaning that Celtic have actually qualified for the last 16.

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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