Celtic On This Day – 5th January – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

The late, great Celtic Historian David Potter’s Celtic Diary each morning on The Celtic Star looks back at key Celtic events and matches on this day starting on 5th January 1920…

MONDAY 5 JANUARY 1920 – 18,000 were at Shawfield this Holiday Monday to see Celtic beat Clyde 2-0. The ground was hard and ice bound but Celtic mastered the conditions better than Clyde did, and the two goals were scored by Tommy McInally and Andy McAtee.

SATURDAY 5 JANUARY 1929 – Celtic lost to Rangers on New Year’s Day, so only a paltry 6,000 are at Celtic Park to see Willie Gray score twice and Paddy Connolly the other goal in a 3-0 defeat of Ayr United.

SATURDAY 5 JANUARY 1963 – Following New Year’s Day’s crashing 0-4 defeat at Ibrox, wholesale changes are made and the bullet is bitten in the dropping of Pat Crerand, the man held to be largely responsible for the defeat. In addition full back Dunky Mackay and Jim Kennedy are dropped, in come youngsters Ian Young and Tommy Gemmell, and Billy McNeill is made captain. These changes work a treat, and Celtic travel to Aberdeen to win 5-1 at Pittodrie with a hat-trick from John Hughes and two goals from Bobby Craig. The Celtic fans, small in numbers but extremely vocal in the 16,000 crowd and as always on good terms with the Aberdeen fans, roar their support for the team.

SATURDAY 5 JANUARY 1974 – Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Rangers at Parkhead should have been a lot more, such is Celtic’s superiority in class. Bobby Lennox scores the only goal of the game, but both he and Dixie Deans miss chances near the end.

50 years ago today, Celtic 1:0 Rangers.

Bobby Lennox with the winner. pic.twitter.com/wQWgWiISB7

— Li'l Ze (@LilZe785) January 5, 2024

SATURDAY 5 JANUARY 1991 – Celtic’s dismal run of form continues with a poor draw against Hibs at Celtic Park today. It is a typical Celtic performance following a defeat by Rangers with everyone so depressed that they cannot raise their game for the next match. The crowd of 20,521 leave very unhappy with a few mutterings beginning to be heard about Billy McNeill as a Manager. Tommy Coyne scores Celtic’s only goal in a 1-1 draw, and Peter Grant is sent off for a “professional foul”.

David Potter

5th January 2014, St Mirren 0:4 Celtic.

Mulgrew, Stokes and Commons(2). @charlie_mulgrew pic.twitter.com/F5QxwFj7yt

— Li'l Ze (@LilZe785) January 5, 2024

5th January 2015, Kilmarnock 0:2 Celtic.

Emilio Izaguirre and Stefan Scepovic with the goals. pic.twitter.com/kLC8lMgzXR

— Li'l Ze (@LilZe785) January 5, 2024