Celtic Historian David Potter each morning on The Celtic Star looks back at key Celtic events and matches on this day starting on 7th 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.
SATURDAY 7 JANUARY 1905 – Only 2,500 are at Celtic Park on a miserable day to see Celtic beat Port Glasgow 3-0. Davie Hamilton scores twice and the other goal is an own goal. Celtic remain on course for the League Championship, but another five games are still to be played.
SATURDAY 7 JANUARY 1928 – It is “Tell me the old, old story, A hat-trick for McGrory” as Celtic visit Falkirk and Jimmy McGrory scores all three goals in the 3-1 win at Brockville and Celtic maintain their 100% record in 1928, having already beaten Rangers and Queen’s Park.
SATURDAY 7 JANUARY 1956 – A huge crowd of 35,000 are at Pittodrie today to see Celtic go down 0-1 to a goal scored by Scotland International Graham Leggat. Celtic played well enough, but as in their game against Rangers on New Year’s Day, they failed to score a goal!
SATURDAY 7 JANUARY 1967 – No-one as yet knows what 1967 is going to bring Celtic. As the New Year games were postponed, this game against Dundee at Parkhead is the first game of the year, and Celtic really need to get back to winning ways after losing their last game to Dundee United on Hogmanay. It is a fine 5-1 win, the goals coming from Jimmy Johnstone, Charlie Gallagher, two from Willie Wallace and an own goal.
SATURDAY 7 JANUARY 1978 – Outrageously bad refereeing by Mr JRP Gordon of Newport-on-Tay denies Celtic victory at Ibrox. At least two clear cut penalties are refused, and as everyone is arguing about one of them, Rangers are allowed to go up the field and score! For a while it looked as if the Celtic players were going to refuse to play, and even a riot looked imminent, but Neil Mochan and Jock Stein urged the players to continue. It was, in the unanimous opinion of all the media, a gross injustice as Rangers won 3-1.
David Potter
7th January 1984, Motherwell 2:2 Celtic.
McGarvey and McStay. Great strike from McGarvey.
Some tackle from Willie McStay in buildup for 2nd. pic.twitter.com/uXJHbvzGnT
— Li'l Ze (@LilZe_7) January 7, 2023
7th January 1989, Celtic 2:0 Hamilton.
Walker and Miller. pic.twitter.com/sh0dgCT93S
— Li'l Ze (@LilZe_7) January 7, 2023
7th January 1995, Celtic 1:1 Dundee Utd.
Collins equaliser. pic.twitter.com/HzvW6a8CCg
— Li'l Ze (@LilZe_7) January 7, 2023
No another yin – “A Hat – Trick fur McGrory”…. 550 goals in 547 competitive game for club and country.
The Bhoy from the Garngad – ‘Ballon D’or winner in 1949’. 55 Hat-Tricks and 8 goals in one game against the Parrs. And yet only 7 caps for Scotland.
Its clear that McGrory had an affinity with CO2, why else would he be nicknamed “The Human Torpedo” or “The Mermaid”.
Hughie Gallacher must have been some player to keep him out of the Scottish team and yet his goal stats though excellent still could not match the goal scoring record of Jimmy McGrory.
My very first Celtic game the 1960/61 Scottish Cup Final, when Jock Stein’s Dunfermline FC put out the mighty Jimmy McGrory’s Celtic FC. I was greetin for weeks. But when the mourning was over and i slowly recovered I thought of those two Celtic legends and how privileged I was to see to see two Celtic greats.