Celtic On This Day – 8th 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 8th January 1910. 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.

Willie Kivlichan scored twice

SATURDAY 8 JANUARY 1910 – Broomfield in Airdrie is never an easy place to go to given the smallness of the pitch and hostility of the crowd. Today however after a struggle, Celtic emerge triumphant 2-0 with the goals scored by Willie Kivlichan, one of the few players to have ever played for both Rangers and Celtic.

Tommy McInally

SATURDAY 8 JANUARY 1921 – Even without the injured Willie McStay and Alec McNair, Celtic still beat Clydebank 2-0 at Clydeholm Park with goals from Tommy McInally and Andy McAtee. Even on such a dreadful day as this, 12,000 attend. Across the sea, the War of Independence continues with relentless ferocity.

Charlie Tully scored

SATURDAY 8 JANUARY 1955 – 24,518 see a tight game at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock in which Celtic emerge victorious 2-1 thanks to an own goal and a strike from Charlie Tully. League leaders Aberdeen, however, also win, beating Motherwell 4-1 at Pittodrie.

SUNDAY 8 JANUARY 2006 – It is one of Celtic’s more embarrassing days in recent years when they go down 1-2 to First Division Clyde at Broadwood in front of TV cameras and a 7589 crowd. The only explanation is the old one of taking them too lightly, and Gordon Strachan making a tactical blunder of playing two debutants Roy Keane and Du Wei on the same day. The Chinese defender Du Wei in particular looks out of place on the difficult pitch against fast running Scottish forwards. Two down at half-time, Celtic do attempt to rally in the second half, but Zurawski’s goal comes too late, and Celtic exit the Scottish Cup (which they won last year) at the first time of asking.

Anthony Stokes scored a hat-trick

SUNDAY 8 JANUARY 2012 – Celtic pay their first ever trip to Balmoor in Peterhead to beat the local side 3-0 in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. Anthony Stokes scores a hat-trick in what is an easy win for Celtic. The media are there in full force to cover the potential upset, but leave disappointed.

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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