So, it is Falkirk at Celtic Park sometime on the weekend of 3/4 April. From what the commentator said on the radio, Falkirk were a little fortunate to get the better of Arbroath, but they will be looking forward to their visit to Celtic Park.
They have won the Scottish Cup twice – in 1913 when they beat Raith Rovers and in 1957 when they beat Kilmarnock. In recent years, they have had the misfortune to lose three Scottish Cup finals in 1997, 2009 and 2015 with a wee bit of bad luck on all three occasions. They must not be underestimated. We have come a cropper more than once this season by underestimating opponents. We must not do that with Falkirk.
Celtic have faced Falkirk 11 times in the Scottish Cup, have won 8, drawn 1, and lost 2. The last two times Celtic and Falkirk have crossed swords, Falkirk have emerged victorious, so the tie is by no means an easy one, even though the Bairns are now two Divisions below Celtic. And of course anything can happen in the Scottish Cup. Ask them at Brora and Tynecastle if you don’t believe me – well, maybe, discussing the matter with Jambos tomorrow is not perhaps the best idea in the world!
⚽️ BRORA RANGERS 2 HEARTS 1
It's the biggest shock the Scottish Cup has seen in decades as Brora Rangers create history, knocking Hearts out of the Cup in the second round
Reaction and interviews to come ⬇️
📻BBC Radio Scotland, 810MW, digital, online
📱https://t.co/iUEndQdHKi pic.twitter.com/lfVGXpztWm— BBC Sportsound (@BBCSportsound) March 23, 2021
@brorarangers the troooooops ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/eiM206o3Xc
— Cammy (@craig_cam) March 23, 2021
The games against Falkirk are as follows:
26 March 1927 (Semi-Final) Ibrox – Celtic 1 Falkirk 0 Adam McLean
16 January 1932 Celtic Park – Celtic 3 Falkirk 2 Charlie Napier 2, Bertie Thomson
4 February 1933 Celtic Park – Celtic 2 Falkirk 0 Jimmy McGrory 2
17 February 1934 Celtic Park – Celtic 3 Falkirk 1 Frank O’Donnell 2, Jimmy McGrory
21 February 1953 Brockville – Celtic 3 Falkirk 2 John McGrory, Charlie Tully, Willie Fernie
17 February 1954 Brockville – Celtic 2 Falkirk 1 Willie Fernie, Johnny Higgins
28 January 1961 Brockville – Celtic 3 Falkirk 1 Bertie Peacock 2 penalties, Bertie Auld
28 January 28 1963 Brockville – Celtic 2 Falkirk 0 John Hughes, Charlie Gallagher
6 February 1993 Brockville – Celtic 0 Falkirk 2
12 April 1997 (Semi-Final) Ibrox – Celtic 1 Falkirk 1 Tommy Johnson
23 April 1997 (Semi- Final replay) Ibrox – Celtic 0 Falkirk 1
🏆 We will face @FalkirkFC in the #ScottishCup Third Round.
Full fixture details to be confirmed. #CelticFC 🍀 pic.twitter.com/fJMQCsTIHs
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) March 23, 2021
There have been some interesting games. The semi final in 1927 saw Falkirk (who had beaten Rangers in the previous round) with Patsy Gallacher in their line-up, and it was the famous occasion when the Celtic supporters sang “Will Ye No Come Back Again?” in his honour. But it was the ever reliable Adam McLean who scored the goal, and Celtic went on to beat East Fife in the final that year.
1953 was the day of Charlie Tully’s twice taken corner kick. He scored direct from the first corner kick, but it was disallowed. He then took it again and scored again! It was also the day that Celtic supporters turned on their own man Frank Meechan for a dirty foul. You see, the man he downed was none other than Jimmy Delaney, the great Celtic hero and also the grandfather of our current Caretaker Manager, John Kennedy.
1963 was played astonishingly in the middle of the big freeze up which lasted in Celtic’s case from January 5 until March 2. Somehow or other, the referee thought the Brockville pitch was playable. It was a decision widely disagreed with in the Press, but Celtic did win through.
The horrors of the 1990s saw regime change in the wake of both results. Liam Brady never really got over 1993 (neither did the old board) and 1997, an awful night in the Ibrox rain, was curtains for Tommy Burns.
David Potter
Coming soon from David Potter on Celtic Star Books…
