In the summer of 1944, with the 2nd World War nearing its conclusion, Celtic were playing in the Southern Division of the Scottish league and had opened the campaign with a fine 4-1 victory over Hearts at Parkhead.
The usual team of the time had the tried-and-tested Willie Miller in goal with Bobby Hogg, in his 13th season at the club, at right back and Pat McDonald on the left. Joe Mclaughlin was the anchor at centre-half, alongside Malcolm McDonald and George Paterson in the wing-half roles; while the forward line was Jimmy Delaney at outside-right, John ‘Hookey’ McPhail at inside-right, the bustling Jackie Gallagher at centre-forward, the skilful Pat McAuley at inside-left and the veteran John Divers on the left wing.
For the second game of the league competition, Celtic travelled to Cliftonhill, where a crowd of some 10,000 saw them beat Albion Rovers 1-0 on this day in 1944, the goal coming from a Jimmy Delaney penalty. In the Rovers team at centre-half that day was a certain Jock Stein. He was 22 years of age at the time.
Centre-half Jimmy McIlroy was born on this day in Glasgow in 1930. Jimmy joined Celtic in 1950 and made 12 appearances for the Hoops over the following six years before moving to Barrow on 26 June 1956.
Jim Craig
