Jim Craig – Celtic faced one of the founder members of the Scottish League, Abercorn FC

On this day in 1896, Celtic faced one of the founder members of the Scottish League in a league match at Celtic Park.

Abercorn FC was a side from Paisley which eventually could not compete with St Mirren for that town’s favours and 1896/97 was, in fact, the final season they would ever grace the first division.

That decade of the 1890s had gone pretty well for Celtic, with 3 league titles plus one Scottish Cup thus far.
And that season was going quite well too, Celtic having won 7 and drawn three of the first 11 matches.

On that afternoon at Parkhead, they were too strong for Abercorn, winning 5-0, the goals coming from inside-left John Divers, the first of three players of that name who would wear the colours of Celtic, centre-forward Sandy MacMahon, who hit a double, his 10th and 11th goals of the season and first-season man Alex King, who also scored two, making his tally 5 for the campaign to that point.

A convincing afternoon for Celtic but it was, unfortunately, also one of the last good moments of a season which would end in disappointment, Celtic falling away in the league and going out of the Scottish Cup at the first round stage to non-league Arthurlie.

Many Happy Returns to Bobby Jeffrey, born on this day in 1942. Between 1961 and 1963, Bobby made eight appearances in the outside-left position before moving on to Airdrie.

Jim Craig