Here’s a name we probably haven’t mentioned too often in these articles on The Celtic Star before – Port Glasgow Athletic.
Now, for those of you who are not too well acquainted with Scotland, if you left Glasgow and headed west along the M8, on the south bank of the Clyde, it would take you past Erskine, Bishopton and Langbank before reaching Port Glasgow. The next stops would be Greenock and then Gourock.
Port Glasgow Athletic were founded in 1893 and between 1902 and 1910 had eight consecutive seasons in the First Division, although only in the second of them were they entirely free from relegation trouble.
On this day in 1902, they made their first visit to Celtic Park on league business, having already lost twice to Celtic in the Scottish Cup, firstly in season 1898/99 ( semi-final; 4-2) and again in 1899/1900 (2nd Round ; 5-1).
Celtic had won six, drawn five and lost one (Queen’s Park; 1-2) of their first twelve matches and Willie Maley had obviously decided that some new blood was required. Accordingly, he gave a first team debut to a 22-year old inside-forward called Jimmy McMenemy (in pic above), who had only joined the club from Rutherglen Glencairn in June of that year.
As one could work out from the results, Celtic were going through a transitional stage but on that day, the players performed well, winning the match 3-0 to take the two points and new boy McMenemy scoring one of the goals.
Many Happy Returns to Frank McAvennie, born on this day at Glasgow in 1959.
Jim Craig
