The season of 1895/1896, the 8th of Celtic’s existence, very nearly turned out to be the perfect season.
The club won the league title, finishing four points ahead of Rangers, with Dumbarton, champions only four seasons before, in the dreaded relegation spot; while in the Charity Cup, Celtic beat Queens Park 2-1 at Ibrox in the final, their 5th consecutive victory in that competition.
And on this day in 1895, Celtic thrashed Queen’s Park 6-3, again at Ibrox, in the final of the Glasgow Cup.
24,000 were in the ground and Celtic fielded a strong side, with Dan McArthur in goal, Peter Meehan and Dan Doyle at fullback, Willie Maley and Barney Battles at wing-half, and a forward line of Johnny Madden, Jim Blessington, Allan Martin, Sandy McMahon and Willie Ferguson.
The man of the match, though, was James Kelly, superb in the attacking centre-half role, comfortably controlling the play.
Almost unbelievably, Celtic were drawn against Queen’s Park again in the first round of the Scottish Cup, this game played at Celtic Park. The Bhoys were 2-1 up at half-time but thanks to their star player – a man called R S McColl, who later became better known for his shops – the Spiders came back and won the tie by four goals to two.
Many Happy Returns to Tony Shepherd, born on this day in 1966.
Jim Craig
