The Victory Cup was put up to celebrate the end of the 2nd World War after the surrender of Japan and was played over a three-month period at the end of season 1945-46.
The first round matches were all two-legged affairs and Celtic started well, crushing St Johnstone 8-2 at Perth, Jackie Gallagher scoring four and Tommy Kiernan notching a hat-trick. In the second leg, back at Parkhead, another procession of goals went on display, Celtic eventually winning 5-0, making the aggregate score 13-2.
From that point on, the tournament was a straight knock-out affair and Celtic, by then with Jimmy McGrory as manager, dealt with the following round comfortably, beating Queen of the South 3-0 at Celtic Park on 4 May 1946.
On this day in 1946, a crowd of around 18,000 was crammed into Starks Park in Kirkcaldy to see Raith Rovers take on Celtic in round three and they witnessed a very competitive match in which the Bhoys were always the more positive side. And they turned this control into goals, Joe Rae and Jimmy Sirrell (who went on to be the legendary Notts County manager) scoring the two which put Celtic into the semi-final.
Celtic:- Miller, Hogg, Milne, McPhail, Mallan, McAuley, Lynch, Kiernan, Rae, Sirrell, J. Gallacher
Celtic scorers:- Sirrell, J. Gallacher
Jim Craig
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