The Scottish First Division campaign of 1891-92, the second year of its existence, comprised twelve teams – Hearts, Rangers, Clyde, Renton, Abercorn, Dumbarton, St Mirren, Vale of Leven, Leith Athletic, Third Lanark and, of course, Celtic.
On this day in 1892, Celtic played Vale of Leven at Alexandria, having thrashed the team from the Vale 6-1 at Parkhead earlier in the season. Celtic were slightly under-strength for this one, as Dan Doyle, James Kelly and Sandy MacMahon were in the Scottish team which was meeting England at Ibrox at the same time on the same afternoon. Alas, England won that one 4-1.
Down in Alexandria, by half-time, the home club was leading by a goal and according to a newspaper report of the time, was showing increasingly good form as the match progressed. It also said that Celtic were ‘weak’, for the reason mentioned above. Neilly McCallum and Johnny Coleman had some good runs but the shooting was poor.
Neilly McCallum , who history remembers as the man who scored Celtic’s first ever goal, scored both Celtic goals in this game and at the end of 90 minutes, the points were shared in a 2-2 draw.
If that fixture was re-played today, it would be quite a mis-match, a Celtic team topping the Premiership against a side now playing in the West of Scotland League Central District Second Division. However, on the date of the match reviewed above, Celtic were only a week away from winning the Scottish Cup for the first time whereas Vale of Leven had already won the major trophy three times ( 1877, 1878, 1879) and had taken also Queen’s Park to a replay in the final in 1890.
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