Jimmy Delaney signed for Celtic at the age of 19 in September 1933.
Hailing from the small village of Cleland in North Lanarkshire Jimmy was expected to make his living like most of the villagers in the mining industry, something he had done since he left school, but Jimmy was an impressive footballer who graced the fields of the Midlothian junior league with Stoneyburn Juniors, and it wasn’t long until his talent caught the eye of bigger clubs.
Two of those clubs were Hibernian and Celtic. After impressing Celtic in a bounce game he had no hesitation in signing a contract of £2 a week rising to £4 when an established first team player sweetened by an alleged £20 signing on bonus. A head turning amount for a young boy from the mining community of Cleland.
Jimmy made his first team debut in August 1934 at Hearts in a drab 0-0 draw, but Jimmy’s skill and eagerness stood out, something that was to be his trademark in his years at the club.
An old fashioned winger, Jimmy had skill and could beat a man with ease. He was also blessed with great pace and wasn’t afraid to get stuck in. He was the complete player and those attributes made him one of the greatest players of his era.
Jimmy’s talent helped contribute towards two league titles, a Scottish Cup and the famous Empire Exhibition Trophy which was viewed at the time as the ‘unofficial’ British championship. Jimmy himself putting in a dazzling performance in the win over Everton in the final.
Jimmy’s dedication and toughness was showcased in 1939 when an awkward fall seen him fracture his arm which was then further aggravated after an opposition player inadvertently stood on it during a game with Arbroath.
The Injury was that horrific that it seen his arm shattered into pieces and at one point amputation was considered. Fortunately it never came to that and his arm fully healed, but it would cost Jimmy two years of his career as he recuperated.
When he finally returned, the outbreak of world war 2 had devastated the country and football was nothing more than a distraction from the horrors that were unfolding in everyday life.
Jimmy was a shining light during the bad times and was very much Celtic’s best player, indeed he was considered one of the best players in the whole of Britain. Supporters were kept entertained by his skills during a bleak period not only in the sport, but in daily life.
Jimmy was paid poorly during the war years despite his crowd drawing ability, and was promised a pay rise after the war, but when the war ended the club failed to honour their word and he was on the move to Manchester United who were more than willing to pay him the salary he deserved.
There’s a humorous tale that went around Glasgow after Jimmy’s departure which showcased how popular he was amongst the Celtic supporters.
It was about a young man who just arrived back from the horrors of the war and on arrival at Glasgow central station he seen the newspaper boards declaring the sale of Delaney to Manchester United.
When he arrived home to a family who he thought he’d never see again they all hugged their returning hero. The tearful young soldier said nothing and put his bags down before saying “tell me it’s not true, tell me we’ve not sold Delaney?” Tongue and cheeks maybe, but a tale that describes how popular Jimmy was all the same.
Jimmy had given Celtic everything in his twelve years at the club and owed them nothing especially with his injury concerns and he had a family to think about.
Even at 31 he was a big loss to the club and he proved that a year later by scoring the winner for Scotland against England at Hampden in front of 134,000 supporters.
Jimmy spent five years at Old Trafford winning the FA cup in 1948 and entertained the Mancunians just as much as he did the Celtic supporters.
He returned to Scotland and played for a further four years with Aberdeen and Falkirk before joining Derry City in 1954. He would also play for Cork City before returning to Scotland with Elgin City were he retired at the age of 43.
Jimmy Delaney sadly passed away on the 26 September 1989 at the age of 75. He will always be remembered by the Celtic supporters for his efforts, his skill and his dedication.
Jimmy would have been looking down proudly from above when at the start of the century his grandson John Kennedy became the then youngest player to play for the Hoops. John of course is still with the club to this day as the Celtic Assistant Manager.
Jimmy Delaney, a true Celtic great.
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