A question for David Potter, our esteemed Celtic Historian, came in this morning from a Celtic Star readers. “I am trying to find out against which team the great Jimmy McGrory scored the most league goals in his career. Can you help or pass on query to Celtic historian Mr Potter?” Jon asked.
As Barney used to say in ‘How I Met Your Mother’…challenge accepted, well from David Potter anyway.
Here’s the answer to Jon’s question and there’s a couple of new photographs below that might interest some of you…
Gentleman,
Research into Jimmy McGrory’s goal scoring is not an exact science! There are reasons for this – in the first place he scored so many, but also sources differ – with even two newspapers giving different accounts of who scored a goal.
In particular, one newspaper can give an own goal, whereas another gives it to McGrory. It is understandable, because he would never be far away in any case! And you can imagine newspaper reporters after a goalmouth scramble, and no action replays, not having a clue who scored and under pressure of deadlines, just saying “oh, McGrory, I suppose!”
However, restricting myself to League goals and giving no guarantee of accuracy (including my own errors), I have come up with…
Hamilton Accies 28
Queen’s Park 24
Dunfermline Athletic 22
Falkirk 21
Cowdenbeath 21
Kilmarnock 20
St Mirren 20
Hibs 20
and Rangers only 10!
The Dunfermline Athletic total is of course distorted by the eight that he scored against them on 14 January 1928, and his total against Hamilton Accies included six hat-tricks. Remember that these were just League goals, and not necessarily totally accurate! But if you need further information or any details about any game or season in particular, let me know and I will see what I can do.
But what a player! And what a goal scorer!
His best and most famous games were of course scored in Cup-ties, but what about the game v Motherwell in 1936 when he scored a hat-trick in three minutes earning him the title “goal a minute James McGrory”.
At my father’s funeral I chose the hymn “Tell me the old, old story” which everyone thought was a Victorian revivalist hymn – and so it was, but I secretly sang the second line as “A hat trick for McGrory!”, which my father sang. My father and I once saw him on a train going to Aberdeen, and he nodded and spoke affably for a few minutes. It was probably my dad’s greatest moment!
Somehow, I doubt that Albian Ajeti is not going to do quite so well as Jimmy! Henrik Larsson probably could have, though!
David Potter
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I love to see those old Celtic players and to hear their Celtic stories. Wonderful, keep them coming.
#Sharing is Caring.
Well, your pictures and your “Fathers” tale, inspired me to delve further into the story of….
Alec Thomson and John Thomson. I knew that they both came from near-bye communities and I knew that they were both signed from Wellesley Juniors, Buckhaven in Fife. Willy Maley sending his chief scout Steve Callaghan to scout another goal keeper but at the same game he came back to report that the goalkeeper that caught his eye was Celtics legendary goalkeeper John Thomson So, I knew that both Thomson’s played for Celtic and i thought that they had played for Celtic at the same time. I did not know that they both had played together for the Scottish league, so grateful thanks for the picture of them both together. On delving further I found the proof, a great picture of them both posing as part of the Celtic team.
Alec’s beautiful shamrock Glasgow Cup medal is displayed in my wall case, though as you know the date he won it was wrongly inscribed. Alec signed for Celtic in 1922, John in 1927.
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