1931/32 – Despite that report, I can find no record of John playing competitively in Belfast, Glasgow or the Irish Free State during this campaign. Indeed, the next report of his career which I discovered – from the Sunday Post on 7 August 1932 – would appear to confirm that.
“Brechin City yesterday signed John Ferguson, a Clydebank lad, whose last club was Belfast Celtic, and who for some time was a signed player of Glasgow Celtic. Ferguson plays at left-half.”
1932/33 – John played in 33 of Brechin City’s 36 Division 2 games in his season at Glebe Park, scoring 3 goals as they finished 15th in the 20-team table. Hibernian won that Second Division title, finishing ahead of Queen of the South and Dunfermline Athletic. John also played in Brechin’s only Scottish Cup tie that season, a 5-1 defeat at Leith Athletic on Saturday, 21 January 1933. Several of his old Celtic teammates were in the Hoops side which won 7-1 at East End Park, Dunfermline the same afternoon, and which would go on to win the trophy for the second time in three years at Hampden three months later. That would appear to be John’s final season in senior football.
Away from football, John found love and married Isabella McLachlan on Tuesday, 11 June 1937
at the Congregational Church, 43 Montrose Street, Clydebank. At that time, John was 30 years
old whilst Isabella was 29 and both were sewing machine factory machinists, presumably at
Singer’s in Clydebank. The couple would have two sons, Edward and John.
Sadly, John passed away at the southern General Hospital on Friday, 27 November 1987, aged
81. At that time, he was living in Paisley.
Well, there you have it.
Another boy who lived the dream, signing for Celtic and wearing those Hoops in a competitive
match. It seems likely that injury cost John the opportunity to play in the first game at the
revamped Celtic Park in the summer of 1929 and hampered his senior career thereafter.
Hopefully by filling in some of the gaps, his family can better understand and proudly share
the story of their grandfather, and indeed brother, as John junior is still with us.
Hail, Hail!
Matt Corr
Follow Matt on X at Boola_vogue
Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books.
As a very occasional article writer for the Star and a Dalmuir man, this article was ( almost literally ) right up my street. Thank you
.
Cheers, Eugene. Much appreciated. There is a further development on that story, just yesterday, so watch this space!
Nice read Matt, I love reading these stories on lesser known players in the hoops and the thought that my Da may have heard or read about them at the time.
Cheers, Tam. That’s very kind of you. Yes it’s important that these stories are discovered and shared. I actually found out some more detail on this story yesterday so watch this space!