It was claimed that this decision had a profound impact on Renton. Club officials were said to have remarked that in future they would no longer sign Catholic players, because it would leave them as little more than a “training” club before these players ended up at Celtic.
James Kelly, Celtic FC
Now that Kelly had committed to Celtic, he became the first captain. He played for the club for nine years, until 1897. In that time, he was a central part of the club’s stratospheric rise to prominence, and all of its early successes and achievements.
Celtic’s first season was a clear indicator that the Bhoys were to become one of Scotland’s premier clubs. Under Kelly’s on-field leadership, they reached three cup finals, including the Scottish Cup. For a new team to do this in their first season was unheard of. Although they lost this final, Celtic did claim their first ever trophy, the 1889 Glasgow North Eastern Cup.
By 1891, the Bhoys won their first major trophy when they were triumphant in the Glasgow Cup. And then the following season, it was a momentous time as the Celts won the so-called ‘Holy Trinity’ of Scottish Cup, Glasgow Cup and Charity Cup. As a reminder that Kelly’s on-field influence was not just about his playing skills, he scored in both the Scottish Cup and Glasgow Cup Finals.
1892 saw Celtic depart the original Celtic Park and move a short distance to their second – and current – home. This season coincided with yet more success and Celtic history as the Bhoys secured their first League championship. Kelly became the first Celtic captain to lead his team to the title.
As well as starring for Celtic, Kelly was highly respected across Scotland and beyond. He played for the Scotland national team on eight occasions – scoring on once – and was also regularly selected to play for Scottish League Selects and Glasgow Selects too.
In the early years of the Scottish League, Celtic emerged as the most successful of teams. Although Dumbarton won the first two titles – the first of which was shared with Rangers – the Bhoys then won three out of the next four championships. Kelly was captain as the Celts were title winners in 1893, 1894 and 1896.
