1931 saw Kelly’s last notable involvement in Celtic history. He accompanied the Bhoys as they travelled to USA, the first time that a Celtic team had played outside of Europe. However, during this trip he complained of head pains, which were said to be connected to an injury that he had sustained when still playing.
The end of James Kelly’s personal story came in the early-1930s. On 20 February 1932, he died as a result of a cerebral thrombosis, which news reports at the time attributed to his head injury. He is buried at St Patrick’s Cemetery in New Stevenston; in 2017, the Celtic Graves Society held a commemoration event at his grave which was attended by fans and club representatives.
James Kelly, Celtic FC
After his death, the Kelly and Celtic connection did not come to an end. His place on the Celtic Board was taken by his son, Robert, and in later years he too would become Chairman. Furthermore, at the time of Fergus McCann’s takeover in 1994, two of James Kelly’s nephews were members of the Board: Kevin Kelly and Michael Kelly.
James Kelly, Celtic FC
If seeking to describe James Kelly’s influence on Celtic, there is no shortage of places to start. He is recorded as playing 139 times for the club, and scoring 11 times, and in fact these figures cover only major tournaments and do not include numerous friendlies and other competitions.
Kelly is part of almost every notable Celtic ‘first’, including first game, first captain, first trophy, first Scottish Cup win, first League title and many, many more. Given that it was his presence in the team that helped attract many of his teammates, it is impossible to overstate his influence.
A famous quote which was once said of him was ‘No Kelly, No Keltic’. Simply, this means that without him, Celtic would never have succeeded in the way they did. For a Celtic man such as James Kelly, there can be no greater epitaph.
Matthew Marr
If you want to learn more about Celtic history, follow Hail Hail History on Twitter/X. You can also take part in a FREE Celtic history walking tour. Visit celticwalkingtours.wordpress.com for more information.
Click on cover to order a hardback copy
Matthew’s debut Celtic book titled ‘The Bould Bhoys – Glory to their name’ was published by Celtic Star Books last year and is available to order HERE. This brilliant book is also available on Amazon Kindle for just £3.49 and includes all photo sections that appear in the hardback edition.
Matthew Marr with his debut Celtic book, Glory to their name, which tells the story of Celtic’s first ever title win. Photo The Celtic Star
Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books.
