Today’s photo of the day is topical as it shows Celtic legend and former Alloa boss Jimmy McStay donning a Celtic strip in the garden!
McStay was a centre half at Celtic between 1923 and 1934. His time in Paradise delivered a league title in 1925/26, five Scottish Cups, two Glasgow Cups and two Glasgow Charity Cups. Six years into his Celtic career, he succeeded his brother, Willie, as Club Captain. After making 472 appearances in the hoops, he departed for Hamilton Accies.
In 1938 he became manager of Alloa Athletic. He won the Wasps promotion to the First Division during his first season in charge and had picked up two wins from his first five games as a Division One Manager, before the War intervened.
At this juncture, Willie Maley left Celtic Park and the Hoops were looking for a new boss. Though McStay was contracted until the end of the season at Alloa, the club let him go as they did not wish to stand in his way after the great job he had done.
On McStay’s leaving Recreation Park, the vice-president of Alloa said: “He is a man in a thousand. At Alloa he has had our complete confidence right from the beginning. He picked the team himself, and was never subjected to any interference in his work from the Board.”
Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be given such freedoms by the board at Paradise.
Jimmy McStay – Celtic legend and Alloa manager pic.twitter.com/09LgWNvRNl
— Liam Kelly (@cfcliamk96) January 22, 2022
