This is my second of two articles on The Celtic Star, in tribute to the late, great David Potter who sadly passed away a year ago today and has been a huge loss to his wife Rosemary and all his family and also of course David’s wider Celtic family where he was so well respected…
Jimmy (Napoleon) McMenemy, Featured large in David Potter’s writing, hardly a week went past without Jimmy’s picture or story appearing on The Celtic Star and there was a reason for that.
Simply put, McMenemy was a Celtic legend, the most pertinent thing that I picked up from David Potter’s book was how much Napoleon was embedded into Celtic Football Club. Another ten pound signing like John Thomson, signing – on fees only rose by 100% when Bertie Auld signed for the club in the late 1950s, for twenty pounds.
‘Signed up a close in Union Street’ in Rutherglen (Ruggys), I know where that is without viewing Sat Nav. Rutherglen has produced two Celtic midfielders of world class, Jimmy McMenemy and Bobby Murdoch, must be something in their Irn Bru.
Although Jimmy was small in stature, his heart was huge, who could forget that picture in Celtic Wiki of Jimmy tending the feet of Mohammed Salin?
Is it any wonder why Willie Maley brought him back to Celtic Football Club in the mid 1930s, years after ending his illustrious football career.
Jimmy began his junior football career playing for Rutherglen Glencairn, alongside his great boyhood friend Alec Bennett, where they made history winning the Scottish Junior Cup and the Glasgow Junior League, mon’ the Ruggy.
Jimmy was a great passer of the ball with a strong shot, but to me an interested amateur, it was his reading of the game and timing that shone through, threading passes and dictating the pace, he was crafting the style that Celtic played.
Born in 1880, he played for Celtic from 1902 – 1920 when Celtic with Napoleon and under Maley was at its peak. In the Celtic team of the 1900s he and his excellent teammates won six in a row, then again in the 1910s with another great Celtic side with Napoleon pulling the strings success followed in 1918-19 with another league title. Celtic, success and Jimmy McMenemy went hand in hand.
After he left Celtic with his knees worn out, he left the club and Celtic began to slowly descend the league, it was all over for Jimmy’s Celtic playing career, it would be like losing a Henrik Larsson.
Played for Celtic 515 times, scored 168 goals, winning 11 Championships and six Scottish Cups. Twelve International Caps.
Is it any wonder that he was a player that David Potter so much admired?
Jimmy McMenemy returned to Celtic football club and joined the Celtic coaching staff between 1935 – 1940. The medal strung over David Potter’s excellent tome is the medal that Jimmy (Napoleon) McMenemy won as Celtic trainer and assistant manager under Willie Maley in season 1935.
Celtic player – Celtic scout, in bringing to Celtic with him his great friend Alec Bennett, (Maley won a lucky bag, two great players for the price of one). Assistant manager and trainer, you could only describe Jimmy McMenemy as…
Faithful Through And Through.
Such a pity he never achieved the manager’s job when Willie Maley left Celtic.
James McMenemy Born 23-8-1880 – Died 23-6-1965. Legend.
Remembering today, David Potter Celtic Author And Historian and perhaps Jimmy (Napoleon) McMenemy was his favourite all-time Celt.
A Celtic Star reader
