Seated on the front row, second from right is Ian Reid. John Holt Reid was born in Edinburgh on Tuesday, 22 May 1934, and was a talented inside-forward with Armadale Thistle when he was signed by Celtic on Thursday, 5 March 1953. He would see his new club’s challenge for the League and Cup fade within his first month at Parkhead before witnessing the glory of the Coronation Cup triumph in May.
Ian would get a close-up look at those Coronation Cup stars in the annual public pre-season trial match held at Celtic Park on Tuesday, 4 August 1953, the teams lining up as follows.
‘A’ team
John Bonnar; Mike Haughney & Alex Rollo; Bobby Evans, Jock Stein & John McPhail;
Bobby Collins, Jimmy Walsh, Neil Mochan, Bertie Peacock & Willie Fernie.‘B’ team
George Hunter; David or John Duffy & Frank Meechan; Ian Reid, Jimmy McIlroy & John Jack;
Jimmy Murphy, Jimmy Rowan, John MacDonald, Charlie Tully & Tommy McMillan.
Neil Mochan scored a hat-trick in a 5-3 win for the ‘A’ team, and Jimmy Walsh and Willie Fernie were also on target. The ‘B’ team goals came from Jimmy Murphy, Jimmy Rowan and a Charlie Tully spot kick, the latter of which apparently drew the loudest roar of the evening.
The first mention I found of Ian playing in a competitive game for Celtic was on Saturday, 29 August 1953, the 19-year-old lining up at right-half for the reserves in a 2-1 away defeat to Berwick Rangers in a Scottish League Division C (North/East) match in the following team.
Andy Bell; Frank Williams & Alex Rollo; Ian Reid, John Jack & Hipsley;
Mathie, Jimmy Rowan, Frank Whyte, Mike Conroy & Jimmy Duncan.
Ian would be a regular in the reserve side throughout that season, on occasion turning out on the right wing, as the first team built on the Coronation Cup success by winning a first League and Scottish Cup double in 40 years.
The new season kicked off with the annual pre-season public trial at Celtic Park on Tuesday, 10 August 1954, exactly one year before the original photo which triggered this article was taken. Ian lined up in the following team.
Eamon McMahon; Vincent Ryan & Joe Baillie; Mike Conroy, Alec Boden & Ian Reid;
Bobby Collins, Jimmy Rowan, Jimmy McIlroy, Willie Gillies & Jimmy Duncan.
Bobby Collins was the star of the show as the reserves beat the first team 3-2, Willie Gillies and Jimmy Rowan on target before Sean Fallon pulled one back. Jimmy McIlroy re-established the two-goal lead with Charlie Tully completing the scoring.
That would be McIlroy’s last game before undergoing an appendectomy the following week. I believe that same side with the exception of John Jack in for Mike Conroy would then beat East Stirlingshire 6-1 at Firs Park in a Scottish League Division C (North/East) match four days later, albeit The Evening Times lists ‘Ryan’ at both right-back and inside-right.
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