LAST WEEK we started a new series. We asked club Historian and author of countless Celtic books, David Potter to select The Celtic Star of the Decade for each and every decade since 1888.

Starting at the very beginning during Celtic’s early years, David opted for SANDY  McMAHON and you can read his Celtic story below.

Moving into the first decade of the 20th Century there really only could be one name that David Potter could opt for and that’s JIMMY QUINN who David named as The Celtic Star of the Decade for 1900-1909 Here’s why…

And David’s next pick for The Celtic Star for the club’s third decade running from 1910-1919 is none other that PATSY GALLACHER. You can read about The Mighty Atom here…

Then David Potter’s selection for the Celtic Star of the club’s fourth decade running from 1920-1929, who else could he go for but the one and only JIMMY McGRORY Read about Celtic 550 goal legend below…

Now the brief to David Potter was clear, select The Celtic Star of each decade. That means he doesn’t necessarily have to opt for a PLAYER for that decade, although it could quite easily be a former player that the Celtic historian opts for. For instance he may well opt for Jock Stein as The Celtic Star of the 1960s but he doesn’t. The ONLY decade that David has opted for a non-playing winner of The Celtic Star of the decade was the one we featured yesterday for the decade 1930-39.

Read David’s logic in choosing JIMMY McMENEMY as The Celtic Star of the Decade 1930-39 below…

And for David Potter’s selection for the Celtic Star of the club’s sixth decade running from 1940-1949, is the one and only CHARLES PATRICK TULLY.…

On Wednesday David selected The Celtic Star of the 1950s and he opted for Celtic’s Forgotten Hero BOBBY EVANS, here’s why…

On Thursday the Celtic Historian probably had his most difficult decision yet, choosing just one Celtic man from the 1960s? Who could he choose, maybe the manager Jock Stein or any one of Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Clark, Murdoch, Auld, Johnstone, Chalmers, Wallace, Lennox or maybe John Hughes, Joe McBride or John Fallon? Any of the above would have been a fine choice, but David has gone for the one Lisbon Lion we haven’t mentioned – the captain Billy McNeill.

And David reveals that the decision wasn’t that tough as we’d thought. It was rather easy actually.

By Friday the club historian turned his attention to the 1970s when Celtic started the decade with most of the Lisbon Lions still doing their thing and added to that we had the Quality Street Gang before ending the decade with the likes of Roy Aitken, Tommy Burns and George McCluskey all emerging. Lots of names within that lot for David Potter to choose from.

But after giving the matter careful consideration David Potter selected The Celtic Star of the Decade 1970-79 and that Celt is Lisbon Lion Bobby Lennox. David explained why he opted for the Buzzbomb, see below…

And for yesterday featured decade – the 1980s – David Potter has decided that The Celtic Star for 198-89 is The Bear himself, Roy Aitken. Read David’s reasoning below…

Moving onto the final decade of the 20th century and there can be no arguments, debates or even discussions about the validity of the David Potter’s choice of The Celtic Star of the Decade for 1990-1999 – The Maestro, Paul McStay, second only to James McGrory as the song says…

Read David’s reason for selecting Paul McStay on the next page…

The highs and lows for Paul McStay…

The Celtic Star of the Decade

11. The Celtic Star of the Decade – 1990-1999 – Paul McStay…

It remains one of the major tragedies of Celtic’s recent history that one of their greatest ever players, Paul McStay, was compelled to play in the 1980s which were strange, unpredictable and quixotic, and then the early 1990s which were quite simply bad.

Yet it is to the credit of this man that he emerged with his dignity intact and his reputation enhanced. True, he did not win anything like the amount of medals that he should have – a total of 3 League medals, 4 Scottish Cup medals and 1 Scottish League Cup medal to add to his 76 caps for Scotland.

He had emerged in the early 1980s as a classy midfield player with visionary passing ability and an eye for goal. He had had success in those times, but when Roy Aitken left in 1990, he was appointed captain of a team that was visibly failing to cope with a Board of Directors that seemed to be quite content to allow Rangers to win trophies and to hope for some miracle to change things. Manager Billy McNeill left in 1991, Liam Brady was nothing like up to the job, and in spite of McStay’s efforts, things were visibly falling apart for him. Yet somehow or other, he kept the playing side of things respectable at least and the supporters’ slogan of “Back The Team, Sack The Board” was in some ways a tribute to Paul.

Nemesis visited the Board in spring 1994, but total redemption and a return to trophy winning was still a long way off. McStay tragically was the man who missed the penalty in the shoot-out in the League Cup final, but his day eventually came when he captained the side to the winning of the Scottish Cup in May 1995. Those who loved Paul McStay enjoyed that, and next year it was only by the narrowest of margins that Celtic failed to win the Premier League.

In March 1997, McStay now 33, limped off Stark’s Park, Kirkcaldy and never played again for the club nor indeed for any other club. He was always and only Paul McStay of Celtic, literally born into the club for which his great uncles played with such distinction in the 1920s. He played 515 times for the club and scored 57 goals.

He was quite simply an outstanding player, unfortunate enough to be around at the wrong time.

David Potter

Some additional reading about Paul McStay on The Celtic Star…

The Maestro, Paul McStay – ‘His contribution to Celtic is unquantifiable’…see HERE.

Paul McStay and Andy Walker, the Celtic Heroes and STV actually had a helicopter!…see HERE.

‘Paul McStay had absolutely everything, he could have played anywhere in world football,’ Kevin McLaughlin….see HERE.

Support Celtic Youth Development

Help raise money for Celtic Youth Development by joining the £1 weekly lottery and you could win up to £25,000 – just click on any one of the photographs below to join. Lots of our readers have already done so and they’re now doing their bit to help fund Celtic Youth Development that can deliver the stars of tomorrow and beyond. And you might even win a few bob too! And a special thank you to all The Celtic Star readers who have already signed up and are now supporting youth development to give us the Celtic Stars of the future…