A FEW WEEKS AGO we started a new series which is nearing its end. 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.
Next 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…
Then for the next featured decade – the 1980s – David Potter decided that The Celtic Star for 1980-89 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 link below…
How do you follow on from the Maestro, Paul McStay? Well this one is easy for the Celtic Historian and would be unanimous if the wider Celtic Support were to be asked. The Celtic Star of the Decade for 2000-2009 is The King of Kings, Henrik Larsson.
And last but certainly not least is The Celtic Star of the Decade from 2010 to the present day in our captain Scott Brown. Read David Potter’s reasoning for selecting Broony on the next page…
The Celtic Star of the Decade
13. The Celtic Star of the Decade – 2010-To Present Day – Scott Brown…
There will be few arguments, I fancy, from anyone if I nominate Scott Brown as the Player of the Decade from 2011 to 2020.
Even those who had reservations about him originally,(I was one of them) particularly about his over-aggressive “in your face” style of play, must now be totally converted when they look at what he had achieved with Celtic.
Put it this way, Scott has been with us since 2007. During that time, Celtic have won a fair amount – the Scottish League title in 2008, and from 2012 to date, the Scottish Cup in 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the Scottish League Cup in 2009, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Scott has been part of all that, so I make that 20 domestic medals, and he already had a League Cup medal with Hibs when he arrived!
He is thus rapidly closing in on McNeill’s total, and a comparison with Big Billy in other respects is no less valid. His leadership in inspirational, he has never been a shirker, and his ability to size up a situation is phenomenal.
He never seems to tire, and although he is now in his 35th year, there is as yet no sign of him giving up or even slowing down. An automatic choice for the team (which he has captained since 2010) apart from injury or suspension – his committed aggressive style of play had led to a few of the latter! – he has retained the love and affection of the fans who love doing his “Broonie”.
He has retired twice from the International side, but he has nevertheless played 55 times for them.
One of the greatest indications of how great a player he has been comes in the way that he is hated by opposition fans. He is not well loved by the frequenters of Pittodrie, Tynecastle and Ibrox. Now why is that, I wonder?
He is a very humble man, always willing to be photographed with the fans, particularly youngsters. He has now served under Strachan, Mowbray, Lennon (twice) and Rodgers.
Look at the goalie…
He may retire soon. If and when he does, people might say “There’ll never be another Broonie”. That will not necessarily be true, but there certainly will be very few. Scott Brown deserves his place in any pantheon of Celtic legends.
David Potter
Some additional reading about Scott Brown on The Celtic Star…
“Captain, leader, legend”: These Celtic fans hail Scott Brown as he battled through injury to demolish Hibs…see HERE.
‘That puts a smile on my face,’ Celtic legend Scott Brown…see HERE.
Scott Brown tells Boastful Rangers, ‘People only remember the name on the trophy’…see HERE.
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