Celtic On This Day – 15th April – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

SATURDAY 15th APRIL 1911 – Celtic are generally agreed to be on the slide in 1911 having lost the League Championship to Rangers, but today they won the Scottish Cup for the 7th time in a replayed Cup final at Ibrox by beating Hamilton Academical 2-0. The goals are scored by two men from Croy – Jimmy Quinn and Tommy McAteer. Another Crojan is playing as well – young Andy McAtee.

WEDNESDAY 15th APRIL 1931 – Following a tense draw on Saturday, 98,579 are at Hampden this Wednesday evening to see Celtic beat Motherwell 4-2 with two goals each from Jimmy McGrory and Bertie Thomson. This is the 13th time that Celtic have won the Scottish Cup, and a celebration is held at Willie Maley’s “The Bank” restaurant after the game.

SATURDAY 15th APRIL 1933 – In a dull game on a dull day at Hampden, Celtic lift the Scottish Cup for the 14th time with a 1-0 win over Motherwell. The only goal of the game comes from Jimmy McGrory, and it was a simple tap-in from a Bertie Thomson cross which deflected off two Motherwell defenders. It was dubbed “McGrory’s saftest o’ the familie” after the popular Harry Lauder music hall song of the time.

WEDNESDAY 15th APRIL 1970 – 136,505 (a European record) are at Hampden to see Celtic beat Leeds United 2-1 (3-1 on aggregate) in the European Cup semi-final. Billy Bremner scores first for Leeds, but then Celtic score twice in the first ten minutes of the second-half with a glancing header from John Hughes and a pile driver from Bobby Murdoch. It is one of Celtic’s best and most famous performances of the Stein era.

SUNDAY 15th APRIL 2012 – Celtic exit the Scottish Cup at the semi-final stage in controversial circumstances after Hearts are awarded an injury time penalty when the ball clearly struck Joe Ledley rather than anything else. Then after Hearts score the penalty a similar thing happens at the other end, and no penalty is awarded! A few minutes earlier Gary Hooper had headed an equalizer for Celtic, and Celtic have every right to feel robbed. 36,609 are at this game at Hampden.

David Potter