A Model of the Tower was Football’s Prize

The great Delaney was indeed fit to take his place in the team, Matt Lynch the unfortunate Celt missing out as almost 83,000 spectators packed into Ibrox to watch the Empire Exhibition Trophy final on Friday, 10 June 1938. The teams lined up as follows.

Celtic: Joe Kennaway; Bobby Hogg & Jock Morrison; Chic Geatons, Willie Lyon & George Paterson; Jimmy Delaney, Malcolm MacDonald, John Crum, John Divers & Frank Murphy.

Everton: Ted Sagar; Willie Cook & Norman Greenhaigh; Joe Mercer, Tommy Jones & Jock Thomson; Albert Geldard, Jimmy Cunliffe, Tommy Lawton, Alex Stevenson & Wally Boyes.

The match itself was worthy of the occasion, two great teams going at one another from the outset. Joe Kennaway had been pivotal in Celtic reaching the final, and he was once again outstanding, with one save in particular from Tommy Lawton in the first half which beggared belief. In front of him, Birkenhead-born skipper Willie Lyon was a rock on which Everton’s attack continually foundered.

The English team had its own heroes in defence, goalkeeper Ted Sagar providing a tremendous last line and on the one opportunity Celtic managed to get past him, there was Welsh legend Tommy ‘T.G.’ Jones to clear the danger. Thus, we reached the end of 90 minutes of wonderful attacking football with the game still deadlocked at 0-0.

The huge crowd would not have long to wait for the first and as it turned out decisive goal. Only six minutes had been played when John Crum received the ball just inside the penalty area, the Celtic striker turning quickly to fire in a shot which Sagar got a hand to but could not prevent from crossing his line. Crum then danced an impromptu Highland jig behind the goal, as Celtic made the vital breakthrough.

Everton would have one last throw of the dice in this pulsating climax to the competition, Wally Boyes heading past Kennaway only to see his effort correctly ruled out for offside.

Referee Thomson’s whistle sounded to create yet another unique memory in the incredible history of Celtic Football Club. Minutes later, Lord Elgin presented Celtic captain Willie Lyon with the Empire Exhibition trophy, a silver replica of the Tower of Empire, each of the players in turn then receiving a personal miniature of the trophy. The irony would not be lost on many that the club formed half a century earlier as a direct consequence of An Gorta Mor, had just been crowned as the champions of the British Empire.

There was another momentous event which took place in the shadow of Ibrox Park earlier that day. At 6.15am on Friday, 10 June 1938, baby Joseph McBride was born at 16 Napier Street, just off the Govan Road. Some three decades later, Joe would be emulating the feats of Jimmy McGrory, John Crum et al by terrorising opposition defences wherever Celtic played.

Hail, hail!

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