Celtic On This Day – 23rd April – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

SATURDAY 23rd APRIL 1904 – Only a week after Jimmy Quinn scored the Cup final hat-trick which made him the talk of the country, he scores five today as Kilmarnock are beaten 6-1 at Celtic Park. Jimmy McMenemy scores the other goal, but manager Maley is not there to see this game because he is at the Crystal Palace in London, watching his brother Tom’s Manchester City win the English Cup by beating Bolton Wanderers 1-0.

SATURDAY 23rd APRIL 1955 – It is a Celtic horror show as goalkeeper John Bonnar makes a hash of a corner-kick in the last minute to allow Clyde a last minute equaliser in the Scottish Cup final. Earlier, Jimmy Walsh had scored and Celtic had rarely been troubled. 106,234 attend in spite of the fact that the game was televised live – the first Scottish domestic game ever to be televised. Kenneth Wolstenholme, a closet admirer of Celtic on many occasions, is the commentator.

SATURDAY 23rd APRIL 1966 – The Celtic v Rangers Scottish Cup final turns out to be a damp squib and a 0-0 draw. Neither team at any time looked on top, and although there was some good football played, you never felt that the game was going to be won by either side. Celtic were just back from an unfortunate experience in Liverpool and were probably happy to settle for a draw – and of course another big gate!.

SATURDAY 23rd APRIL 1988 – Only the gullible believe the official statements about there being only 60,000 within Celtic Park. There looks to be well over 80,000 with spectators sitting on the running track as Celtic clinch the League Championship in their Centenary Year. They beat Dundee 3-0 with full back Chris Morris scoring within the first few minutes then Andy Walker adding a couple in the second half.

WEDNESDAY 23rd APRIL 1997 – It is one of the most miserable nights in recent Celtic history as 35,879 are at Ibrox in the heavy rain to see Celtic go down 0-1 to Falkirk in the Scottish Cup semi-final replay. It is the game which will seal the fate of manager Tommy Burns, for Rangers will win the Scottish League for the ninth year in a row as well. Big signings like Paolo di Canio and Jorge Cadete are talented but have flopped miserably because of personality and attitude problems.

David Potter

David’s bestseller The Celtic Rising ~ 1965: The Year Jock Stein Changed Everything is completely sold out in print on but is available on Amazon kindle, with all the photographs of the hardback edition, for HALF PRICE at just £3.49…