Celtic FC – Scottish Cup Winners for the third time, 1900

CELTIC 4-3 QUEEN’S PARK – IBROX, 14th APRIL 1900 – This game was known as the “hurricane final” with a strong wind blowing from the west. Celtic had not had the best of seasons in the League but had defeated Rangers decisively in the replayed semi-final and now faced Queen’s Park in what would turn out to be their last ever Scottish Cup final now that professionalism was taking over.

Celtic played with the wind in the first half and were 3-1 up at half time with goals from Sandy McMahon, John Divers and Jack Bell. Early in the second half Divers scored against the wind to make in 4-1, but Queen’s Park kept pressing and pulled a couple back to enter the last 10 minutes with the score at 4-3. But Celtic held out heroically against the wind (“blasty Boreas” as The Scottish Referee puts it) with Dan McArthur in top form, and the Cup was won for the third time. The full backs Storrier and Battles were outstanding.

The Celtic team: McArthur, Storrier and Battles; Russell, Marshall and Orr; Hodge, Campbell, Divers, McMahon and Bell. Scorers: Bell, Divers (2), McMahon

Queen’s Park:  Gourlay, Stewart, Swann, Irons, Christie, Templeton, Stewart, Wilson ,McColl, Kennedy, Hay. Scorers: Battles, Christie, Stewart

Points of interest from the 1900 Scottish Cup Final…

* Game marked the successful transition from the old amateur (shamateur?) days to the professional game.

* Key to highlight Celtic’s successful progression whilst others floundered.

* Queen’s Park last Scottish Cup final.

* Match played at Ibrox Park.

* The end of the original Glasgow derby; in the early days it was Queen’s Park and not Rangers who were the establishment club, although Celtic & Rangers had by this point long surpassed Queen’s Park.

* This was the first final at the new Ibrox making Celtic the first team to win a trophy there! Like Celtic Park, the current Ibrox is not the first location to have this name. Rangers went to the first Ibrox in 1887, the same year Celtic were formed. Then, in 1899, Rangers moved a short distance to the current site.

David Potter

*Article from The Celtic Star archives, featuring the brilliant Celtic writing from Celtic Historian David Potter. Stay tuned for Celtic’s fourth Scottish Cup triumph. Any idea when that was? Don’t worry we’ll tell you shortly!