Celtic On This Day – 20th May – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

(And yesterday so did his great grand daughter Amy, to win Celtic FC Women the league…)

WEDNESDAY 20th MAY 1914 – Celtic, the Scottish Cup winners meet Burnley, the English Cup winners on tour in Budapest. The game ends 1-1 with a penalty for each side (Celtic’s scored by Patsy Gallacher) but it is a rough-house of a game played on a dry, bumpy pitch with a poor referee and Burnley provocatively wearing blue!

WEDNESDAY 20th MAY 1953 – Celtic win the all-British Coronation Cup by beating Hibs 2-0 in the Final at Hampden before 117,060 spectators. Without the injured Charlie Tully, Celtic are forced to defend for most of the game against a strong Hibs attack with their “Famous Five” forwards viz. Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond in full cry. But goalkeeper Johnnie Bonnar is up to the task and is well supported by centre half Jock Stein and full backs Mike Haughney and Alec Rollo. Celtic score through Neil Mochan in the first half, and then Jimmy Walsh just before full-time.

SATURDAY 20th MAY 1989 – In an otherwise sadly under-performing Celtic career, Joe Miller earns his one moment of glory as he scores the only goal of the game to beat Rangers in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden. The 1-0 victory however is well deserved and Celtic have now won the trophy 29 times. It is however be the last trophy that Celtic will win for six years, as the bad days now descend with a vengeance.

David Potter