Celtic’s second away game involved a trip east of Airdrie, to a place that occupies a remarkable position in world football history.
On 11 August 1888, ten days after the Bhoys’ first away game, Celtic went on tour again, this time in their first away game from Glasgow.
OneFootball Videos
It was a journey east to Lanarkshire to meet Airdrie, who was playing in the city’s Mavisbank Park.
What The Scotsman described as “a massive crowd” (other newspapers estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 enthusiasts) was there to observe “the new Irish mix of the west of Scotland”.
Celtic’s second away game.
Celtic’s squad included several of the club’s early players: Dunning, McKeown, Collins, W Maley, Kelly, McLaren, McCallum, Coleman, Groves, Coogan and Connor.
One of Airdrie’s men later had a small fame at Celtic. In the 1892–93 season, striker Robert Scott made his only appearance for Celtic when they beat Rangers 3–0, in a match that proved important for the Bhoys to win their first league title. .
The game was scheduled to start at 4:30 p. m. , but due to the large crowd, the game didn’t start until around five p. m. Celtic started and governed the early proceedings, but was continually thwarted by Connor in the house. male goal.
But in the end, the Celts managed to break through. Neil McCallum, who scored the Bhoys’ first goal, earned the title of brightest goalscorer outside Glasgow.
Game Report, The Scotsman – Monday, August 13, 1888
At half-time, the Celts were only 1-0 ahead, but that fairly even result soon disappeared. Shortly after kick-off, Willie Groves made it 2-0, “which was met with deafening applause from a large number of Irish fans. in assistance. “
Airdrie’s defense was soon destroyed by “repeated attacks” by the Celts. Four more goals were added, adding two in the last minute. The newspapers do not record the scorers, some accounts suggest that Willie Groves scored five.
Although Celts were satisfied with their (it was their first win and their first win away from Glasgow), not everyone was so satisfied.
One reporter angrily claimed that “a lot of the booing reigned among the onlookers. . . And the language and behaviour of many of the visitors’ supporters on the pitch and in the stands were simply shameful. “
Although Mavisbank Park plays a small role in Celtic’s history, the site occupies a much more vital position in football history; It is the site of the world’s first penalty.
Three years after the Bhoys arrived in Lanarkshire, in August 1891, Airdrie welcomed their local rivals, the Royal Albert of Larkhall, to Mavisbank.
Just four days earlier, the FA’s International Board (meeting at the Alexandra Hotel in Glasgow) had agreed to introduce the penalty shootout as a way to end the cynical mistakes of last chances.
On 6 June 1891, the two Lanarkshire teams met in the final of the Airdrie Charity Cup. Within 15 minutes, “the referee stopped Mitchell [from Airdrie] for throwing at Lambie and awarded him a foul under the new law. “
Airdrie Charity Cup
It is believed that the first penalty of the world championship was scored by James McLuggage of Royal Albert, which in the end helped his team win 2-0 and win the cup.
Fans would have been baffled by the new rule (they would expect defenders to form a wall to prevent the shot) and the Airdrie Advertiser even had to come up with a diagram of what had happened.
Matthew Marr
Follow Matthieu on Twitter@hailhailhistory
Click to order a hard drive.
Matthew’s first Celtic e-book entitled ‘The Bould Bhoys – Glory to Their Name’ published through Celtic Star Books earlier this year and can be ordered HERE or you can get a copy at any official Celtic Array store. This brilliant eBook is also for You can get on Amazon Kindle for just £3. 49 and includes all the photo sections featured in the hardcover edition.
More / The latest
At the moment, we are on the right track: the history of Celtic’s visiting venues
14 October 2023, 13: 40
Rags looking to get Liel Abada out of Celtic
October, 14 2023, 9:36
The wonderful and totally unexpected rise of Liam Scales continues
October 14, 2023, 8:55 am
About the publisher
Celtic make the right choice in tickets for the Glasgow Derby, but there’s an option in sight
The Celtic Star
Celtic FC Women vs Rangers | Tickets on sale for the Glasgow derby
Celta FC
Tottenham: Stars earning £450,000 a week can go loose on Hotspur Way
Give me sport
Video: Alistair Johnston leaves painful comment about beloved Japanese star
The Celtic Star
Video: Healthy as Celtic defender relives country’s first goal
The Celtic Star
Mentioned in this article.
Glasgow Celtic
? The Strong Men of the Day