1931-06-29: Canton S.C (Baltimore) 1-4 Celtic, American Tour

Match Pictures | Matches: 19301931 | 1931 Pictures

Trivia

  • There appears to have been some confusion as to who scored two goals for Celtic. The Herald has it McGhee while the Scotsman has McGrory. In John Cairney’s book on Jimmy McGrory “Heroes are Forever” he quotes from McGrory’s diary for 28 June. ” some of us went to the Brooklyn Paramount Picture House, and others went off to play in a floodlit match against Baltimore Canton, which they won 4-1. I think we had the better time than they did.”
  • The 1-4 scoreline represents a good win for Celtic albeit that details are scarce.
  • The last match of the tour seems to have been hastily arranged as a fill-in for the postponed Newark Americans fixture. According to press reports the U.S.F.A. would not sanction the Newark Americans fixture. Other press reports of the game against the New York Yankees on the 28th June refer to that match as the last of the tour, and this may explain the dearth of US newspaper coverage of the Canton game, and also the crowd, which was the smallest of the tour.
  • SCOTS IN NEW YORK REMEMBER BURNS New York, June 28. — The various Scottish Societies of New York City paraded through the streets to Central Park today, led by a pipe band, in memory, of Robert Burns.—Reuter.
  • The General Election in Spain has overwhelmingly endorsed the Republican candidates and rejected the monarchy.

Review

The Scotsman – Saturday, 4th July 1931, page 17
CELTIC LEAVE FOR HOME
New York, July 2.—Well pleased with their tour in the United States, during-which they scored 43 goals against 18, the Glasgow Celtic left for home aboard the Transylvania yesterday. Officials of the United States Football Association, including Colonel G. Randolph, and a delegate of Knights of Columbus were at the pier to bid them good-bye.—Press Association.

Teams

CELTIC:

Scorers:
McGhee, (2); Hughes, Whitelaw.

[…]

Referee:
Attendance: 2,800
Venue: Hornewood Field, Baltimore.

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

The Scotsman – Thursday, 2nd July 1931, page 14

CELTIC’S TOUR CLOSED

A WIN AT BALTIMORE

Baltimore, July 1.—There may be better football teams than Glasgow Celtic, but the people of Baltimore admit frankly that they have never seen them.

Before more than 2800 spectators, and beneath scores of floodlights, Celtic, who sail today from New York for England, gave a splendid exhibition, and beat Baltimore by 4 goals to 1.

Baltimore were surprised at the skill of the Scotsmen, and were quite outplayed. McGrory (two), Hughes, and Whitelaw were the Scottish goalscorers.

Celtic thus scored their tenth victory out of 13 games played in this country during the last five weeks.—Press Association.

Baltimore v Celtic 1931 US Tour
CELTIC WIN LAST MATCH
BALTIMORE, Wednesday.
There may be better football teams than Celtic, but the people of Baltimore admit frankly that they have never seen them. Before more than 2,000 spectators and beneath scores of floodlights, Celtic, who sail today from New York to England, gave a splendid exhibition, and beat Baltimore by four goals to one. Baltimore were surprised at the skill of the Scotsmen, and were quite outplayed. McGhee (2), Hughes, and Whitelaw were the Scottish goal-scorers.

Celtic thus scored their 10th victory out of 13 games played in this country during the last five weeks.–Press Associates Special Telegram.

POST SCRIPT

The Scotsman – Saturday, 11th July 1931, page 20

IMPRESSIONS OF TOUR

Members of Celtic Football club, who have been on tour in America and Canada during the past two months, had a boisterous welcome last night when they disembarked from the Anchor liner Transylvania at Yorkhill, Glasgow. As the liner passed up the river there were cheering crowds on both banks, and many waved Celtic’s colours.

There was one member of the team missing. He was James McGrory, the centre-forward, who left the ship at Moville, in the North of Ireland, early in the morning. McGrory was married a few hours after reaching Irish soil.

In an interview, Mr Tom White, chairman of the club, said the team had had a wonderful trip, though he thought that the arrangements on the other side could have been a little better. The team had had a strenuous time. They had to make, long journeys, and, with the excessive heat, he thought they were a bit unlucky. He attributed the club’s three defeats to the abnormal conditions.

Mr William Maley, the manager, remarked that the refereeing in America was terrible. They had rules of their own, he said, and football would not make much progress there until they had better control of the game.