1936-08-08: Celtic 3-2 St Johnstone, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches:19361937 | 1936 Pictures

Trivia

  • Saturday saw the first day of the new football season in Scotland with fine, dry, weather and the attendances were generally good.
  • Rangers were held to a draw at Dundee and it seemed that Celtic would fare no better against St Johnstone, but even though Willie Buchan missed a penalty kick and Jimmy McGrory had to go off hurt, the champions prevailed and won with something to spare at the end, thanks to Frank Murphy goals in 8 and 30 minutes and Willie Buchan on 75 minutes. Saint's inside-right Andy McCall scored in 43 minutes to make the score 2-1 and outside-left Harry? Nicholson levelled the scores in 65 minutes but Buchan was not to be denied.
  • 30 persons, including two girls, appeared before the Glasgow Magistrate following rioting in the east end. The rioting occurred late on Friday night while a flute band was marching towards Parkhead by way of London Road near Davaar Street. A disorderly crowd of persons cursed, swore, shouted, used party expressions, brandished weapons, and committed a breach of the peace.

Review

Teams

CELTIC:
Kennaway, Hogg, Morrison, Geatons, Lyon, Paterson, Delaney, Buchan, McGrory, Crum, Murphy.
Scorers:
Murphy, (2); Buchan.

SAINT JOHNSTONE:
Wylie, Taylor, Clark, Mason, Moulds, Dickie, Tennant, McCall, Beattie, Ferguson,Nicholson.
Scorers:
McCall, Nicholson.

Referee: D. F. Reilly (Port Glasgow).
Attendance: 20,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

The Scotsman – Monday, 10th August 1936, page 3

CELT'S NARROW VICTORY

ACCIDENT TO McGRORY AND PENALTY MISS

An attendance of about 25,000 at Parkhead, Glasgow, saw Celtic open the season as new champions, and were treated to a fast and interesting game.

Celtic won deservedly. Of that there could not be any doubt, but they were not seen at anything like their best. They often displayed carelessness which might easily have proved their undoing. They led by two goals after half an hour’s play, and both were taken by Murphy, but before the interval McCall scored for St Johnstone.

Moulds never left McGrory, and that had the effect of holding up the attack, but the Celts were always the more finished side and at times played delightful football.

McGrory was limping badly during the second half, and after twenty minutes Nicholson equalised for St Johnstone. Celts replied vigorously, but missed their centre, who had retired, Delaney going into the position. A penalty kick was awarded to them, but Buchan shot softly at the goalkeeper. Buchan, however, made up for his mistake a minute later by scoring what proved to be the winning goal.

Neither Morrison nor Geatons was in his usual form, and, of course, McGrory's injury was responsible for his rather quiet day. Buchan, Murphy, Lyon, and Paterson were the Celtic's most prominent men. Wylie was a great goalkeeper for St Johnstone. Taylor and Moulds were strong in defence, and Beattie track a lot of watching at centre-forward.
Celtic v St Johnstone Aug 1936