1915-10-23: Celtic 0-2 St Mirren, League

Match Pictures | Matches: 1915 1916 | 1915 Pics1916 Pics

Trivia

  • Celtic & World War One
  • With Andy McAtee and Jimmy McMenemy missing the Bhoys struggled and lost their first game of the League campaign.
  • The Glasgow Herald gives the teams and notes that Lance Corporal Gray, and Private Clark are in the St Mirren line up.
  • The Scotsman, Saturday 23rd October, 1915 reports that Mr Redmond and his followers have been out in force at Westminster to support Mr Asquith continue as Prime Minister in the interests of the Home Rule question.
  • The Scotsman, Saturday 23rd October, 1915 in a report entitled EVERY MAN NEEDED describes a recruiting meeting in the Public Institute, West Kilbride, where the speaker, Lt. Gen. Sir A. G. Hunter-Weston, urged men to volunteer for the front so as to avoid the need for conscription. The general is on sick leave with sunstroke he contacted at the Gallipoli Peninsula.
  • Page 9 of the Glasgow Herald of Monday 25th October reports that Glasgow Corporation are considering employing women as drivers on the tram cars but are not sure if they are capable of this task. LINK

Review

Teams

CELTIC:
Shaw, McNair, Dodds, Young, Johnstone, McMaster, Cassidy, Gallacher, McColl, Browning, McCabe

SAINT MIRREN:
Dan Hillcoat, Andrew Reid, Bernard Callaghan, Hugh McGrory, R Reid, Davidson, Fred Gray, James Bruce, John Clark, Fred Sowerby, Andrew H. Brown
Scorers: Clark, Gray

Referee:
Attendance: 6,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

The Glasgow Herald, Monday Oct 25, 1915
CHAMPIONS’ FIRST DEFEAT.
In losing as they did to St Mirren the Celts deserve the sympathy they will not get, and the gratitude of the public which they will not appreciate.

The leaders will suffer other defeats before the season closes, but these defeats will be at the hands of better than themselves and will not be self inflicted. St Mirren will not look for praise when none is deserved; they will rather treasure something more tangible in the shape of two points presented them by opponents who excelled in doing everything they ought not to do. When a player with McNair’s experience mistakes and opponent for a comrade he is making trouble for his goalkeeper, and when Shaw finds himself at mid-field and loses the ball there he is adding to his troubles, also to his opponents’ goal record.

A penalty kick taken by Dodds ought to have atoned for his partner’s mistake and one at least of his forwards’ claim for a goal might have been favourably received. But because everything went awry for the home team, Dodds attempt went wide, and a goal for Gallagher was transformed into a free kick by the referee, and then into a “throwdown” by linesmen who evidently saw no infringement and therefore no reason why the point should not count.

Misfortune at both ends of the field went a long way towards putting the home forwards off their game, yet nothing that happened near Shaw or Hillcoat ought to have prevented McColl and others from scoring legitimate goals. Nor can the absence of McAtee and McMenemy be given as excuse for these and other failures. It was simply a case of nothing coming off for a team, of every mistake in defence being punished, and of forwards being sent away empty handed through faulty shooting or from other causes.

The result will mean little to the losers and a great deal to other clubs. An unbeaten club is as much a blemish in a competition as one without a victory to its credit, and St Mirren are due congratulations in being the first to restore equality.

The Scotsman, Monday 25th October 1915
Some 4,000 spectators were present at Celtic Park, Glasgow, when St Mirren unexpectedly defeated the Celtic. The Saints were at full strength, but the Celtic were minus McAtee and McMenemy. The visitors had the wind and rain in their favour during the first half, and their free, open play suited the conditions. After fifteen minutes’ play Clark took advantage of a slip by McNair and registered the opening goal. Up to the interval the Celts had most of the play, but weakness at close quarters lost several good chances. They were awarded a penalty, but Dodds put the ball past. In the second half the Celtic pressed continuously, but they were met by a resolute set of defenders, who gave nothing away. In the last minute of the game St Mirren got away on the right, and Gray, getting past Shaw, who had come out of his goal, easily added a second goal. St Mirren owed their victory largely to the splendid defence of Hillcoat, Reid, and Callaghan.