1951-08-01: Celtic 3-2 Aberdeen, St Mungo Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 19511952 | 1951-52 Pictures

Trivia

  • The Final played at Hampden Park.
  • Jimmy Walsh scored in every round of the St Mungo's Cup Tournament.
  • This was the game where Hunter cut his head colliding with the post trying to keep the ball out for the first goal. He was off the pitch for 12 minutes and during that time Bobby Evans took over in goal.
  • Following the game, which was played on a Wednesday night at Hampden, the team had to wait to the formal presentation of the Cup to the team at a ceremony at kelvin Hall where an exhibition for the Festival of Britain was taking place (the Cup was in the first place Glasgow's contribution to the celebrations for the Festival). Following the presentation there was a bus top procession and return through the streets of Glasgow to Celtic Park. After this the controversy over the cup blew up (see Tounaments page).
  • Ex-Celt Tommy Bogan scored for Aberdeen

Review

Charlie Tully changed the game in Celtic's favour setting up two Sean Fallon goals in the second half and then Jimmy Walsh got the winner .Sonny Hunter hit his head on the post trying to save the Aberdeen second goal and though bruised and cut he continued the game in goal.
This was a real fight back game from Celtic with Jimmy Walsh getting the winning goal

Teams

Celtic:
Hunter; Haughney, Rollo; Evans, Mallan, Baillie; Collins, Walsh, Fallon, Peacock, Tully .
Scorers: Fallon 2 (40, 49), Walsh ( )
*some sources give Tully as scoring the first goal

Aberdeen:

Martin; Emery, Shaw; Harris, Thompson, Lowrie; Bogan, Yorston, Hamilton, Baird, Hather
Scorers: Yorston (14), Bogan (35)

Referee:
Attendance: 82,264

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Celtic Again Prove Tradition Is Being Maintained.

Evening Times, Thursday 2nd August, 1951

To Celtic – the St Mungo Cup – and proof once again if any were needed, that a great tradition is being maintained. They were down two goals to Aberdeen in the final at Hampden Park last night and won 3-2.
It is a question of whether they should have been behind at any stage of the game, but there is no doubt about the merit of the fight back. They refused to be upset and in the end were worthy winners
.

Aberdeen were not the same team in the second half mainly because Evans and Baillie took tighter and tighter hold and because Mallan found ready answers to the problem of Hamilton, always the Dons best forward. It will be a grand Saturday night for the Celts when the trophy is handed over to them in Kelvin Hall. Thoughts of some of the older hands will go back to 1938 at Ibrox, and such a night as last night, when the Exhibition trophy was won. An Exhibition – Festival double is hardly one that can be repeated.
Jimmy Delaney, who was in Celtic colours in 1938, was not in the Aberdeen team last night, but even he at his best could not have bettered deputy Bogan's goal that put the Dons two up in 34 minutes.

No Flurry
Bogan, also a former Celt, got a pass from Baird, ran on and with deliberate intent and no flurry, shot a great ball past Hunter. It was a scorer all the way.
Aberdeen's first goal in 20 minutes might have been prevented by Hunter. Hamilton back-headed and it may have been that there was spin on the ball, but in any even Hunter did not get rid of it at the far post and Yorston dashed into the net.
Hunter cut the back of his head in collision with the post and was off for 12 minutes for treatment, Evans taking over in goal.
It is an indication of the run of things that the deputy keeper was not unduly troubled although he had one kicking clearance of a rather unorthodox manner.

Kept Prodding
However Hunter came back on just before Bogan's goal, and Celtic at full strength again, kept prodding at the Aberdeen defence with Tully taking corners right and left, and throw ins of equal menace.
In 40 minutes with none of his team mates around, he threw the ball against Shaw and got a corner, and, from the corner Fallon scored. The Aberdeen defence seemed rather on the wrong foot here.
Only four minutes of the second half had gone when Celtic equalised. And what a goal it was. Young Walsh laid on a beautiful pass to Fallon and the centre showed appreciation at being left in open position by beating Martin all ends up.

No Hesitation
The winning goal came in 25 minutes via Tully and Walsh, Celtic's best forwards and it was unfortunate that it should carry an element of doubt. It seemed to many that Tully was over the byeline when he crossed for Walsh to net, but referee Mowat was near enough the scene of operations and had no hesitation.
There were 80,000 spectators at Hampden last night and three quarters of them on the sunny sides.

Direct in Attack
Aberdeen were direct in attack and ably led by Hamilton, and half backs and backs were far from laggard in going after the ball. It was an all action first half accordingly.
The second half was Celtic's, and none did more to bring it about than Evans and Baillie. Walsh had another good game and vied with Tully for forward honours.
Peacock was not far behind and it may be that much of his good work is obscured by the wanderings of his partner Tully.

Class and Character
Tully's wanderings, however, have more point to them these days. There was class and character in a lot of his worklast night and some of his headiong out passes were a delight to behold.

Pictures

  • Match Pictures

Articles

St Mungo Final 1951 St Mungo Final 1951 Herald


"Tully took corners at right and left and throw-ins of equal menace" (including the shyoff of Davie Shaw's back on 40 minutes that led to the corner from which Sean Fallon put Celtic back in the game.