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Personal
Fullname: Hugh O’Donnell
Born: 31 August, 1913
Died: 9 May, 1965, Preston
Birthplace: Buckhaven
Signed: 19 Mar 1932
Left: 19 May 1935 (Preston North End)
Position: Outside-Right
Debut: Celtic 3-1 Clyde, Glasgow Cup, 20 Sep 1932
Debut (league): Celtic 0-0 Kilmarnock, League, 24 Sep 1932
International Caps:n/a
Biog
Hugh O’Donnell, brother of fellow Celtic player Frank, signed for Celtic from Wellesley Juniors in 1932.
He stayed at Parkhead for three seasons where as an outside right he hit 27 goals in 90 appearances.
Hugh made his debut in a 3-1 Glasgow Cup home victory over Clyde on 20th September 1932. He made his league debut on 8 October 1932, in a no score match v Kilmarnock in September 1932 on a wet afternoon that kept the attendance down.
He came to the fore in two matches in particular. Firstly a 5-0 victory over St Johnstone in October 1932 in which he scored a double, playing alongside his brother. Then also in the Scottish Cup first round in January 1933 when he scored a hat-trick in a 7-1 win over Dunfermline (“alert and clever positioning of Hugh O’Donnell“, The Scotsman newspaper), although Jimmy McGrory also bagged a hat-trick that day too.
A good rather than exceptional wideman Hugh won a Scottish Cup with Celtic in 1933. Whilst this was his only great honour at Celtic (admittedly at what was then a faltering and declining club), he could proudly boast that he was the one in the family to have won an honour with Celtic:
Hugh: “Sorry Frank you didn’t get a medal.”
Frank: “Don’t worry, if it’s in the house, it’s all right.”
He was lauded as the best left-winger Celtic had since Adam McLean, but Celtic needed so much more to turn things around in a difficult era for the club.
He was a regular for season 1932/33, but was out of the side for a long spell in the next season only to return as a regular again in the last third.
His best form was in his last season, 1934/35, where he was a regular scorer during the season, in particular in the final half of the season. He scored a goal in each of his last three matches. This included scoring in a 7-3 victory over Falkirk, in which both he & his brother were scorers on the day.
He didn’t want to leave Celtic but was said to have been pushed out (sadly not the last Celtic player that ever happened to at the club). On paper at least, it was a curious decision to make, as his goal-scoring form in his last season showed his value. Celtic lost the league but were second behind Rangers by only three points. Late season defeats to Clyde & Ayr had killed off Celtic’s challenge for the title, as well as the New Years defeat to Rangers 2-1.
Disappointingly for him, he was to miss out on a turnaround that saw Celtic finally recapture some form under Jimmy McMenemy who had taken on the de facto manager role (even though on paper he was the assistant manager). Celtic went on to win the league in 1935-36 & 1937-38, and the Scottish Cup in 1937. So after some years of woe, he was unfortunate to go when he did rather than have remained for at least one more season.
He moved to Preston in May 1935 with his brother.
Later went onto success with other clubs, including playing in the losing Preston side (with his brother Frank) in the 1937 FA Cup Final and then winning the FA Cup with Preston in 1938. So did Celtic discard him too soon? Possibly.
His playing career was interrupted by the Second World War, and sadly his brother Dennis O’Donnell, was killed during this war.
Hugh passed away in 1965.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1932-35 | 75 | 15 | n/a | n/a | 90 |
| Goals: | 20 | 7 | – | – | 27 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish Cup
