Yesterday was not a particularly good day for football. The Edinburgh cup final was played before a half empty Hampden long before the end and Chelsea’s revival of catenaccio secured the Champions League. If nothing else the latter proved that football at the very top level is not always great. Perhaps the reason why truly great teams are so celebrated.
There is an interesting dynamic to Rangers in administration. Creditors have a cash offer of around £8.5m to consider but eight players, Naismith, Bocanegra, McGregor, David, Whittaker, Goian, Lafferty and Edu cut release clause deals with Duff and Phelps for values greater than this.
Any CVA agreed next month (unlikely though it is) could be paid for by the departure of these players. Charles Green could potentially be the second person to buy Rangers for only £1.
It is, however, unlikely that other clubs will offer money for these players before a CVA is agreed as they will be available as free agents should the CVA fail and those in control of Ibrox attempt to form a Newco. Therefore, the chances of creditors getting their hands on any of these transfer fees are limited, no matter what happens to the company.
You can buy a hard copy of the new issue of CQN Magazine via Magcloud here.
The graphic below is just for a flick through, to read the magazine go here to it’s dedicated site.
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And… The UlTimate beauty and tragedy about TimVille is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB4I8OgFtVo&feature=related
Borrowed from NTV…
the hand of God?
part 1
With moves afoot to have a statue of Brother Walfrid erected outside Celtic Park, Craig Burns McCaughtrie takes his own look at the founding of Celtic and the part played in it by the Marist Brother from County Sligo.
If ever there was a football club that has indeed been touched gently by the Hand of God, it is Celtic. Although some might view this to be a fanciful or an excessively romantic statement, and others might see it as being sacrilegious, it is only when one reads, studies, researches and reflects upon the origins of Celtic Football Club that one concludes that there were either divine forces at work, or the most outrageous and fortuitous of fates and fortunes that aided the creation of our Club. And, given the human tragedies that were instrumental in giving birth to Celtic, God certainly does work in mysterious ways.
Take, for instance, the background of the principal character in the formation of Celtic – Brother Walfrid. Without this background and his survival, seemingly against all odds, there would not have been a Celtic. Without the Great Famine, the indifference of the British rulers in Ireland to the plight of the endemic population, the distinct lack of assistance for the Irish from The Vatican and the political upheavals in The Emerald Isle, there may not have been an exodus of the Irish to mainland Britain. Without the Industrial Revolution, there may have been no incentive for the Irish to populate the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liverpool, Manchester and London. Had the City of Glasgow Bank not failed in 1878, the existing poverty of the Irish in the East End of Glasgow may not have worsened to the catastrophic levels that became prevalent – the driving force for Brother Walfrid and others.
Without justifiable Catholic concern about some of the more clandestine activities of the Protestant Church, while it also attended to the impoverished of Glasgow, there may not have been the same zeal and energy amongst the Catholic clergy to battle against poverty in Glaswegian slums. Without the Scottish Cup Final victory of Edinburgh Hibernian in 1887, the subsequent parade of joyous Irishmen and the triumphant team to St Mary’s Hall in the Calton, the gauntlet thrown down to his hosts by John McFadden, Hibernian’s Secretary, and the recognition by Brother Walfrid of the ever-increasing popularity of football amongst the working classes, the inspiration for Celtic may never have arisen.
And, certainly, without the friends, colleagues and acquaintances that Brother Walfrid gathered around him, there surely could not have been such a productive, ingenious, creative, determined, meticulous and well organised collective of like-minded people … and, therefore, no Celtic!
Fate, chance or the Hand of God?
Against The Famine And The Crown
Born Andrew Kerins, in 1840, in Ballymore, Sligo, in the West of Ireland, Brother Walfrid would experience, at the closest of proximities, the full horrors of the Great Famine in Ireland, before ‘escaping’ his rural life to join the Marist Order, where he became a schoolteacher.
Sligo was fated to endure the worst of the Famine, though it is not known how the Kerins family fared during the turmoil. However, being that the Kerins family was of farming stock, it is safe to assume that they would not be left untouched by tragedy.
It could, of course, have all been so very different had the British rulers of Ireland released the copious quantities of grain and livestock – that were being simultaneously and successfully farmed – to the starving, rural population. The Famine was, in effect, worsened by the hand of man, as the potato blight was a disease only of potatoes – admittedly, the staple diet of the rural poor – and not of grain and certainly not of livestock, both of which were plentiful throughout Ireland and mainland Britain. The Empire fed itself and the wealthy became wealthier still, while people died of starvation.
Consequently, Ireland’s rural population fled the countryside to the towns and cities where, in Ireland, the disaster was no less biblical in its proportions. The result was an exodus of Irish folk to mainland Britain (and some also to The New World), and specifically the cities of the Industrial Revolution – notably, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dundee.
Awaiting them was work, albeit poorly paid, menial and unskilled, and, of course, slum living conditions, disease and terrible, unimaginable deprivation.
And, sadly, there was also bitter resentment, hostility, suspicion and the most extreme of anti- Catholic prejudice from the endemic populace of Britain. The Irish were perceived to be a threat such was the cheapest of labour that they would provide and the unskilled Irish workforce, that had experienced the land and not industrialisation, was also the object of ridicule such was their lack of education.
Sadly, the establishment, the ruling classes, the Government and the Protestant Churches of Scotland and England did more than their fair share to alienate the Irish immigrants, who were seen to be and treated as though they were less than human. Glasgow was no exception to the British rule, as the Irish and Brother Walfrid would discover.
Brother Walfrid had taken his religious name, as was the practice of the Marist Order, to signify the cutting of all ties with ‘life in the world’, but he would remain a man that was haunted by that which he had witnessed in Ireland. It was a horrific reality that would not be exorcised amongst the grotesque slums of Glasgow’s East End, where Brother Walfrid arrived in the early 1870s.
The Empire’s Second City
The squalor, deprivation, poverty, decay, disease and human suffering of the ‘Empire’s Second City’ – the most densely populated city in Europe, at that time – can scarcely be imagined by us today. The bold attempts by modern day film- makers to depict the full extent of the horror of the impoverished population of industrialised, Victorian Britain are woefully inadequate; as are the televised works of Dickens, where the children are rosy-cheeked and cherub-like and not, as they should be in the interests of historical accuracy, scarred by disease, waif-like, filthy dirty, dressed in rags and clinging barely to life.
However, the statistics are graphic enough. Of the 11,675 registered deaths (and that is registered – there would be many more) in Glasgow in 1888, 4,750 were children under five years of age. It was a nightmare best not revisited, or even contemplated, though there are, sadly and shamefully, modern equivalents yet remaining on this Earth.
This, then, was the gruesome world that Brother Walfrid devoted his life in Glasgow to combating.
Brother Walfrid worked like a man possessed, with zeal and enthusiasm, compassion and care, kindness and courage, dedication and energetic vigour in this wretched environment of despair and pain. As a teacher at St Mary’s and then as headmaster at Sacred Heart School in Bridgeton, Brother Walfrid witnessed at first hand the full extent of the plight of the poor, the needy, the starving and the suffering.
The children of this misery were, however, his prime concern. Aside from educating the children of the slums, Brother Walfrid also sought to feed and clothe them. To do so, he was instrumental in establishing, in 1884, the ‘Penny Dinners’ for his poverty-stricken pupils and the children of his parish.
In order to achieve this aim, Brother Walfrid had enlisted the aid of the St Vincent de Paul Society, itself introduced into the Archdiocese of Glasgow in 1848. Thereby, Brother Walfrid attempted to ensure that his children received a warm and nourishing meal each day for their penny. In Walfrid’s very own words: ‘Should parents prefer, they could send the bread and the children could get a large bowl of broth or soup for a halfpenny, and those who were not able to pay got a substantial meal free. This has been a very great blessing for the poor children.’
However, two separate events dictated to the devout and compassionate Walfrid that his efforts, and those of his Marist colleague, assistant and headmaster of St Mary’s, Brother Dorotheus, were wholly insufficient.
Firstly, the activities of the Presbyterians were a great concern, given that the Protestant Church was also active in feeding and attending to the poor of the East End, while simultaneously trying to ‘snare away’ Brother Walfrid’s flock. Brother Walfrid enjoyed a close and warm relationship with his Protestant cousins, but he was also fearful of tactics that he’d witnessed in his homeland, Ireland, of turning the poor against the Catholic Church.
Secondly, poverty was worsening – dramatically and horrifically so. Brother Walfrid needed to do more!
Politics And The People
Arguably, there were four main ingredients that had to be introduced into the embryonic idea of Celtic – charity (to feed and clothe the East End’s poverty- stricken), religion (to assist the Catholic Church in fighting off the unwelcome advances of Protestantism, when people were at their most vulnerable and therefore most amenable to suggestion, and also of course to cement the relationship of trust, compassion and caring between the Catholic Church and its flock), culture (to provide a much needed focus, identity and symbol for the Irish Catholic population of Glasgow) and, of course, politics.
The charitable aspirations and intentions of Brother Walfrid and Brother Dorotheus are well established. Others would become involved with this philanthropy.
Undoubtedly, Walfrid was also aware of the ever-increasing influence of the Protestant Church in Glasgow’s East End and of the dangers that entailed, as far as he and the Archdiocese of Glasgow were concerned. He would also have been alarmed at the extremes of anti-Catholic prejudice within the endemic Scottish community and also within the Protestant Church – ironic, given its simultaneous benevolence towards the Irish Catholics of the East End – and also the gradual rise of Orange-ism in Glasgow.
However, it is less well recorded that some of the ‘official’ Presbyterian anti-Catholic doctrine was, in effect, a defence mechanism to deflect attention from the schisms within Presbyterianism itself, at that time. Anti-Catholicism was all that united a divided Protestantism. Brother Walfrid said: ”Twas the most dangersome time for the young fellos, jest afther they had left school, an’ begun t’ mix up wid Protestand boys in the places where they wor workin’.’
Culturally, Brother Walfrid would also have seen the need to provide his Irish Catholic flock with a focus, an identity and a symbol, away from the Church. This symbolism of pride and achievement and Irish-ness already had a template – it was called Edinburgh Hibernian.
Founded in 1875 by Canon Edward Hannan, Edinburgh Hibernian had become, not only a successful football club in its own right, but also a symbol for the Irish throughout Scotland. Hibernian was, however, run exclusively for the Catholic Irish and was greatly influenced by the temperance movement of the age – the demon drink being seen by many as the cause of so many evils in society.
Brother Walfrid would learn much from Edinburgh Hibernian and would also, in time, be both inspired by Hibernian and disregarding of its template for his own vision.
Arguably, however, the single most important ingredient for the success of the Celtic to be was politics. It is not known for certain how much stock Brother Walfrid took in the politics of the day but, undoubtedly, as a cleric of learning, social conscience and awareness, benevolence and compassion, he would, most likely, have been also politically attuned. With the upbringing that he’d had, anything less is almost inconceivable. Walfrid was, after all, a man of action, drive and initiative. It is, therefore, hard to imagine that politics were not also a sphere of influence in his psyche and that, consequently, he allowed others, with whom he became associated in the formation of Celtic, to determine the political agendas necessary for the success of Celtic.
Also borrowed from NTV…
the hand of God?
part 2.
To understand the political spectrum of 1888, one must be aware of the fledgling Labour Movement in Britain, the Irish National League – which spoke for the vast majority of the Irish in Scotland – the Home Government Branch, which was the local branch network of the Irish National League, and of course, the politics of Irish Home Rule, as primarily advocated in Westminster, by Gladstone’s Liberals.
These, then, were the political interests of the Irish Catholic community of Scotland and this was reflected by the Irish Catholic press of the time – the Glasgow Observer, for instance – where one was far more likely to read about evictions, executions and ‘Fenian’ activity in Ireland than about uniquely British events on the mainland. Indeed, as an example of this, on the day that Celtic Park officially opened, May 8th 1888, the Glasgow Observer relayed this newsworthy item, as well as numerous articles about Irish current affairs, but provided scant coverage of Queen Victoria’s royal visit to Glasgow on that day.
The political opinions of Brother Walfrid will forever remain a secret. What cannot be denied, however, are the politics of those that surrounded the Marist priest. Ireland and Britain were hotbeds of political ideologies in the 19th Century, and these ideologies would impact on the embryonic concept of a Celtic Football Club. Indeed, had they not done so, our Club may not have survived, falling by the wayside like so many others, and our Club may not have been born with the genetics for equality, liberty, fraternity, integration and non-sectarianism at is very core.
Walfrid surrounded himself with men who were the driving forces behind many of these political ideologies – men such as John Glass, Pat Welsh, Dr. John Conway, James Quillan, William McKillop, John O’Hara, Thomas Flood, J.M. Nellis, Joseph Shaughnessy and Hugh and Arthur Murphy. Brother Walfrid would also have connections with John Ferguson and Michael Davitt. It must be assumed that he did so by choice. It was a wise choice, indeed.
Brother Walfrid’s Men Of Vision
Brother Walfrid had, through his charitable, teaching and ecumenical activities, collated a considerable database of contacts, colleagues, friends and acquaintances, many of whom would be of sterling use in the founding of Celtic; each would bring his own unique attributes to the table of creation. Indeed, Brother Walfrid was later described by Tom Maley, former Celtic player, Celtic committee man and brother of then Celtic manager, Willie Maley, as: ‘A wonderful, organising power… of lovable nature’ and a man who ‘only had to knock, and it was opened.’ Admirable qualities, and they would be very useful in the art of persuasion, when it was necessary.
Of course, the fact that Brother Walfrid was both respected and revered throughout Glasgow, for his charitable works and devotion to the poor, would also be an undeniable attraction for assistance. Each of the men that Brother Walfrid associated with in the formation of the fledgling Celtic concept were philanthropists, successful men in their own fields of expertise and, crucially, they were politically active to varying degrees.
Political astuteness would be fundamental for the choices that lay ahead. Had they not chosen the path that they did, the longevity and success of Celtic would have been compromised from the beginning.
Patrick Welsh, for instance, had been, in Ireland, a Fenian activist, fighting against the British Army’s occupational force – the latter needed to keep the peace and serve The Empire’s requirements at a time when Ireland was, almost every day, on the brink of yet another rebellion against imperial plundering of the land. For weeks in 1867, Welsh had been on the run from the British authorities, but was apprehended by a 37- year old British soldier – Sergeant Thomas Maley of the Royal North British Fusiliers – at Dublin quay, as Welsh was attempting to flee his country of birth for the prospect of a new and peaceful life in Scotland. Fortunately for Welsh, whose fate might have been imprisonment or the gallows, Sergeant Maley was an Irish Catholic who had wrestled with his conscience while serving Queen Victoria in Ireland. Maley had had no such doubts about soldiering elsewhere in Britain’s vast Empire, but for him the Army was a career that brought internal conflicts while he was serving Her Majesty in Ireland. Also fortunately for Pat Welsh, there were no other witnesses to his capture.
Sergeant Maley, whose third son, Willie, would be born the next year, demanded that Welsh would not break their own peace treaty and Maley allowed the eternally grateful Pat Welsh to escape to Scotland. Pat Welsh would become a master tailor with premises on fashionable Buchanan Street, Glasgow, where he would prosper both as a businessman and as a family man. He kept his word to Sergeant Maley and, in the years to come, recognising that Maley could have faced court-martial for his act, Pat Welsh remained firm friends with Thomas Maley when the soldier retired from the British Army and moved to Cathcart village, near Glasgow, with his Scottish wife and their four sons, Charles, Tom, Willie and Alec.
This was, also, a twist of fate that would hugely benefit Celtic. Sergeant Maley’s second son, Tom, would play for Celtic and would also become a Celtic committee man. Willie would do likewise, though Willie is also known as ‘Mr Celtic’ for what he achieved for the Club over a fifty-year period. And all because of a selfless act of humanitarianism!
Dr John Conway was a brilliant medical student and a graduate of Glasgow University School of Medicine where he achieved the Degree of Member of the Royal College of Physicians. However, Dr Conway revoked the privilege of his middle class upbringing and the possibility of a lucrative career as a General Practitioner serving the needs of the wealthy, their warts and their addictions to opium and alcohol. Instead, Dr Conway practised medicine in Glasgow’s East End. He would be damned busy.
Diseases such as Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough and Measles decimated the young. Polio, meningitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis killed and maimed thousands, while alcoholism, parturient complications and transmissible sexual diseases crippled and killed the adult. All, of course, had the same root causes – inadequate nutrition and starvation, poverty and unsanitary living conditions, overly crowded ghettos, lack of education, frequent mass episodes of unemployment and the gross, indecent and inhumane disparities in Victorian, imperialist Britain between the rich and increasingly prosperous and the horrifically poor and disadvantaged.
Conway must have been a man of impeccable principles to turn away from a potential life amongst privilege in order to administer to the ever so needy.
John O’Hara and Thomas Flood led the local Catholic Union committees. J.M. Nellis and Joseph O’Shaughnessy were founder members of the St Aloysius Association. James Quillan and William McKillop were leading figures in the Irish National League in Glasgow, as were Hugh and Arthur Murphy.
However, one common denominator is evident in the political alignments of each and every one of Brother Walfrid’s politically active visionaries – John Glass.
Brother Walfrid’s Right Hand Man
The name of John Glass repeats itself throughout research into the creation of Celtic. Undoubtedly, Brother Walfrid was the architect, the instigator, the motivator and the conduit to all the facets that would come together. John Glass, however, was the master builder and the catalyst for it all to happen.
His importance should be recognised. John Glass was a joiner, a man with many contacts in the building trade and a son of Donegal. He was also, we are told, a man that could ‘charm the birds down from the trees’ such was his charisma. This charm and persuasiveness would be a highly useful tool in Celtic’s formation, as Glass is widely acknowledged to be the man who persuaded a number of famous football players of the time to join the fledgling Club. A humanitarian and a meticulous organiser, Glass was also a leader of men, and specifically a dignified and highly respected leader of the Irish Catholic community. John Glass was THE politician sitting at the round table deliberating the creation of Celtic. Glass was later described by Willie Maley as the man ‘to whom the Club owes its existence.’
Ferguson and Glass organised several political rallies at which Michael Davitt addressed the Highland crofters. The question must therefore be asked: did the name ‘Celtic’ originate from this popular political influence of the day, and did Brother Walfrid and John Glass see in this name a method to celebrate Irish-ness, symbolise Irish-ness, yet simultaneously join hands with Scottish Celts? After all, historically speaking, the peoples of Ireland and Scotland were one and the same – Celts!
Opium For The Masses
It has frequently been said that religion, and indeed religious divisions cultivated by the ruling establishment, is ‘opium for the masses.’ What better way to preoccupy the working man, resplendent in his poverty, than to turn the object of his anger, not to those that are factually responsible for his predicament, but towards a fellow working man who is perceived as being ‘different’.
Scotland in the 19th Century was, undeniably, the most Protestant country in Europe. Consequently, the Irish immigrants were seen as being alien by the endemic Scots and this prejudice was deliberately reinforced by the Middle Classes, the Ruling Classes, the aristocracy and the Presbyterian Church. Indeed, the Irish were alienated by the Scots by customs, nationality, politics, religion and status. It was, as Tom Campbell and Pat Woods described, ‘cultural apartheid.’
Yet, the Irish and the Scots working classes had two things in common: the mutual fight for survival and a love of football. Brother Walfrid had, for some time, been aware of the profound popularity of the sport of football. Indeed, he had himself organised many games to provide funds for the ‘Penny Dinners’, and with considerable success too.
Edinburgh Hibernian was the team that his Irish Catholic flock was more than happy to pay to see, and Brother Walfrid recognised both this and the fact that Edinburgh Hibernian had become a symbol of Irish-ness, culture, religion and success in Scotland. It was a potent and powerful mix that Brother Walfrid would soon learn could be harnessed for a multitude of community benefits.
On February 12th 1887, Edinburgh Hibernian won the Scottish Cup, the country’s premier and most coveted trophy, by defeating Dumbarton 2:1 at Hampden Park, Glasgow. The triumph was celebrated joyously by Irishmen throughout Scotland and, indeed, the scenes of jubilation in Glasgow were a match for those in Leith, Edinburgh.
This, then, was the power of football and also the symbolism of success for the Irish community. Edinburgh Hibernian were feted as the victors by Glasgow’s Irish and the triumphant team was taken to St Mary’s Hall in the Calton district of Glasgow to receive the spoils of jubilant victory. Amongst the rapturous throng were Brother Walfrid and John Glass. Dr John Conway led the speeches in praise of Edinburgh Hibernian, the gathering sang ‘God Save Ireland’ and John McFadden, the Hibernian’s secretary, was so moved by the warmth of the reception and the fervour of the hospitality that he, perhaps jokingly, suggested that his hosts should ‘go and do likewise’!
Brother Walfrid accepted the gauntlet of the challenge. After all, if Edinburgh could produce a successful Irish football team then surely Glasgow could do likewise, given the far greater Irish population in Glasgow.
However, Brother Walfrid would have been more than aware of the numerous Irish Catholic sides that had tried and failed in recent years to establish themselves in the Glasgow area. He would know the names well – Erin, Columba, Harp, Emerald, Hibernian and, yes, apparently even a Celtic or two. These club deaths were by no means the preserve of Catholic Parishes.
And again NTV…
the hand of God?
part 3
As an indication of the margins between longevity of life for a fledgling football club and inauspicious demise in a pauper’s grave, one needs only look at the names of the clubs that registered with the Scottish Football Association on August 21st 1888: Glasgow Celtic Football and Athletic Club, Champfleurie and Adventurers of Edinburgh, Leith Harp, Balaclava Rangers from Oban, Temperance Athletic of Glasgow, Whifflet Shamrock and Britannia of Auchinleck. Brother Walfrid and his associates would come to ponder the mechanics required for a successful launch and, of course, a sustainable flight.
The objectives were, however, clear enough: the funding of charities in Glasgow’s East End, notably Brother Walfrid’s ‘Penny Dinners’; a focus, an identity, a symbolism for the Irish Catholic population where a successful football club could and would sustain the morale of an otherwise frequently demoralised people; a route to health and fitness for the young men of the area and a method to keep them distracted from alcohol; a way to combat, through self-finance, the influence of the Presbyterians in the East End and, perhaps most importantly of all, a symbol of hope when around them there was so much despair. But, how?
Gentlemen, Your Attention, Please!
On the afternoon of Sunday November 6th, 1887, a meeting to constitute the formation of the Glasgow Celtic Football and Athletic Club was called to order by John Glass. Through arduous discussions and, at times, heated debates, the pivotal and crucial decisions had been made that would cement the structure of Celtic. The choices were wise, indeed. Initially, the local parishes of St. Mary’s, St Andrew’s and St Alphonsus’ had been involved, but the ‘mother parish’ of St Mary’s had been the driving force and, consequently, some disgruntled individuals departed the scene, no doubt disillusioned by the abandonment of the principles of the template for such a venture, Edinburgh Hibernian.
Edinburgh Hibernian was an organisation with the temperance movement at its core. Celtic was not to be that. Brother Walfrid, John Glass, Pat Welsh et al would realise the fundamental importance of Celtic being managed with business acumen and financial expertise in order to survive and sustain itself during what could be a troubled birth, a precarious childhood and even a fraught adolescence.
Only adulthood – a long way off – would provide a modicum of comfort. So, why exclude the monies of the License Trade when that money could be used for the benefit of the Club? And, with such a partnership (albeit with the demon drink), immediate funds and employment (although, in some cases in name only) could be found to attract football players to Celtic – all amateurs, of course, though their expenses would not fool even the most average of accountants!
Edinburgh Hibernian also operated a Catholic only employment policy. This exclusivity would be disregarded by the founding fathers of Celtic – a bold and courageous move, given the prejudices of the era, and one that would be embraced for ever more by Celtic.
Willie Maley, Celtic’s manager for over forty years, summarised this fundamental of a non-sectarian Celtic when he later said: ‘It is not his creed nor his nationality which counts -it’s the man himself.’
Indeed, Maley would openly boast of the Protestants, Hindus, Jews and Muslims that had been – and were – in the employ of Celtic, though in reality the Club was, at its roots, Catholic and Irish, proudly and justifiably so. This non-sectarian fundamentalism had the fingerprints of John Glass’ politics all over it and, in fact, was the principle that set Celtic apart, from the outset. When one considers the undeniable temptation to be exclusivist in the face of such provocation – prejudice and bigotry were the norm – it was a brave, indeed socialist and humanitarian, move and one that paved the way for the likes of John Thomson, Jock Stein, Danny McGrain, Kenny Dalglish and, yes, Henrik Larsson, not to mention the non-Catholic Tims that would be attracted to the Celtic Cause.
Of course, there were voices of dissent and attempts were made to rewrite Celtic’s constitution so that ‘only the right sort’ could be employed by and play for Celtic. Such malcontents were especially evident when, in 1897, Celtic became ‘Celtic Football and Athletic Company Limited’. One such breakaway formed the short-lived Glasgow Hibernian. The dissenters lost, however, and Celtic is culturally wealthier as a result.
the hand of God?
part 4
What’s In A Name?
The options for the christening ceremony for Celtic were considerable and numerous, but somewhere along the line, Brother Walfrid, perhaps inspired by Glass, insisted that the name should be Celtic.
But, Seltic or Keltic?
Most scholars believe that Brother Walfrid preferred the Keltic pronunciation, but the ‘soft C’ was adopted. Whatever the minutiae, the choice of name was inspired and one ponders whether the impact of our Club would have been quite the same had ‘she’ been christened Erin, Hibernian, Shamrock or Emerald? After all, Celtic, as a name, symbolised precisely what the Club was all about in the first place. As with the people ‘she’ represented and for whom ‘she’ would compete and triumph and for whom ‘she’ would become an irresistible attraction (to both Catholic and, in time, also Protestant and other faiths), Celtic, the name, symbolised a club that had been born in Scotland of Irish parents, had been lovingly raised by an Irish Catholic family, had been tutored and schooled in Scotland amongst Irish and Scots, of whatever denomination, and had been graduated by an, ultimately, global university.
Would it have worked so beautifully otherwise? Certainly, Celtic immediately caught the mood – Archbishop Eyre of the Glasgow Archdiocese was top of the subscription list of the new Club – and, in January 1888 the following statement was released.
CELTIC FOOTBALL AND ATHLETIC CLUB Celtic Park, Parkhead (Corner of Dalmarnock and Janefield Streets) Patrons His Grace the Archbishop of Glasgow and the Clergy of St Mary’s, Sacred Heart and St Michael’s Missions, and the principal Catholic laymen of the East End.
The above Club was formed in November 1887, by a number of Catholics of the East End of the City. The main object is to supply the East End conferences of the St Vincent de Paul Society with funds for the maintenance of the ‘Dinner Tables’ of our needy children in the Missions of St Mary’s, Sacred Heart and St Michael’s. Many cases of sheer poverty are left unaided through lack of means. It is therefore with this principal object that we have set afloat the ‘Celtic’ and we invite you as one of our ever-ready friends to assist in putting our new Park in proper working order for the coming football season.
We have already several of the leading Catholic football players of the West of Scotland on our membership list. They have most thoughtfully offered to assist in the good work. We are fully aware that the ‘elite’ of football players belong to this City and suburbs, and we know that from there we can select a team which will be able to do credit to the Catholics of the West of Scotland as the Hibernians have been doing in the East.
Again there is also the desire to have a large recreation ground where our Catholic young men will be able to enjoy the various sports which will build them up physically, and we feel sure we will have many supporters with us in this laudable object.’
We were on the one road!
Hail! Hail! The Celts Are Here!
There were two problems of immediacy. Firstly, Celtic had to find a home and, secondly, Celtic needed to find players.
Within a week of being constituted, Celtic had leased an area of ground off the Gallowgate in Parkhead, bounded on the west side by Janefield Street and on the east by Dalmarnock Street (now Springfield Road). Within six months, a voluntary workforce had built a ground that emulated the highest standards of the time.
There was a level, grassy playing field measuring 110 yards long and 66 yards wide, a basic earthen terracing around three sides of the stadium and an open-air stand (capable of accommodating 1,000 spectators) that contained a pavilion, a referee’s room, an office, dressing rooms and washing and toilet facilities.
It should be recorded at this point that the ‘old’ Celtic Park is NOT the location of the current Celtic Park. In 1891, Celtic experienced trouble, yet again, with their greedy landlord (how ironic, given the nature of the land disputes in Ireland) when he, rather optimistically, increased the rent from £50 per annum to £450. Celtic’s committee men were far too shrewd and fleet of foot, business wise, to tolerate such opportunism and, consequently, Celtic chose to relocate.
We moved across the Janefield Street Cemetery to ‘Paradise’, our current home and, once again utilising a volunteer workforce, built a second Celtic Park in time for the start of the 1892-93 season.
the hand of God?
part 5
Not only did Celtic need football players for the infant Club, but they also needed players that would make an immediate impact. After all, the ‘Penny Dinner’ tables required continual replenishing- there was no respite from starvation – and the Irish Catholic community in Glasgow had to have their collective hearts and minds captured by the new club if this venture was to be as profound as Brother Walfrid and his philanthropic colleagues envisaged.
Once again, the benevolent ensemble produced a masterstroke; well, two actually – Tom Maley and James Kelly. John Glass is largely attributed with this audacious move in the ‘transfer market’ of the day. The silver-tongued persuasiveness of the Irishman, Glass, delivered both players to Celtic and, thereby, an immediate and undeniable attraction not only of popular support for Celtic, but also to other football players to similarly join the Club.
Kelly and Maley were the Irish Catholic ‘superstar’ footballers of the day. Indeed, Kelly was, arguably, the Henrik Larsson of the time. The ‘Bhoy’ from Renton already had a Scottish Cup Winners’ medal and was hotly predicted to become an Edinburgh Hibernian player. That he did not would irk the established club a great deal. Relationship soured!
Mind you, Glass had plenty of ammunition to work with, aside from his own charisma, leadership qualities, the respect of the community and political popularity. Celtic had already captured the imagination of Glasgow’s Irish Catholics. There was the commendable aim of feeding the poor children. The Club had the support of the Church and, of course, there was also the reverence and esteem with which Brother Walfrid was held.
And, naturally enough, there was also the minor incentive for ‘amateur’ football players of Celtic having money to spend. The offer of ‘jobs’ (in name only) in the License Trade and the prospect of ‘expenses’ would be a massive inducement.
The tale of the securing of Tom Maley’s services for Celtic is intriguing, to say the least, because there was to be an additional benefit for the Club, the importance of which could hardly have been surmised. Not long after the meeting of constitution, in December 1887, a Celtic delegation of Brother Walfrid, John Glass and Pat Welsh visited the Cathcart home of Thomas Maley – the now retired Sergeant with whom Welsh had savoured one of life’s major turning points, some 20 years previously. The objective was to secure the football services of Thomas Maley’s son, the renowned Tom Maley, who had played for Partick Thistle, Hibernian and was now with Third Lanark. As luck would have it Tom was out that evening, courting his wife-to-be. Instead, the Celtic trio enjoyed the hospitality of Thomas Maley and his wife, but also had the opportunity to meet the trainee accountant, Willie Maley, Thomas’ third son. Willie was an athlete, an occasional cyclist and an occasional footballer. However, Willie must have impressed the visitors with his respectful attention, his obvious intelligence, his athletic physique and his domestic willingness to assist his mother in providing for their guests. So much so, in fact, that upon leaving the home of Thomas Maley and having had his father’s assurances that Tom Maley would join Celtic, Brother Walfrid turned to Willie Maley and said: ‘Why don’t you come along as well?’
Willie Maley would become known as ‘Mr Celtic’, as a result of his sensational and vitally important contributions to the club over the next fifty years. Indeed, it is a quote attributable to Willie Maley that best summarises what playing for Celtic is all about. It is so profound, you would be forgiven for thinking it came from the mouth of Jock Stein: ‘It’s an honour and a privilege to wear those green and white jerseys. These people out there (indicating the crowd) have given a lot to see you wearing those stripes (Celtic were wearing green and white vertical stripes at this time, The Hoops not appearing until 1903). What are you going to give back to them?’
The Celts were here!
For It’s A Grand Old Team To Play For!
On May 28th 1888, it happened – Celtic took to the field of football at the newly built Celtic Park. An impressive number of people ventured out on a Monday evening – a crowd of 2,000 – to see The Celts, as a reportedly all-Catholic team faced a Rangers XI.
It must be recorded that Rangers were represented by their ‘Swifts’, or reserve side, but nevertheless it was a poignant and historic moment and, as is suitably Celtic, the Celts triumphed 5-2, with Neil McCallum scoring the Club’s first ever goal – a header. That Celtic team of such historical, cultural and football importance was: M. Dolan (Drumpellier), E. Pearson (Carfin Shamrock) and J. McLaughlin (Govan Whitfield); W. Maley (Cathcart), J. Kelly (Renton) and P. Murray (Cambuslang Hibs); N. McCallum (Renton) and T. Maley (Cathcart); J. Madden (Dumbarton), M. Dunbar (Edinburgh Hibernian) and H. Gorevin (Govan Whitfield).
Also for the record, it must be recorded that Brother Walfrid’s eleven were kitted out in a strip that had been gifted by Bridgeton outfitters, Penman Brothers, and consisted of a white shirt with green collar and a Celtic Cross on the breast
After the match, Celtic players and officials hosted the customary ‘social’ at St Mary’s Hall, providing supper and a concert for their visitors, Rangers. Indeed, Rangers were so impressed with the occasion that they gave a vote of thanks to the new Club, wished them well and hoped that such contests between the teams would become regular events.
Although the Scottish League did not yet exist, Celtic enjoyed a full and eventful programme of fixtures in their inaugural season, having registered with the SFA on August 21st 1888. In all, Celtic played 56 matches, won 42, lost 11 and drew 3. Indeed, the juvenile Celtic FC even had the audacity to reach the Scottish Cup Final in that, its first season, losing to Third Lanark, but only after a replay. The Club also won its very first trophy, the North Eastern Cup.
Celtic had arrived, and how! In his book, ‘Celtic – A Century With Honour’, Brian Wilson wrote: ‘Within the space of nineteen months, Celtic had not only been brought into existence but had also established themselves as a major power in Scottish football. They had won respect from further afield, both for their playing prowess and for the efficiency of their management. They had equipped themselves with a fine stadium and proven their crowd -pulling power. Never had a Club enjoyed such an auspicious start and, for good measure, they were able to donate £421, 19 shillings and 6 pence to charity, in addition to raising several hundred pounds by playing invitation games and distributing match tickets for sale by the local conferences of the St Vincent de Paul Society. That section of Scottish society which did not much fancy the idea of a football club that was largely Irish in identity and successful on the playing field would, for a century to come, have to learn to live with that reality.’
Brother Walfrid could allow himself a most satisfied smile, for his creation was already a thing of rare beauty, success, importance and benevolence.
The journey had, most definitely, begun.
References: ‘Willie Maley – The Man Who Made Celtic’ by David W. Potter; ‘Dreams And Songs To Sing’ by Tom Campbell and Pat Woods; ‘Celtic – A Century With Honour’ by Brain Wilson and ‘The Glory And The Dream’ by Tom Campbell and Pat Woods.
kitalba
Brother Walfrid (part 2 paragraph 4) never had a database…..
;0)
But now he does……
XX
G’Night
PJBhoynyc:
Mate, you and I both know… God works in mysterious ways. :-)
kitalba on 21 May, 2012 at 03:45 said:
Imatim,
this book might prove interesting…
Celtic FC The Bould Bhoys
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2010 Never Again
We’re a broad church Kit as well you know.
Our history is one of decency and inclusiveness and this is no small fact due to the Marist Brother who’s vision it was that we adopted the name Celtic and the ethos of all that Celtic stands for.
I have always been proud and taken strength in what we are all about. Our inclusiveness. Our history. Our traditions and Our culture.
Brother Walfrid has a significant place in our history. He deserves our respect and gratitude. I for one will always give him that.
Hail Hail
Good Morning, Vmhan and all.
Plus 28 C here and sunny.
Good morning everyone from sunny UAE.
A/C at office kapoot so all workin from the villa today.
31degC at moment, 44 at lunchtime.
Congrats to Montpellier !
I had a wee bet on them at 33-1.
Only won 30quid or so but better here than there.
Happy days.
http://www.ligue1.com/ligue1/article/season-review-montpellier-defy-modern-day-logic.htm
ESTORILBHOY 2357
.
Unfortunately,you have placed yourself in a cleft stick with this one,and it’s all your fault for being so open-minded!
If you refuse the request from your son’s friend,you will be seen as a narrow-minded selfish so-and-so.
Frankly,you’ll be the talk o’ the wash-house,and it’s a dilemma I wouldn’t fancy myself.
Help the young fella out,mate-it will cheer him up no end to know that he did his bit for his team,and your son will always remember what a smashing guy his Dad is.
The young boy will also remember that a Celtic fan helped him,which might stop him being a bitter hun in later years.
You can further rationalise this by remembering that they are f….d anyway……..
Apologies for posting with info direct from the gates of hell but this is from the offishul site of the soon-to-be-defunct club:
“LOYAL Rangers fans raised nearly £70,000 today for the Fighting Fund when they took part in the 1872 Walk around Ibrox.
Led by former manager Walter Smith, Barcelona 72 legends Colin Stein and Alfie Conn, nine in a row hero Mark Hateley and fans’ favourite Nacho Novo they created a party atmosphere in the Glasgow sunshine.
All of those who took part in the fantastic event will now be part of Ibrox forever as their names will be inscribed in the famous Ibrox tunnel.
Support for the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund has been overwhelming since it was launched two months ago and this was another major milestone.
Supporters from everywhere came to take part in the event and many got into the party spirit by dressing up in a variety of costumes.
Smith said: “It was a terrific effort by the supporters and it shows the depth of feeling they have for the club.
“The amount of work that has been done to raise money for the Rangers Fighting Fund has been very impressive and you have to take your hat off to the fans.
“We all just hope that in the future we won’t have to do these things because the club will be in a secure situation.”
Nearly 600 supporters walked twice around the perimeter of the stadium starting outside Argyle House and then entered the ground through the Copland Road gates and made their way around the track before finishing at the tunnel.
Organiser and fans’ liaison officer Jim Hannah said: “The fund-raising efforts of the supporters all around the world in the last three months have been phenomenal.
“We have had over £30,000 from NARSA and we received £20,000 from the Dubai Loyal which is incredible. We have also received terrific sums from Australia and all over Europe.
“We now have a total of around £560,000 which is really fantastic and testimony to the wonderful efforts of the fans.”
Fans chiefs Andy Kerr and Ross Blyth were there along with NARSA treasurer Bobby Smith who was delighted a trip home from Toronto coincided with the 1872 Walk.”
———-
I know this has already been discussed but this pathetic effort puts their love of ‘one of the biggest clubs in the world’ in its true perspective.
Less than 600!
Honestly, I dont think there’s another club in the SPHell that would not have exceeded that figure.
And, on GS, I respect him for his acheivements as our manager and I believe that, whilst here, he became a Celtic man, however, I will never forgive him for stating after he left that he doesn’t believe that Celtic are treated unfairly!
HH
merseycelt
perhaps it’s not the walking season !?
Good morning CQN from a dry Clydebank
Football results pretty pants over the weekend
See the sponsored walk at Ipox raised a lot of sash on Sunday
Keep the faith
Hail Hail
in terms of useful fundraising contrast the Huns efforts with those of Bradford Bulls.
Good morning friends from a dry, cloudy (but soon to be bright and warm, apparently) East Kilbride
RFF reminds me a someone using a water pistol to fight a bush fire.
Morning all
Have we signed a goalie yet?
And of course, D&P appear to be fighting the same bush fire using a flame-thrower.
Snake – sorry to hear about the attack. I’m glad you’re OK.
Bloke109 is Neil Lennon on 20 May, 2012 at 23:36 said:
Retro team photo. Man U, sponsored by Sharp. What do Sharp do?
http://twitpic.com/9k35ve
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before Sir Alex Ferguson arrived,there were darn few trophies on display at that club.
Like him or loathe him,hs record is fantastic.
Having said that,he hasn’t been too clever over the last five or so years when it comes to his big-money buys.
Starting with Michael Carrick,I struggle to think of a player who cost more than £10m who has been a huge hit.
Couple that with a declining return from the youth policy,and the future doesn’t seem so bright for them.
IMO,of course,-tin hat donned…..
KITALBA
Thanks for bringing those posts to my attention,a superb read.
Bobby had to give up my lunch break to type those up.
One for you Snake, this is good…
Celtic 2011-12 season Champions of Scotland
There is no Old Firm.
In what is apparently going to be an interesting week in the life and death of Rangers……let’s hope!
Good to see the history articles and have a question for any club historians. Does anyone know the names of all the founding Committee and a picture of the medals made to commemorate the occasion?
Thanking you in advance.
Hail Hail
This is no bad either. Get a steak and a glass of plonk Snake, slap the steak on yer candy telescope, guzzle the wine and dance with the memories.
Celtic Fc – Best Moments & Goals – Season 2011/2012 (HD) SPL CHAMPIONS!
Good morning CQNers,
Following on from Paul67’s post last week I’m looking forward to this week as it could be pivotal in Rangers demise where, hopefully, fraud and criminal proceedings might be aired and discussed by the Scottish media. On the other hand …….
Fraud and criminality go unpunished
Going by the sudden lack of “Rangers in crisis” articles in the media these past few hours we must be in the eye of the storm. The moment when all is calm for a short while before the full furore hits once again.
The media are gulping for air and trying to assess the damage caused thus far and wondering if maybe, just maybe, they have survived the worst of it. Have they? Or are they about to be blown to smithereens by Hurricane Hector . . .
murdochbhoy on 21 May, 2012 at 07:52 said:
I enjoyed this quote from the comments in the article you posted.
The system is broken and our response to this crisis will be a test of how intelligent we are as a species.
I am not holding my breath … Europe is in economic free-fall, and … meanwhile … the Jubilee celebrations go on day after day and 80% of Britons are reported as supporting the monarchy.
If people are this dim, cheering on the 1% for all they are worth, what hope is there for humanity?
If the peepil are this dim? not IF ………………………
On the finance topic, could someone post the links to the HBOS articles posted on here at various times you know the ones, friends of minty etc…. tried looking back but no joy
Clock is ticking
HH
KITALBA 0743
It was worth it,bud!
I hope you enjoy this one too-from HENRYCLARSON (say it quickly!) who is rapidly making a bit of a name for himself….
http://henryclarson.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/scottish-footballs-stockholm-syndrome/
Here is a thought for the day.
Is the pantaloon duck going to keep asking if we have signed a goalie yet every day of this transfer window for the third season on the trot?
Surely i’m not the only one who is bored of him asking this question?
Hail Hail
Champions 2012
STEVIEBHOY 0806
Hopefully,this is it
http://www.ianfraser.org/a-brief-history-of-halifax-bank-of-scotland/
Morning all from a lovely day in North Ayrshire. Here comes the sun!!
Here comes the demise of thems. Couldn’t be a better start to any week.
Morning all from gay Paree, overcast with frequent heavy showers (18C max).
A big “well done” to Montpellier for winning their first-ever French title last night.
It’s great to see a small well-run club with a relatively small budget beating the big hitters: PSG, Lyon, Bordeaux and the like.
The big challenge for them in the coming weeks and months will be to hold on to their better players (notably Belhanda and Giroud).
Rennes, who Celtic played earlier in the season, finished 6th (and miss out on Europe next season).
Marseilles, beaten in the CL quarter finals by Bayern, finished well down the league in 10th.
RFC(ia): Time to Pay the Wages of Sin
Is this really going to be the end for them? Could karma really have planned it so perfectly? 45 years after our day in the sun, the trigger for their reckless at-all-costs race to match us?
Whither the cash strapped scrofulous Hillbillies the day?
confession time – I read the daily rangers on line Green is rangers nanny mcphee by Gordon Waddell. Now we know who Awe-Naw is : ) Please Awe-Naw can you double brew this one. Classic. It just keeps giving my stomach muscles are getting a daily work oot. Good to see some positive WGS stuff on today. I predict that in a decade he will be seen in the same way that Fergus is now viewed with a wee bit perspective. Thought I would get in before SydneyTim onya mate. The future is Green and Whyte. Hail Hail