20 November – Five Memorable Celtic Moments on this Day

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·20 November 2025

20 November – Five Memorable Celtic Moments on this Day

Five memorable Celtic moments, with a nod to the late Celtic Historian and Celtic Star legend David Potter, on this day starting on 20 November 1926…

Four goals from Jimmy McGrory

ONE – SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER 1926 – Celtic visit the rather primitive East End Park, Dunfermline for the first time on League business, and duly win 6-0 with four goals from Jimmy McGrory and two from Adam McLean. The game is as one-sided as it sounds.

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Bobby Collins

TWO – SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER 1954 – Firhill for thrills (and mud today) but Celtic come out on the wrong side of a 2-4 score-line. They were two goals down in five minutes, then levelled things through Jimmy Walsh and Bobby Collins before half time, but then lose a couple of goals in the second half. Thistle are no bad side, although occasionally living up to their nickname “the unpredictables” from time to time, but the loss of these two points will cost Celtic dear at the end of the season.

THREE – MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER 1972 – Tonight sees the play-off game in the Scottish League Cup quarter final between Celtic and Dundee at Hampden, both teams having won their home tie. There has also been a running battle between Jock Stein and referee Bobby Davidson!

But tonight, Celtic take command and win comfortably 4-1 with two goals from Dixie Deans and one each from Kenny Dalglish and Harry Hood. The schools have had an extra holiday today because it is the Queen’s Silver Wedding to Prince Philip – an event that singularly fails to impress people!

FOUR – SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER 1976 – A tremendous victory for Celtic at Tynecastle which keeps the 20,500 crowd enthralled from start to finish. Celtic are 2-0 down, then 3-1 down but fight back and in a tremendous second half score with three minutes to go through Ronnie Galvin. The other goals are scored by Roddy MacDonald, Bobby Lennox and Kenny Dalglish. Poor Willie Gibson of Hearts. He scores a hat-trick within the first half hour but still ends up on the losing side. In some ways, this is a pivotal game for the season, for Celtic go on to win the League and Hearts are relegated.

20th November 2021; Hampden Park, Glasgow City, Scotland; Scottish League Cup semi-final, Celtic versus St Johnstone; James Forrest of Celtic celebrates after he opens the scoring in the 73rd minute making it 1-0 to Celtic

FIVE – SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2021 – In a Saturday tea-time encounter at Hampden, Celtic beat St Johnstone 1-0 thanks to a great James Forrest goal to reach the Scottish League Cup final. The 1-0 score line is misleading, because Celtic were well on top of the current League Cup holders, and it really should have been a lot more. The 1-0 victory was a great tribute to Bertie Auld who died recently and who had scored the only goal in the 1969 Scottish League Cup final between the same two teams.

Celtic in the Thirties, Vol 1. published by Celtic Star Books, Click on image to order from Celticstarbooks.com

Celtic in the Thirties, Vol 1. published by Celtic Star Books, click on the image to order from Celticstarbooks.com