Three moments in time…Celtic in the Thirties (Part 3 – Hampden)

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The Celtic Star

·27 luglio 2025

Three moments in time…Celtic in the Thirties (Part 3 – Hampden)

Over the past three months I have been sharing some of the memorabilia collection of former Celtic, Scotland and Ireland trainer Will Quinn, courtesy of his great-grandson Steven. If you missed any of these articles on The Celtic Star you can catch up on HERE.

The most recent offering is a page from one of his scrapbooks, featuring three very different Celtic images from matches which feature in the first volume of my Celtic in the Thirties compilation.

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Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr, available in two volumes at Celticstarbooks.com

The top two photos, taken thousands of miles apart in Dundee and New York City in 1931, have been covered in the first two parts of this article.

The final image is very poignant, as it features 20-year-old Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson being treated for an injury on the Hampden turf during the Glasgow Cup final against Rangers, played on Saturday, 12 October 1929. Just under two years later, the young Fifer, the bravest of goalkeepers, would make his final save against the Ibrox side and would pay with his life.

In our photo, the unmistakeable figure of Celtic trainer Will Quinn can be seen striding on to the pitch to see and hear first-hand what the situation is. In the background, Rangers winger Sandy Archibald is also receiving treatment. Captain Jimmy McStay and Peter McGonagle are the Celts most prominent, just to the right of the appropriately named referee, Mr Small. I believe this to be the incident which led to Rangers’ penalty award midway through the second half of the goalless draw. Below is a photo of John saving that spot kick.

Celtic captain Jimmy McStay attacking the Rangers goal in the first half at Hampden in the 1929/30 Glasgow Cup final, with Paddy Connolly looking to react on the right.

Here is how I describe the events of that afternoon in Volume One of Celtic in the Thirties.

The Glasgow Cup final against Rangers – Celtic’s last trophy opportunity of the decade – took place at Hampden before 75,000 spectators seven days later, on Saturday, 12 October 1929. The teams lined up as follows, the Hoops unchanged whilst former Celt Tom ‘Tully’ Craig was in his usual wing-half berth for Rangers, having arrived at Ibrox from Parkhead via Alloa Athletic in May 1923.

Celtic John Thomson; Denis McCallum & Peter McGonagle; Peter Wilson, Jimmy McStay & Graham Robertson; Paddy Connolly, Alec Thomson, Jimmy McGrory, Peter Scarff & Peter Kavanagh. Rangers Tom Hamilton; Dougie Gray & Bob Hamilton; Jock Buchanan, Davie Meiklejohn & Tully Craig; Sandy Archibald, Jimmy Marshall, Jimmy Fleming, Archie McPherson & Alan Morton.

Celtic’s recent form combined with Rangers’ defeat at Tynecastle [the previous week]made the Bhoys favourites in many eyes, however, on the day, the Hoops were thankful to John Thomson for securing a goalless draw, the young keeper capping a fabulous display by saving a late Davie Meiklejohn penalty, after Denis McCallum had fisted a shot from Rangers winger Sandy Archibald over the crossbar.

Celtic in the Thirties – Volume One

Celtic in the Thirties – Volume Two

Just over 41,000 turned out on a wet afternoon for the replay at the same venue four days later, both teams unchanged. But the Hoops contingent would leave Hampden soaked and disappointed after Rangers won 4-0, Archibald and a Jimmy Fleming hat-trick ensuring that Celtic would not match the Ibrox club’s record of 17 tournament successes.

With all four available trophies now residing elsewhere – three at Ibrox and the Scottish Cup at Kilmarnock – there was much work to be done at Celtic Park to turn that situation around.

An extract from Celtic in the Thirties: Volume One by Matt Corr

Hail, Hail!

Matt Corr

Follow Matt on X/Twitter @Boola_vogue

Celtic in the Thirties, Vol 1. published by Celtic Star Books and available at Celticstarbooks.com

Read this – The backstory to Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter

Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered the late David Potter’s last ever Celtic book, Celtic in the Eighties, which will be published on the fifth day of September by Celtic Star Books. The link to pre-order your copy is below…

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, out 5 September 2025. Available to pre-order now.

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