Happy Birthday Celtic

I was brought up in Partick but was unware the local chapel I went to St peters was involved with the beginnings of Celtic. Such a good read and information.

 

Apart from family and kids, most things in life are temporary.

The only permanent outwith that for me is this club and my love for it.

 

I've never hud a bird or had ma hole so happy birthday to the only love of my life.

 

"Happy Birthday, dear Celtic, happy birthday to you!"

 

Proud of my club for only having one birthday

 

It was 135 years ago today on Monday, November 6, 1887 that the meeting during which Celtic Football Club was formally constituted took place in St Mary’s Hall in East Rose Street.

And today, Sunday, November 6, 2022, in St Mary's Church, Calton, Glasgow, the annual celebratory Mass will be held at 2pm to mark the 135th anniversary of the club’s formation

It was in the church hall on that day back in 1887 that representatives from the upper echelons of the Irish community in Glasgow, most of whom who had witnessed Hibernian secretary John McFadden’s speech back in February when Hibernian lifted the Scottish Cup, gathered at St Mary’s Hall.

Bodies such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Catholic Union, the Irish Foresters, the Home Government Branch of the United Irish League, the St Aloysius Association and the Irish National League as well as local Penny Savings Bank and a Total Abstinence Society were present in some manner but the main objective was the formation of a football team to raise money for the Soup Kitchens of the East End.

It was at the February 12 post-match celebrations at St Mary’s Hall in the Calton, organised for the Edinburgh side by the Glasgow Irish, that Hibernian secretary John McFadden urged his West of Scotland compatriots to start their own team.

They, along with Brother Walfrid and his assistant Brother Dorotheus, had been inspired by John McFadden’s urgings and the Marist priest in particular envisaged the benefits of having a team to represent the community ANDraise money for the poor.

Aside from Hibernian, nine other clubs with Irish affiliations took part in that season’s Scottish Cup - St Peter’s, Dundee Harp, Erin Rovers, Carfin Shamrock, Broxburn Shamrock, Vale of Leven Hibs, Kirkintilloch Harp, Cambuslang Hibs and Johnstone Harp

The Edinburgh side stood head and shoulders above all others, though, and seemed untouchable so McFadden could little have imagined that his suggestion would result in the formation of a team that would become the biggest of them all.

• Honorary President, Dr John Conway
• President, John Glass
• Secretary, John O’Hara
• Treasurer, Hugh Darnoch
• Match Secretary, Willie Maley

Committee: Joseph Nelis, Tom Maley, Michael Cairns, Joe Shaughnessy, Pat Welsh, Daniel Molloy, David Meikleham, John McDonald, William McKillop, John McLaughlin and Joseph McGrory.

Following somewhat tempestuous meetings between the parishes of St Mary, St Andrew and St Alphonsus during the months prior to the historic November 6 gathering, the baton held by John McFadden was finally taken up and - mainly thanks to the foresight and reasoning of committee member John McLaughlin (below) who, on the club becoming a limited liability company in 1897, became Celtic’s first ever Chairman – Scottish football would never be the same again



CELTIC DATELINE
There are many significant dates surrounding the formation of Celtic Football Club from as early as September, 1886 to August 21, 1888 when the fledgling club were officially registered with the SFA.

Falling between these dates are a number of historical events that were crucial in the Celtic calendar:

September, 1886: Hibernian come to Glasgow to play St Peter’s of Partick in a match at Glengarry Park in Bridgeton. The park had been named after the area in which Catholic Highlanders settled and, indeed, was the home pitch of Columba, the first youth team formed by Brother Walfrid. A thousand paying customers boosted the coffers of St Mary’s Poor Children’s Dinner Table.

February 12, 1887: Hibernian beat Dumbarton 2-1 in the Scottish Cup final and the Edinburgh team were later feted that night at St Mary’s in the Calton.

April, 1887: This was when Clyde played Dundee Harp at Barrowfield Park, Bridgeton and a crowd of 4,000 raised money for the Poor Children’s Dinner Table at Sacred Heart School. The match, arranged by Brother Walfrid, would no doubt have had the Marist brother recalling John McFadden’s rallying call of February 12.

May, 1887: Glasgow Charity Cup holders Renton played Scottish Cup holders Hibs for the one-off East End Charity Cup when a massive 12,000 paid in at Barrowfield. The match ended in a draw and the replay was staged in August.

November 13, 1887: The committee leased six acres of land on Dalmarnock Street (Springfield Road, where new apartments are) and work immediately started on what would become one of the most state-of-the-art stadia in the country at the time.

January 19, 1888: The first general monthly meeting was held before a lively attendance at St Mary’s where it was reported that the pitch was finished and that work was due to commence on the stand that week.

May 8, 1888: This was the date of the very first game played at Celtic Park when a crowd of 5,000 turned up for a game between Hibernian and Cowlairs.

May 28, 1888: When the new club, resplendent in their white shirts with green collars and a Celtic Cross on the breast supplied by Penman Bros of Bridgeton, took to the field for the very first time and defeated Rangers 5-2 with Neil McCallum scoring the first ever Celtic goal.

But the crucial date in all this was Monday, November 6, 1887, exactly 135 years ago today.

 

As good a reason as any to celebrate

 

Happy Birthday to the GREATEST football team on the planet

 

Happy Birthday Celtic with a double helping of icing on the cake today.

 

Love this club stupid amounts. Forever grateful for Celtic.

 

Happy Birthday to the best club in the world.

I cannot express what this club means to me, it has been there through so many moments in my life and has been an absolute constant. Been through thick and thin and Celtic gave always been there.

My missus and my eldest daughter both have birthdays on 2 of the greatest dates in our history.

Here's to many, many more years.