Celtic vs Irish Free State XI: The Highest Paid Football Experts in the World

On 23.02.24 a warmly received Glasgow Celtic played a hastily arranged friendly against an Irish Free State XI in Dublin. Celtic won 3-0. There was a 20,000 crowd that spilled onto the pitch and perched on the roofs of stands.  

The match was a fundraiser to help send an Irish Free State team to that summer's Olympics. Takings were £1,200, which , after tax, expenses and  paying for the ground left £400 for the fund. 

Acknowledging the efforts of the outplayed home team, the Dublin Evening Telegraph stated 'They were opposed by what probably the best football on earth, the highest paid football experts in the world'. 

Irish Free State FA		Celtic
W. O’Hagan (Fordsons)	G	C. Shaw
P. Kavanagh (Shelbourne)	FB	A. McNair
J. McCarthy (Bohemians)	FB	H Hilley
E. McKay (St. James’s Gate)	HB	H. P. Wilson
V. Harris (Shelbourne)	HB	J. McStay
M. Foley (Shelbourne)	HB	J. McFarlane
J. Simpson (Shelbourne)	F	A. McAtee
A. Kirkland (Shamrock Rovers)	F	P. Gallacher
Dr. O’Flaherty (University College)	F	J. Cassidy
J. Dowdall (St. James’s Gate)	F	A. Thompson
J. Fagan (Shamrock Rovers)	F	A. McLean

Goals were scored by Thomson, McAtee and Cassidy (all Scotland internationalists).

The Celtic line up featured Irish international Patsy Gallacher, who would later represent the Free State.

There was talk of another Celtic visit to Ireland in May, when Croke Park was proposed as a (much larger) venue, but this never took place. 

Andy McAtee

Alec 'EverReady' Thomson 

'Trooper' Joe Cassidy

Celtic's 62 game unbeaten run

On November 13th 1915 Celtic were defeated 2-0 by Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle. The following week they beat Kilmarnock 2-0 at Celtic Park. This was the beginning of a 62 match unbeaten run.  

So, the story of this remarkable run begins and ends with Kilmarnock:

CELTIC BEATEN AT LAST

Kilmarnock accomplished at Parkhead on Saturday what they nearly achieved at home a few weeks ago; they are the first to defeat Celtic in the present League campaign, and thus put an end to a sequence of victories extending from the middle of December, 1915, until the pr.esent time. It was fitting that a team renowned for consistency should be defeated by opponents who have been more consistent than any other team when opposing the champions. If Sinclair were slightly at fault in the first game in allowing McMenemy to equalise when but three minutes remained for play, Kilmarnock’s regular custodian made no such mistake in the return engagement. The shooting of the Celtic forwards was not particularly deadly, and it was in leaving his goal to deal with corner kicks almost innumerable that Blair excelled. The winners were somewhat fortunate to score as they did twice in the first half, doubly so to find their opponents miss opportunities much more frequent and less difficult. But the losers had no room for complaint, save on their own incapacity at goal. They were at home, on a perfect pitch, with wind and sun minor and equal handicaps to both teams. The winners goals were scored before the interval, so there was nothing of a snatch victory about Kilmarnock’s successful venture. The mistake made by McNair in passing back to his goalkeeper would not have been fatal had the home forwards shown their usual judgement and taken advantage of much better openings that fell to Smith and Culley. The pity is that the champions’ first defeat was incurred in their last home engagement; a reverse at an earlier stage would have enlivened a competition that has long ceased to attract by reason of its being a competition in name only. 

The Glasgow Herald  23.04.17

Jimmy Quinn

The idol of the people a gentleman who spends his Saturday afternoons endeavoring to kick a leather ball into a net. If he is successful in his efforts the eighty thousand or so who look on are seen to assume a pleased expression.
The game might be made more exciting if all the players kicked in the same direction , as more goals would be scored, and , after all, goals are what the spectators want.  
The greatest names in history are those of napoleon, Gladstone and Jimmy Quinn- these three, and the greatest of these is Jimmy Quinn. If you don't believe me ask anybody in Parkhead. 

Jimmy Quinn played 331 first team matches for Celtic (1900-15), scoring 216 goals.
He won 8 Scottish  League titles and 5 Scottish Cup winner's medals.
He represented the Scottish league 8 times (7 goals) and the Scottish national team 11 times (7 goals).

Celtic v English Clubs in the 19th Century

1888-89
1888 was Celtic’s foundation year- they played their first match in May. They reached the final of the Scottish Cup in the 1888-89 season.
31.12.88	Celtic	7	1	Mitchell St George's
03.01.89	Celtic	6	2	Corinthians
16.02.89	Corinthians	3	1	Celtic
23.03.89	Newcastle West End	3	4	Celtic
19.04.89	Bolton Wanderers	2	0	Celtic
20.04.89	Burnley	1	3	Celtic
23.05.89	Celtic	5	1	Bolton Wanderers
25.05.89	Celtic	2	1	Preston North End
1889-90
During this season Celtic lost to Queen’s Park in the first round of the Cup.
21.09.89	Sunderland	0	1	Celtic
28.09. 89	Celtic	3	2	Sunderland
03.10.89	Celtic	1	0	Blackburn Rovers
12.10.89	Celtic	0	2	Everton
21.12.89	Sunderland	1	2	Celtic
01.01.90	Celtic	3	2	Everton
22.02.90	St George’s	5	2	Celtic
04.04.90	Bolton Wanderers	4	0	Celtic
05.04.90	Everton	3	1	Celtic
07.04.90	Blackburn Rovers	1	1	Celtic
12.04.90	Celtic	1	1	Notts County
10.05.90	Celtic	2	2	Bolton Wanderers
17.05.90	Celtic	4	2	Wolverhampton Wanderers
22.05.90	Celtic	1	0	Preston North End
1890-91
The inaugural season of league football in Scotland saw Celtic finish behind Dumbarton and Rangers. They reached the last 8 in the Cup.
02.10.90	Celtic	2	2	Sunderland
27.03.91	Bolton Wanderers	2	2	Celtic
28.03.91	Ardwick	2	7	Celtic
30.03.91	Blackburn Rovers	0	2	Celtic
31.03.91	Wednesday	1	3	Celtic
13.04.91	Celtic	5	5	Blackburn Rovers
18.04.91	Celtic	2	0	Bolton Wanderers
21.04.91	Celtic	4	0	Preston North End
1891-92
Celtic finished runners-up in the League and won the Scottish Cup.
01.10.91	Celtic	3	2	Blackburn Rovers
04.04.92	Celtic	4	1	Nottingham Forest
1892-93
Celtic were League champions and lost in the Cup Final.
01.09.92	Sheffield United	1	0	Celtic
02.09.92	Middlesbrough	0	2	Celtic
03.09.92	Newcastle East End	0	1	Celtic
05.09.92	Sunderland	1	0	Celtic
06.10.92	Celtic	0	3	Sunderland
07.11.92	Stoke	0	5	Celtic
26.12.92	Ardwick	0	5	Celtic
31.12.92	Ardwick	0	1	Celtic
03.01.93	Celtic	1	1	Notts County
01.04.93	Celtic	3	0	London Caledonian
15.04.93	Celtic	2	2	Blackburn Rovers
18.04.93	Celtic	1	2	Everton
23.04.93	Celtic	2	0	Everton
1893-94
Celtic were League champions and were beaten by Rangers in the Cup Final.
28.09.93	Celtic	3	2	Sunderland
21.10.93	Celtic	3	1	Preston North End
02.01.94	Celtic	0	4	Everton
31.03.94	Celtic	1	3	Sunderland
07.04.94	Celtic	2	1	London Caledonians
09.04.94	Celtic	2	3	Aston Villa
10.04.94	Celtic	2	3	Bury
11.04.94	Blackburn Rovers	0	0	Celtic
21.04.94	Celtic	2	1	Aston Villa
28.04.94	Celtic	4	1	Everton
1894-95
Reached the last 8 of the Cup, runners up in the League.
27.09.94	Celtic	2	3	Sunderland
01.12.94	Manchester City	0	0	Celtic
26.12.94	Celtic	0	3	Everton
31.12.94	Celtic	0	2	Burnley
02.01.95	Celtic	4	1	Everton
15.04.95	Celtic	1	3	Blackburn Rovers
1895-96
Knocked out in the 1st round of the Cup, Celtic were League champions.
02.09.95	Manchester City	3	0	Celtic
03.09.95	Liverpool	2	0	Celtic
04.09.95	Newcastle United	3	0	Celtic
21.09.95	Preston North End	3	2	Celtic
26.09.95	Celtic	1	1	Sunderland
30.09.95	Celtic	2	3	Sunderland
14.10.95	Sheffield United	0	1	Celtic
25.12.95	Bury	2	2	Celtic
26.12.95	Everton	3	2	Celtic
08.02.96	Celtic	4	1	Bolton Wanderers
13.04.96	Celtic	3	2	Sunderland *
	Some sources have a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United on this date- which is an error.
20.04.96	Celtic	3	2	Aston Villa
22.04.96	Celtic	2	1	Everton
27.04.96	Celtic	1	0	Derby County
28.04.96	Celtic	2	1	Burnley
1896-97
Knocked out in the 1st round of the Cup again, Celtic finished 4th in the League.
28.09.96	Celtic	2	3	Sunderland
25.12.96	Celtic	1	6	Everton
06.02.97	Celtic	2	4	Sunderland
13.02.97	Corinthians	4	0	Celtic
15.02.97	Woolwich Arsenal	4	5	Celtic
1897-98
Celtic were League champions but went out of the Cup in the 2nd round.
26.12.97	Celtic	1	0	Sunderland
12.03.98	Sheffield United	1	0	Celtic
28.03.98	Celtic	1	3	Blackburn Rovers
16.04.98	Celtic	1	1	Sheffield United
1898-99
Celtic won the Scottish Cup and finished 3rd in the League.
10.04.99	Celtic	0	2	Wigan County
15.04.99	Celtic	2	0	Liverpool
1899-1900
Celtic won the Scottish Cup for the 3rd time and were runners up in the League.
23.12.99	Celtic	2	3	Blackburn Rovers
1900
Celtic were runners up in both League and Cup.
03.09.00	Aston Villa	2	1	Celtic
20.10.00	Celtic	2	0	Everton
21.12.00	Aston Villa	3	1	Celtic
25.12.00	Celtic	1	2	Blackburn Rovers

Key to opponent’s status:

Division One

Division Two

Minor Leagues

Non League 

Overall:

P	W	D	L	F	A
92	44	13	35	175	159

Home:

P	W	D	L	F	A
57	30	8	19	124	100

Away:

P	W	D	L	F	A
35	14	5	16	51	59

v First Division opposition:

P	W	D	L	F	A
67	28	12	27	119	117

v Corinth:

P	W	D	L	F	A
3	1	0	2	7	9

Celtic's first meeting with an English side was a benefit match for East End Poor Children's Dinner against the Birmingham club Mitchell St George's.

Celtic had only been in existence for 7 months when they attracted a crowd of 20,000 for a match against Corinthian FC that raised  £400  for charity.