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

Then vs Now

Patsy Gallacher in action. It looks like the defender is launching into the sort of challenge that would have modern referees reaching for the red card.

Making comparisons between  players from different eras is futile and fun.
How would the galácticos of the 21st century have fared in the pre war game?
The pace of the game was slower, players smoked and traveled on public transport. They ate steak and chips for Saturday lunch and prepared for Cup Finals by taking a stroll on the beach. 
However, if we were to transport the stars of the modern game back in time , they would find 
that certain aspects of the game  would have act as levelers.

Arsenal were considered progressive...

Diet and preparation.
The players of the early professional age lacked the benefits of  scientific physical conditioning. Many of them would have started off from a disadvantaged baseline, as working class people at the time bore the lifelong effects of childhood deprivation, poor nutrition and disadvantageous living conditions.
In the era when professionalism and northern working class football were emerging the physical differences between the northerners and the privileged public schoolboys was often commented on (a good example been the Darwen vs Old Etonians games of 1879).

Charlton Athletic vs Preston North End, 1937 

Playing surfaces.
Up until the 1990s even top level matches were often played on terribly degraded pitches.

Germans

Footballs.
A weatherproof outer skin for the ball was not developed until the 1950s. Balls would soak up moisture, increasing their weight as the game wore on.  The boots worn reflect the unforgiving nature of the balls- reinforced toecaps were an advantage.  Stroking a 40 yard accurate pass with one of those old time leather casers would have been a physical impossibility. Heading also carried it's own risks. In the short term the player risked injury from the laces, in the long term the impact killed off brain cells.

Physical contact.
Dismissals were a relative rarity. Physical contact was very much a part of the game. Tackles from behind were permitted, as were shoulder charges. 50- 50 balls were contested with studs up. The more skillful players always faced a degree of physical intimidation in order to discourage 'too much of the fancy stuff'.

A wonder goal?

The Celtic Cup winning team of 1925: Peter Shevlin; Willie McStay ,Hugh Hilley, Peter Wilson. Jimmy McStay, Jean McFarlane, Patrick Connolly, Patsy Gallacher, Jimmy McGrory, Alec Thomson, Adam McLean.

Within 20 yards of goal Patsy Gallacher was the most dangerous forward I have ever seen. You never knew what he would do. Often he would wriggle through, past man after man, with defenders reluctant to tackle in case they gave away a penalty kick — Alan Morton (Rangers and Scotland)

He was the greatest who ever kicked a ball. — Tommy Cairns (Rangers and Scotland)

In 1925 Celtic defeated Dundee to win the Scottish Cup for a record 11th time. The match is commonly remembered as the Patsy Gallacher Final.

Contemporary reports not explicit and in those days there wasn't the benefit of endless replays to clarify what had actually occurred. The fact is that with Celtic trailing 1-0 and Dundee dominating, Patsy Gallacher scored an extraordinary goal. Legend has it that in a goalmouth melee following a free kick Gallacher trapped the ball between his heels and executed a forward roll that took him and the ball into the goal. The goal was later described by teammate Jimmy McGrory as resulting from a run that started with Gallacher getting the ball in his own half and beating a number of defenders before somersaulting into the net with it between his feet. 

Willy Maley the secretary (manager) recalled: he finished it by literally carrying the ball into the net. 

Sir Robert Kelly, Celtic director writing in 1971 described the goal thus:

He must have beaten six opponents as he dribbled and swerved towards goal; several times he must have been nearly on the ground as opponents made contact with him if not with the ball. His final, almost superhuman effort came barely six feet from the line, when, having tricked the goalkeeper and again almost having been grounded by an attempted tackle, he somersaulted, with the ball edged between his boots, right into the net from which his delighted team-mates had to extricate him- 

These circus tricks at the end of a George Weah like run seem highly implausible, especially when we look at the actual contemporary reports:

crowning a daring and devious bit of play by throwing himself bodily into the net and carrying the ball with him... the feature of the exciting contest was Gallacher's equalizing goal, and  in a career of much distinction it is questionable if the clever Celt  ever achieved anything quite so  sensational and clever 

Glasgow Herald- 13.04.25

elsewhere described as Gallacher simply forcing the ball into the goal following a  free kick

Glasgow Herald- 13.04.25

  it was a faulty clearance... which allowed Gallagher, in company with a couple of other Celts, to rush the ball into the net. 

The Scotsman - 13.04.25