CELTIC PROGRAMMES ONLINE | Celtic FC 1951/52

CELTIC FC 1951/52

CELTIC FIXTURES, RESULTS and PROGRAMMES 1951/1952

Scottish League:	Ninth
Scottish FA Cup:	First Round
Scottish League Cup:	Semi-final

Manager: Jimmy MCGRORY (1945 - 1965)

Hibernian won the league with 45 points from Rangers in second place with 41. Celtic finished in 9th place with only 28 points but had been as low as 13th place as late as the month of March. After the 6-0 drubbing of Queen of the South on March 1st Celtic lost only one more game (St Mirren 1-3) and 'improved' their league placing by four places. Bobby Collins was top goal scorer with 13 goals with John McPhail close behind on 11. Only Sean Fallon and Alex Boden played in all matches (41) although Bobby collins missed only one league cup tie. Jock Stein, Gil Heron, Andrew Bell and Jim Lafferty made their debuts. Stein played another 18 times after his debut in December against St Mirren, including two matches in the Scottish Cup.

The pool of players for season 1951/52 was - Baillie, Bell (g/k), Boden, Bonnar (g/k), Collins, Devanney (g/k), Evans, Fallon, Fernie, Haughney, Heron, Jack, Lafferty, Mallan, McAlindon, McPhail, Morrison, Peacock, Rollo, Stein, Tully, Walsh, Weir.

Click on the opponents name for more info on each match

OPPONENTS	DATE	COMP	ISSUED	COMMENTS
THIRD LANARK	Aug 11	LC	yes	1-1.
Airdrie	15	LC	yes	1-1.
MORTON	18	LC	yes	2-0. Gil Heron debut before a crowd of 40,000. Scored Celtic's second goal in 35 minutes with a shot from outside the penalty box. Jamacian-born Gil Heron was 29 when he was spotted and signed for Celtic during the 1951 tour of the USA while playing for his home team of Detroit Corinthians.
Third Lanark	25	LC	yes	1-0. Gil Heron played in this match.
AIRDRIE	29	LC	no	2-0, Gil Heron played in this match and scored from 25 yards.
Morton	Sep 1	LC	yes	0-2. Gil Heron played in this match. Demoted to the reserves and played only one other match for Celtic before signing for Third Lanark in May 1952.
Motherwell	8	LGE	yes	2-2.
FORFAR ATHLETIC	15	LC	yes	4-2.
Forfar Athletic	19	LC	no	1-1.
Rangers	22	LGE	yes	1-1.
HEARTS	29	LGE	yes	1-3.
Morton	Oct 10	LGE	no	0-1.
Rangers	13	LCSF	yes	0-3.
Dundee	20	LGE	yes	1-2. Andrew Bell debut. Bell signed from Arthurlie Juniors on 27th August and played another 12 times this season.
HIBERNIAN	27	LGE	yes	1-1.
THIRD LANARK	Nov 3	LGE	yes	2-2.
Stirling Albion	10	LGE	yes	1-2.
AIRDRIE	17	LGE	yes	3-1.
Queen of the South	24	LGE	yes	0-4.
PARTICK THISTLE	Dec 1	LGE	yes	2-1. Jim Lafferty debut (signed from Arthurlie Nov 1951, made 7 appearances scored 4 goals. Left Celtic for Lincoln City in July 1953. Died July 2008 in Calafornia). Gil Heron's last match for Celtic.
ST MIRREN	8	LGE	yes	2-1. Jock Stein debut.
East Fife	15	LGE	yes	1-3.
MOTHERWELL	22	LGE	yes	2-1.
Aberdeen	29	LGE	yes	4-3.
RANGERS	Jan 1	LGE	yes	1-4.
Hearts	2	LGE	yes	1-2.
MORTON	5	LGE	no	Postponed.
Raith Rovers	12	LGE	yes	0-1.
DUNDEE	19	LGE	yes	1-1.
THIRD LANARK	26	SC	yes	Postponed
THIRD LANARK	30	SC	no	0-0. Rearranged match. Postponed programme issued with a red ink stamp on the front cover "Postponed Match".
Hibernian	Feb 2	LGE	yes	1-3.
Third Lanark	4	SCR	no	1-2, Rollo
STIRLING ALBION	16	LGE	yes	3-1.
RAITH ROVERS	23	LGE	yes	0-1.
Airdrie	27	LGE	no	1-2.
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH	Mar 1	LGE	yes	6-1. After this match Celtic were 13th in the league table.
MORTON	5	LGE	no	2-2.
Partick Thistle	8	LGE	yes	4-2
St Mirren	15	LGE	yes	1-3.
EAST FIFE	22	LGE	yes	2-1.
ABERDEEN	29	LGE	yes	2-0.
Third Lanark	Apr 12	LGE	yes	3-3.

GLASGOW CELTIC1951/52
FRIENDLIES

Newcastle United 12/09/51 Bohemians 16/04/52 Sligo Rovers 21/04/52 Cumberland Select 30/04/52 Newry Town XI 17/05/52

OPPONENTS	DATE	COMP	ISSUED	COMMENTS
NEWCASTLE UNITED	Sep 12	F	yes	3-3.
Kilmarnock	27	F	no	2-1. Bob Thyne Testimonial.
Bohemians	Apr 16	F	yes	3-4. Bobby Collins broken arm in this match and spent a few days in the Mater Hospital.
Sligo Rovers	21	F	yes	3-1
Derry City	22	F	no	3-1
Central League Select	23	F	no	5-4. Celtic scorers: Duncan (2), Heron (2), Lafferty
Coleraine	24	F	no	2-0.
Central League Select	28	F	no	5-4.
Cumberland Select	30	F	yes	0-3.
Newry Town Ex Belfast Celtic XI	May 17	F	yes	3-2. Copy of this didn't sell at £75.00 in June 2006

Thanks to Tom McGouran for help with this page.

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