Heroes are Forever: The Life and Times of Celtic Legend Jimmy McGrory

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Of the 550 goals scored in his illustrious career, McGrory netted 468 in a Celtic shirt, in just 445 competitive appearances for the club. This remarkable feat comes as no surprise when you consider that Jimmy had the ability to net eight goals in a single match, as he did for Celtic against Dunfermline Athletic in 1928. Britain’s greatest striker also won no fewer than 12 major honours in as many years as a player for the club, before becoming Celtic Manager in mid-1945.

Celtic’s decline was to resume and accelerate not long after the departure of Jimmy McGrory and Willie Buchan. Rangers and their sympathisers had their hands on the levers, and Celtic were to suffer. However, the board at Celtic were weak, meddling and incompetent, and this partially destroyed the great legacy left behind by men like Jimmy McGrory at Celtic. I remember that the song described each of the three goals. Would you happen to know of this song and the words? I would love to have them. Rodgers was a charlatan in some regards. He knew which buttons to press when it suited his ends. But when his career was at stake, any love for a football club took second place. And he would have known, had the shoe been on the other foot, had the trophies dried up, loyalty would have been a one-way street from board and fans alike – just ask Neil Lennon. When McGrory did finally retire from his final role at Celtic in early 1979, he was invited to attend a mass in New York by Father Coleman. The invitation was said to be “In thanksgiving for being such a wonderful Celt.” By contrast, Celtic could only offer the immortal man a new pipe. Jimmy McGrory and John Cushley a b Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (13 December 2018). "Scotland - International Matches 1931-1939". RSSSF . Retrieved 10 March 2019.

#7 Jimmy Jones (Glenavon) - 517 goals

Norris, a wealthy Tory MP, was the man responsible for relocating the Gunners from their original Woolwich home, and taking them north to Highbury. A man of dubious influence and persuasion Norris used all of his political skills to ensure Arsenal were elected to England’s First Division when competitive football resumed in 1919 following the end of the Great War. The Gunners were elected to the First Division after a vote by Football League chairman – this despite them having finished their last Second Division campaign (1914-1915) in fifth spot. a b c d "The year St Roch's F.C. were Kings". Glasgow Live. 21 November 2018 . Retrieved 20 April 2021.

His committed play meant he regularly suffered a broken nose and in one match he even broke his jaw after taking a boot to the face. Such injuries were all part of the game to the man they called ‘ The Human Torpedo‘ (a term reflecting his heading ability). For twelve seasons, McGrory was to be Celtic’s top scorer. Twice (1926-27 & 1935-36) he was the top league scorer in Europe with 49 and 50 goals respectively.So peeved were they by his refusal of Arsenal’s offer – and no doubt their own loss of face with their Arsenal counterparts – they secretly paid him less than his teammates for the rest of his career. Time’s change and it’s different strokes for different folks. Football – and a love for a club – are often childhood gifts passed down through the generations. By the time you’re an adult and if football is your job, career choices can often be at odds with your love for the game, or indeed a particular football club. Not everyone is Jimmy McGrory, as we saw with Brendan Rodgers. Sir Robert Kelly said of McGrory: “No one ever played harder so often for Celtic.” Yet in a disgraceful act that defies reason the board ‘rewarded’ this heroic servant by secretly paying him less than his team mates for his remaining nine seasons at Parkhead.

He was a Garngad Bhoy, born in the North of the city in a heartland of Celtic support, and he grew up playing football and dreaming of wearing the famous green and white hooped jersey. He would do so with distinction, honour, pride and with an ability that was the envy of most other players.

Yet that was indeed the plan. The board wanted money to rebuild a stadium which was to their deep regret no longer the premier sporting venue in Scotland. In contrast the only rebuilding work Chapman had planned was on the field. He scored 395 goals in 378 league games and 73 goals in 67 Scottish Cup ties for a total of 468 goals in 445 Celtic games. In all games with Celtic and Clydebank, including Glasgow Cup and Charity Cup ties, he scored 538 goals in 534 games. He also scored six times in seven Scotland games and six times in six league games. Who better to ask than David Potter? “I seem to recall my father singing to the tune of the revivalist hymn “Tell Me the Old, Old Story,” David replied.”As I said, it went to the tune of the revivalist hymn much sung by the Salvation Army in the 1930s,” David explained. Here are the words… In March 1947, Tom White died and director Robert Kelly was elected as his successor as chairman. [61] For the next 18 years, Kelly would be the dominant personality at Celtic Park; imposing his will in the running of the club at all levels including having direct involvement in team selection. [65] [66] To the best of my knowledge – and based on all competitive games, not just league matches – the full top ten of Celtic players who’ve scored in successive seasons looks like this (including two at joint tenth):

Interestingly, another player could yet break into this top ten, or at least double figures. Current captain Callum McGregor is yet to get off the mark this season, but if he does it will be his tenth season in a row. His contracts runs out in 2028, and if he manages a goal a season until then, he would move onto 14. IMAGO / Colorsport Football – 1928 / 1929 season – English Football League XI 2 Scottish Football League XI 1 Jimmy McGrory pictured for the SFL team before the game at Villa Park 07/11/1928. Jimmy McGrory polished his goalscoring skills playing for St Roch’s School and also transferred that to the local St Roch’s Boys’ Guild. If Celtic weren’t in action, though, most fans in the area would walk along to Provanmill Park to watch the recently-formed St Roch’s Juniors where he played as a 16-year-old. However, it wasn’t long before the seniors had their eye on the striker but, despite a trial for Bury, it was no surprise when the teenager signed on the dotted line for his beloved Celtic. McGrory would later explain his decision in the simplest of terms. He said: “McGrory of Arsenal just never sounded as good as McGrory of Celtic.” Parkhead was more busy than normal with the “Celtic Cha! Cha! Cha!” much in evidence. The was a “Cel-Tic” chant followed by three handclaps varying with “Sure its’s a grand old team” and “It was on a dreary New Year’s eve” reverberating round the ground as Celtic started playing towards the Rangers end of the ground and soon asserted some sort of command. Half-time saw Celtic one ahead and the goal came in the 16th minute as a result of a ploy which Celtic had developed recently, the brainchild, one assumes of Bertie Auld who had re-joined the club in January.McColl, Graham (2002). The Head Boys: Celtic's Managers. Mainstream Publishing Company (Edinburgh) Ltd. ISBN 978-1840187595. In 1954 Celtic won their first league and cup double for forty years, [75] and their first league title since 1938. [76] Celtic finished five points ahead of Hearts in the league and had the best defensive record in the division (only 29 goals conceded). [77] The Scottish Cup Final was contested between Celtic and Aberdeen. A keenly contested match was won by a Sean Fallon goal after excellent play from Willie Fernie. [58] [78] Patsy Gallacher’s name continues to ring down the Celtic ages – and in fact his great-granddaughter Amy currently plays for the Celtic Women’s team. Known not just for scoring but doing so spectacularly, the Donegal man first scored in 1911-12 and kept doing so until 1925-26. The 1925–26 season was a successful one both personally and collectively, with Celtic winning the First Division and him finishing the season with 49 goals in all competitions, [16] which included a streak that saw him scoring in seven consecutive league games. [17] Celtic reached their second successive Scottish Cup Final, but McGrory this time was on the losing side as they lost 2–0 to St Mirren. [18] Celtic beat Motherwell 4-1 at Celtic Park on 9 April, and this was followed by a double header against Dundee over the Holiday Weekend. The Saturday game at Dens Park was a tight 3-2 victory with two goals from John Divers and one from Joe Carruth, and some good defensive work by Willie Lyon after Dundee scored with a penalty late in the second half to make it 3-2, but the game at Parkhead on the Monday was more one-sided. Celtic won this one 3-0. It was a game spoiled to an extent by “over-robust” Dundee defending (clearly there were some vendettas carried over from Saturday) but Willie Lyon scored with two penalties and John Divers scored the other goal.