Celtic FC – Scottish Cup Winners for the 13th time – 1931

The Celtic Star

·23 May 2025

Celtic FC – Scottish Cup Winners for the 13th time – 1931

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 13…

CELTIC 4-2 MOTHERWELL – HAMPDEN, 15 APRIL 1931 – Celtic’s 13th Scottish Cup, and in some ways, the first drawn game with its two late goals is more famous than the replay which was played on a Wednesday evening before a crowd which was only just shy of 100,000. (And 1931 was the worst year of the depression!). It was a tight game with Celtic only really feeling secure when McGrory scored his second goal late in the game. Bertie Thomson scored the other two goals, but Motherwell fought all the way.

*First match finished 2-2, with Celtic scoring two goals very late.

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*Bertie Thomson the fan’s favourite got the ball rolling for the Celtic side in this replay of the Scottish Cup Final with a goal in just 9 minutes, but Johnny Murdoch equalised for Motherwell in 26 minutes before Jimmy McGrory and Bertie did a quick one-two in 30 and 34 minutes to make the score 3-1 to Celtic at the break. George Stevenson cut the lead in 68 minutes but Jimmy McGrory scored a fourth for Celtic in 88 minutes.

*The cup final meetings of his old club Celtic and his son’s club Motherwell must have caused mixed emotions for one of the greatest ever Celts, Jimmy McMenemy. Jimmy’s son John McMenemy played well at inside-right for Motherwell in the finals, but the honours went to his father’s and his old-club where John had made 16 appearances between 1925-28.

The Celtic team was: J Thomson, Cook and McGonagle; Wilson, McStay and Geatons; R Thomson, A Thomson, McGrory, Scarff and Napier. Scorers: R. Thomson, (2); McGrory, (2).

MOTHERWELL: McClory; Johnman and Hunter; Wales, Craig, and Telfer; Murdoch, McMenemy, McFadyen, Stevenson, and Ferrier. Scorers: Murdoch, Stevenson.

Referee: P. Craigmyle (Aberdeen). Attendance: 98,579

*Article from The Celtic Star archives, featuring the brilliant Celtic writing from Celtic Historian David Potter. Stay tuned for Celtic’s 14th Scottish Cup triumph. Any idea when that was? Don’t worry we’ll tell you over the weekend.

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