Celtic on this Day – Our first ever Sunday match and a Scottish Cup shock

The Celtic Star

·27 janvier 2025

Celtic on this Day – Our first ever Sunday match and a Scottish Cup shock

Celtic on this Day – A first ever Sunday match for the Hoops plus a real Scottish Cup shocker for Jock Stein against his former club…

Celtic shocked by Dunfermline at Celtic Park in the Scottish Cup on 27 January 1968. Photo The Celtic Wiki

27 January 1974

Celtic 6-1 Clydebank. Celtic played their first ever competitive Sunday game in a 6-1 Scottish Cup rout over Clydebank. The Bankies had made Sunday football a proposal to the Scottish Football Association during the period of the state of emergency, thus it was approved and the first Sunday game in Scottish football historically commenced at Celtic Park. A respectable 28,000 spectators turned out in Glasgow’s east end with Police reporting that fans behaved better during this Sunday game. On the game itself, Dixie Deans continued his imperious form with another hat-trick. Deans also hit the woodwork on four occasions.

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Clydebank players in the away dressing room at Celtic Park. Celtic’s first Sunday game, against Clydebank on 27 January 1974. Photo The Celtic Wiki

27 January 1998

Dundee United 1-2 Celtic. Every game at this stage of the season counted – all the more so that three teams were in contention for the title. Leaving it late, Donnelly’s equaliser with 10 minutes to play and then Burley’s winner pushed Wim Jansen’s side above Hearts into second place in the table and were now three points behind Rangers who remained in top spot. Not at their best, Celtic found a way to win exemplifying championship winning credentials.

27 January 2018

Celtic 1-0 Hibs. Brendan Rodgers’ 100th match as Hoops boss. Not convincing, but it never was up against Neil Lennon’s Hibs teams. Leigh Griffiths scored the game’s only goal before limping off with an injury as Celtic held on against a quality Hibees side. With the Scotland job being vacant, Rodgers post-match said that Lennon would be a perfect fit for the role.

27 January 2008

Falkirk 0-1 Celtic. Scott McDonald’s winner gave Gordon Strachan’s men a fortunate win over Falkirk, narrowing the gap on leaders Rangers to four points. Falkirk had two strong penalty claims turned down by referee John Underhill and McDonald’s headed finish on the stroke of half-time was offside. Dean Holden suffered a horrendous leg break after a tackle from Stephen McManus.

27 January 1999

Peter Beardsley’s select 1-3 Celtic. 5000+ Celtic supporters travel down to St James’ Park for Peter Beardsley’s testimonial. Beardsley turned to his “boyhood heroes” Celtic to appear in his benefit match. Former Magpie Mark Viduka had officially become a Celtic player the day previous but wasn’t selected. The game caught a glimpse of Kenny Dalglish in action alongside his son, Paul. Ex Newcastle and Celtic stars Ronnie Simpson, Tommy Craig and Alan Thompson were presented at half-time. A Darren Peakcock own goal, a Lubo Moravcik long-range effort and Mark Burchill’s late tap in gave Celtic the victory on a fun day out for the travelling support.

Conor Spence

The late, great Celtic Historian David Potter’s Celtic Diary each morning on The Celtic Star looked back at key Celtic events and matches on this day starting on 27th January 1906…

Peter Somers scored

SATURDAY 27 JANUARY 1906 – Before a huge crowd of 25,000, the biggest crowd that Dens Park had ever seen, Celtic edged through to the next round of the Scottish Cup 2-1. It was generally agreed that Dundee deserved a draw, but Celtic won through thanks to an own goal and a Peter Somers header after the goalkeeper could only parry a Davie Hamilton drive. The receipts were an astonishing £670.

SATURDAY 27 JANUARY 1968 – 47,000 people are stunned at Celtic Park as Celtic exit the Scottish Cup, beaten 0-2 by a competent but by no means outstanding Dunfermline side. The Pars are simply the better side, faster to the ball and slicker passers than a Celtic side who have still not shaken off their South American hangover from last November. This result leaves Celtic with only the Scottish League to play for this season, and they are behind in that, and they are no longer masters of their own destiny.

SUNDAY 27 JANUARY 1974 – Because of the miners’ strike and the three-day working week introduced by Edward Heath’s Government, Sunday football is allowed. This is the first ever Sunday football played in Scotland, and Dixie Deans has the honour of scoring in the fourth minute Scottish football’s first ever Sunday goal. This was against Clydebank in the Scottish Cup at Parkhead before 28,000 fans. Dixie will score another two, Bobby Lennox two and Vic Davidson one in the 6-1 demolition of the Second Division “Bankies”.

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 1998 – Celtic show great character in coming back from being 0-1 down to Dundee United at Tannadice in the last quarter of an hour to win 2-1 with goals from Simon Donnelly and Craig Burley. It was a tremendous night, and Celtic owe an awful lot to Jonathan Gould in the goal for keeping Celtic in the game.

Scott McDonald and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink celebrate the only goal of the game which saw Celtic win 1-0

SUNDAY 27 JANUARY 2008 – A Scott McDonald goal, which he himself created and finished off after a cross found him, just on the half time whistle was enough to beat Falkirk at the still incomplete Falkirk Stadium today. It was a far from convincing performance from Gordon Strachan’s side, but it keeps them in the League race. The Sunday lunch time TV audience are mighty relieved to hear the full time whistle, although Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink had tough luck when he hit the post seconds before that.

David Potter