Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter – Joe Kennaway

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·17 December 2024

Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter – Joe Kennaway

Tonight we resume our series on The Celtic Star where we post unpublished works of David Potter dealing with Celtic players from the 1930s…

Celtic in the Thirties – Unpublished works of David Potter – Joe Kennaway. image by Celtic Curio for Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr out now at celticstarbooks.com

Name: JOE KENNAWAY Born: January 25 1907 Died: March 7 1969 Appearances: 295 Shut Outs: 83 Scottish League medals: 1935/36, 1937/38 Scottish Cup medals: 1932/33, 1936/37 Glasgow Cup medals: 1938/39 Glasgow Charity Cup medals: 1935/36, 1936/37, 1937/38 Scotland Caps: 1

Joe Kennaway, Celtic FC. Image The Celtic Wiki

OneFootball Videos

He was more or less Scottish anyway. He was born on Burns day 1907, and was actually named James Kennaway, although he preferred Joe. His parents were from Dundee and he grew up in Canada fascinated by the Scottish game of football. Lithe and agile, he soon became a goalkeeper and the first time he ever came to the attention of Celtic was on the tour of the New World in 1931 when he played a great part in Falls River defeating Celtic 1-0.

He was probably hankering after a professional career in Scotland anyway, and talked at length to the genial and charming John Thomson, and even Willie Maley was impressed, telling everyone how good Kennaway was and promising to let him know if any Scottish team like Dundee or Motherwell for example was in need of a goalkeeper.

No-one could possibly have guessed how in the most awful of circumstances it was Celtic themselves who would be needing a goalkeeper. After a few dabblings with other goalkeepers who clearly could not cope with the emotional side of taking over from John Thomson, Kennaway was sent for. Recently married, Kennaway did not seem to take a huge amount of persuasion and made his debut at Fir Park on October 31 1931 in an honourable 2-2 draw against Motherwell, who would in fact win the League that year.

Kennaway injured himself in that game. It was possibly a blessing in disguise for it allowed him time to adjust to Scotland and Glasgow – a difficult task at the best of times – and in the circumstances of late 1931, almost impossible.

Joe Kennaway, Celtic FC. Image The Celtic Wiki

Not surprisingly, the team did not do well in 1931/32 but Kennaway impressed. Reports of “clean clutching”, willingness to come out and punch a ball away and some great shot-stopping are frequent, but what was more important than anything else was the calmness and reassurance that he brought to a defence, which was full of competent players like Bobby Hogg and Peter McGonagle but who possibly lacked the sheer class of the likes of Eck McNair or Willie McStay of previous years.

1932/33 saw an important success in the Scottish Cup. It was Kennaway’s first medal for the club, and in an undistinguished final on a dull day, he was one of the few real stars of the team. Motherwell had a fine team, but McGrory got the only goal of the game and Kennaway had one superb save from George Stevenson, which he would later rate as the best in his career.

But successes for Celtic were few and far between at about this time. Kennaway however was chosen to play for Scotland. This was of course allowed because his father Charlie was from Dundee, even though Joe had already played an International match for Canada. He would have played for Wales in October 1933 but staved his finger and had to withdraw, but he did play in a 2-2 draw against Austria.

This was his only Scotland cap. There were those who saw some anti-Celtic bias here, but what seems to have happened was that the other Home countries objected to a Canadian playing for Scotland. In any case, there were plenty other good Scottish goalkeepers around in Jakey Jackson of Chelsea and Jerry Dawson of Rangers.

To his credit, Joe kept his feelings to himself about all this, and if course it simply does not do, if one is a member of the goalkeepers’ union (as Joe was) to criticise one’s colleagues. Naturally sociable, Joe was one of these goalkeepers who was always seemed to have a long chat with his opposite number on the field and as they walked off at the end, sympathising with each other about missed crosses, the odd fumble and annoying shots that sneaked in at the far or near post.

But after 1935, Joe and Celtic really began to take off, as the long overdue Celtic revival began to pick up speed. An instant Anglo-Canadian partnership sprung up when Willie Lyon appeared at the start of the 1935/36 season and this season saw a total of 20 clean sheets as Celtic won the Scottish League, with the Glasgow Charity Cup as the icing on the cake.

The following year saw the Joe’s second Scottish Cup medal when in front of a record crowd, Celtic beat Aberdeen 2-1. It was a close game and might well have gone the other way but for good goalkeeping and defending from Celtic.

Once again, the Glasgow Charity Cup was an added bonus, this time in a tight game against Queen’s Park, but it was in the next year’s Glasgow Charity Cup final against Rangers on May 14 1938 that Kennaway proved his worth. Celtic won easily but might not have done so had Kennaway not, at a crucial point, saved a penalty kick.

But that was only practice, as it were, for his two games against Sunderland in the Empire Exhibition Trophy. In both the first game and the replay at Ibrox, Celtic were badly reduced by injuries thanks to a brutally determined Sunderland team (Raich Carter and all), but repeatedly Joe Kennaway saved the day with his ability to tip balls over the bar and round the posts, and no little courage in his determination to dive at the feet of opponents, something that made those supporters with long memories cringe, remembering what had happened to his predecessor less than seven years ago at the same ground.

Celtic in the Thirties, Vol One by Matt Corr.

Celtic in the Thirties – Volume Two

CLICK HERE TO ORDER CELTIC IN THE THIRTIES

As the League had been won that year as well, Joe had every reason to be pleased with himself that year when the Empire Exhibition Trophy was presented to Willie Lyon that night of June10, and then he was proud to attend the Golden Jubilee Dinner a few years later.

The following year, as if everyone knew what was going to happen, was not so good, although Joe completed his set of medals by winning the Glasgow Cup. The war that had been threatened for so long, arrived in September 1939, and Joe now suffering from rheumatoid arthritis decided to call time on his Scottish footballing career and to return home.

He remained however in football, and always had happy memories of his days with Celtic, making a point of meeting them when they came on tour in 1951. He came back to Scotland in 1965 for a visit, but died suddenly in March 1969 at the comparatively young age of 62.

David Potter

Celtic in the Thirties

Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books. ORDER NOW!

By popular demand, both volumes of Celtic in the Thirties are now available on Amazon Kindle, with the links to order below. Signed copies of both volumes are available on hardback from Celtic Star Books and if you would like author Matt Corr to add a special Christmas dedication to your copies please let us know. Postage deadline for Christmas is next Wednesday. Order hardback copies HERE or for Amazon Kindle click on the links below…

Click to order Volume One

Click to order Volume Two