McGrory’s debut, Lennon suffers in the snow and Tennent’s Sixes triumph

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The Celtic Star

·20 gennaio 2025

McGrory’s debut, Lennon suffers in the snow and Tennent’s Sixes triumph

Celtic on this Day…Jimmy McGrory’s Celtic debut, Neil Lennon suffering at Livingston in the snow and Celtic win the Tennent’s Sixes…

Jimmy McGrory, image Celtic Curio

20 January 1923

Third Lanark 1-0 Celtic. A defeat it may have been for Willie Maley’s men, but the game was host to a debut for Jimmy McGrory. The Garngad Bhoy remains Celtic’s all-time top scorer.

OneFootball Video

20th January 1923, Jimmy McGrory makes his debut for Celtic against Third Lanark. Celtic's all time top scorer.
– sabato 20 gennaio 2024

20 January 1992

Celtic win Tennent’s Sixes. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Celtic win the Tennent’s Sixes. Without a trophy since the Scottish Cup final of 1989, and with Rangers running away to win a fourth successive title on the trot, clinching the Tennent’s Sixes at least provided some respite for Liam Brady’s men after they defeated St Johnstone 4-2 in the final in front of a 7,500 crowd at Glasgow’s SECC. More on this minor Celtic success on The Celtic Star HERE.

20 January 1993

Celtic 1-0 Clyde. A Scottish Cup third round tie against Second Division opponents Clyde was viewed as an ideal opportunity to restore confidence. However, following a 0-0 draw between the two sides 10 days previously this encounter was a replay in which Celtic struggled once again. A trip to Falkirk awaited in round four, and the less written about that occasion, the better.

20 January 2007

Celtic 5-1 St Mirren , 20th January 2007. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Celtic 5-1 St Mirren. Gordon Strachan’s men moved a resounding 20 points clear at the top of the SPL table courtesy of a Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink hat-trick. St Mirren’s goalscorer was 18 year-old Stephen McGinn who is the grandson of Jack McGinn, and brother of former Buddies players John and Paul McGinn.

20 January 2018

Leigh Griffiths chats with Peter Lawwell, ahead of Celtic v Brechin City in 20 January 2018. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Celtic 5-0 Brechin City. Leg one of five which would see Celtic clinch the Scottish Cup trophy ultimately securing a Double Treble. James Forrest scored after two minutes following a series of 49 passes without a Brechin player touching the ball. Scott Sinclair, Olivier Ntcham, Dedryck Boyata and Odsonne Edouard added to the scoreline. Brechin was then bottom of the Scottish Championship, and fast forward seven years, ‘The Hedgemen’ now reside in the Highland League.

20 January 2001

Tommy Johnston celebrates. Tampa Bay Mutiny 2-2 Celtic. 20 January 2001

Tampa Bay Mutiny 2-2 Celtic. Martin O’Neill’s side came from two down in this friendly match to earn a draw in the beautiful environs of Tampa. O’Neill tested Neil Lennon and Paul Lambert in the middle of the pitch for the first time, but the duo were taught a footballing lesson by 39 year-old veteran midfielder Carlos Valderrama in the first-half.

20 January 2021

Neil Lennon suffering. Photo: Andrew Milligan

Livingston 2-2 Celtic. Second match against David Martindale’s Livi side in the space of four days. Celtic had now only six wins in 22 games. It was four matches in the league without a win for the first time in 20 years. Seemed like a recurring cycle during this tortuous period. Post-match in snowy conditions at the Toni Macaroni, Neil Lennon said, “people will say it’s over, I can understand that, but we’ll keep going. The club isn’t a shambles, far from it. And it’s not in crisis off the field. The board have been magnificent; they’ve presided over nine titles in a row and a quadruple Treble. I think people need to take a step back and put some perspective on it.”

Conor Spence

Celtic Historian David Potter each morning on The Celtic Star looked back at key Celtic events and matches on this day starting on 20th January 1906...

Alec Bennet scored twice

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 1906 – Things are very upbeat at Celtic Park at the moment. Celtic win their 12th game in a row by beating Partick Thistle 4-2 with two goals from Alec Bennett and one each from Jimmy McMenemy and Alec McNair. The clear and obvious success of the Liberals in the General Election means that Irish Home Rule is now once again back on the political agenda. It also means that something might now be done about Glasgow’s appalling poverty.

Johnny Crum scored four goals

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 1934 – Celtic pay their first and only visit to the home of Dalbeattie Star to beat them 6-0 in the Scottish Cup. Johnny Crum scores four and Frank O’Donnell two. It could have been a lot more but Celtic visibly ease up. It may have been that Celtic might have “co-operated” in a Dalbeattie goal near the end, but Maley is seen to stand up and shout “No nonsense” at his defenders. 2,376 local people will remember this day all their lives.

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 1968 – The last two games have been off because of bad weather but today Celtic travel to Easter Road to beat Hibs 2-0. The goals are scored by Bobby Lennox and an own goal. Poor Arthur Duncan of Hibs scored the own goal and then is carried off with a broken leg after an unfortunate clash with John Hughes. The game is punctuated with crowd trouble leading to eight arrests.

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 1990 – Celtic, in the middle of a poor run of form, pay a rare visit to Station Park, Forfar on Scottish Cup business, and it is a far from easy day with Forfar scoring first through a Craig Brewster free-kick. But Chris Morris sinks a penalty, before Jackie Dziekanowski scores a classic winner. It says a great deal for both teams that Paddy Bonner was the best man on the field. 8,388 are at this game.

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2007 – Gordon Strachan’s Celtic side win their fourth game since the New Year with a fine 5-1 win over St Mirren at Celtic Park. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scores a hat trick (one is a penalty) and Aiden McGeady and Liam Miller score the other two.

20th January 2007, Celtic 5:1 St Mirren. McGeady and a hattrick from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. @JanVofH
– sabato 20 gennaio 2024

David Potter

Kasper Schmeichel protests after Bobby Wales scores during the Scottish Cup Fourth Round match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on January 18, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)