Celtic fan and historian Andy Walker has rushed to the defence of his beloved Hoops after Rob Boag’s article featuring the Glasgow giants and their player Jock Weir on June 23.
The regular Canadian correspondent suggested light-heartedly — and eloquently — that some people of the period were of the view that a mild form of ‘jiggery-pokery’ may have taken place in a match between hosts Dundee and Celtic on Saturday, April 17, 1948 — a game which Celtic eventually won to rid them of any outside chance of being relegated.
Andy’s take on this is much more defensive.
“This was an end-of-season game with not much importance and, at the time, was hyped up as a relegation affair,” he stated. “Dundee FC could have beaten Celtic that day and it would not have any bearing on who went down.
“Regards the term used ‘jiggery-pokery’ — this seems to mean that sinister events took place on the field of play.
“There certainly was as Celtic had two goals disallowed.
“Eye witnesses could also not believe that Tommy Gallagher had stayed on the field after the treatment he gave a Celtic player — his own brother Willie!
“Celtic manager at that time Jimmy McGrory brought out a book in later years called A Lifetime in Paradise.
“In it, he is quoted as saying: ‘I was totally flabbergasted when told Dundee players were on the biggest bonus ever offered by the Dens Park club to a team. Celtic, in their naiveity, played Willie Gallagher in direct opposition to Tommy as they thought this would be a good honest tussle. Such a romantic thought.
“‘The player on the park who outshone all was Bobby Evans and the 31,000 crowd saw a future star’.”
Tom Black, of Lawside Road, Dundee, witnessed proceedings.
“Like Rob Boag, I was also at Dens Park for that game,” he offered.
“Celtic did seem to get a very soft third goal. However, with Celtic four points ahead of Airdrie and five points ahead of Queen’s Park, they would have survived anyway — but they did get a shock.”
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