Delight as Bill’s rare medal goes home to Celtic Park
An Arran man has spoken of his joy after a rare Celtic medal he put up for auction was bought by the club.
Now the piece of Celtic history, that has a connection going back to the club’s earliest days, has returned and is on show at Celtic Park.
It is the medal won by James McLaughlin, who was the goalkeeper in the Celtic team which won the North-Eastern Cup on May 11, 1889 – the first ever trophy won by the club. This stunning piece of Celtic memorabilia was put up for auction in Glasgow last month by Bill McLaughlin of Whiting Bay, grandson of James McLaughlin, and was bought by the club for £10,000.
Pleased
Bill, who was recently made honorary life vice-president of Arran Rugby Club, said: ‘I am very pleased that the medal has gone back to Celtic where it belongs.’
Bill, who is 83 and affectionately known in rugby circles as Papa Bill, added: ‘I was keen to sell it to another fan, but when I heard the club was interested, I was delighted.’
There was other interest at the auction for the medal, but Celtic secured it in the end.
Now, Celtic fans will be able to see this medal which connects them to the early Celts when they take a tour of the stadium where it is on display.
The fledgling Celtic Football Club had actually reached the Scottish Cup final in their first season 1888/89, having only come into existence on November 6, 1887, and played their first game on May 28, 1888. And although they lost that final to Third Lanark, played in February 1889, just three months later they were in another final, this time against Cowlairs, with the game played at Barrowfield.
Remarkable
The Celts had reached the North-Eastern Cup final by beating Clydesdale 5-1 and Northern 4-1, and in the final they comprehensively beat the holders Cowlairs 6-1 in front of a remarkable crowd of around 8,000. The goals were scored by Willie Maley, Hugh Gallagher, Willie Groves, Peter Dowds and a double from Johnny Coleman
James McLaughlin was a utility player in the fullest sense of the word, having begun his career with Cowlairs and Hibernian as a forward before moving to Celtic and slotting into the right-back position. By the time the North-Eastern Cup came along, he had become Celtic’s goalkeeper, helping the team to that historic victory over Cowlairs.
It was a position he held the following season before he joined Battlefield in 1890. After he hung up his playing boots, he became a much sought-after referee in Scotland and England.