Celtic sailed home on 1 July 1931, satisfied with a job well done and an army of new North American fans…
They travelled on the Transylvania. In a strange echo of the Caledonia – on which Celtic had journeyed to the US – the Transylvania was requisitioned as a war vessel and also sunk in 1940…
Jimmy McGrory’s motor boat detour to his own wedding
As with the outward journey, so too the Celts made an Irish stop en route back to Glasgow. This time however they returned with one less player. Jimmy McGrory was taken by motor boat from the ship to attend his wedding in Ireland to Veronica Green. The jaw injury he had suffered on the tour thankfully did not prevent him from being able to say “I do.”
Thousands of Celtic supporters were at Yorkhill Quay to welcome the Bhoys back home
By the time the Bhoys arrived in Glasgow, the scene resembled that which they had departed back in May. Thousands of supporters came to cheer the return of their heroes. In fact, barriers had to be placed at Yorkhill Quay to stop fans from swamping the players.
Those men now had two weeks to recuperate until they began pre-season training. Manager Willie Maley was not quite finished travelling and headed for the south of England for a short holiday.
Celtic’s journey to the Americas captured the attention and interest of fans across the world
Celtic’s journey to the Americas captured the attention and interest of fans across the world. This continued to be the case after returning to Scotland. Tom Maley gave lectures across the country – including in Dundee and West Lothian – where he described his experiences and showed off photographs taken on the trip.
The expedition also included some sad postscripts
The expedition also included some sad postscripts. James Kelly – the club’s first captain and later chairman – had been one of the travelling party. It proved to be his final official role for the Bhoys as he died the following February.
The John Thomson tragedy
Even more tragically, September 1931 saw the death of John Thomson. The Bhoys’ goalkeeper was killed in an accident during a Rangers and Celtic match. In the end, his replacement in goal was a result of the US trip.
Joe Kennaway found his way to Celtic as a direct result of the 1931 summer tour to USA and Canada
Joe Kennaway – born in Canada but with parents from Dundee – faced the Hoops when they played Fall River. He made an excellent impression and so was persuaded to make his own Atlantic journey, becoming a mainstay in the team from 1931 to 1939.
Peter Scarff’s life was cut short by tuberculosis
One final tragic link concerns the American trip. Peter Scarff was another important player for the Celts but sometimes had on-pitch breathing problems. Later in 1931, his time in green-and-white was cut short after being diagnosed with tuberculosis. He died in 1933, aged just 25.
Conclusions on Celtic’s Summer Tour of the Americas
Celtic’s 1931 American trip proved to be a momentous event. It featured a litany of stories including excitement, new players, violence, firsts and controversy. There was also the presence of tragedy which hung over many of those Celts who made the journey.
The Celtic group had mixed feelings about the tour. They enjoyed the excitement of it, but chairman Tom White claimed the long journeys, excessive heat and pitches without grass had been difficult to deal with.
Manager Willie Maley was especially scathing of the refereeing performances, describing them as “terrible.” Still, perhaps that should have made the Celts feel right at home!
American visits became an important part of the Celtic story
In the longer term, other American visits became an important part of the Celtic story. It would be 20 years before another transatlantic trip was made by the men in green-and-white. And the 1966 tour is iconic, considered by many to have been the bedrock upon which the success of 1967 was built.
New fans, fights with Rangers, floodlights, police escorts, broken jaws and more than one new player. Celtic’s 1931 trip to America and Canada was anything but a dull experience!
You can find all four links to the earlier parts of this five part series HERE.
Matthew Marr
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