On this day…Celtic in the Fifties – A red-letter day for Neil Mochan…and Sean Fallon!
Having safely negotiated their League Cup qualifying section for the first time, it was no surprise that Jimmy McGrory announced an unchanged team for the ninth consecutive game, newly promoted Morton the visitors for the opening League match of the season on Saturday, 9 September 1950.
John Bonnar; Mike Haughney & Roy Milne;
Bobby Evans, John McGrory & Joe Baillie;
Bobby Collins, Willie Fernie, John McPhail, Bertie Peacock & Charlie Tully.
On the eve of that game, inside-forward Willie Taylor ended his dispute by re-signing for Celtic, despite interest from Airdrieonians. However, there was sad news coming in from Fife, as John Thomson senior died in hospital in his 80th year, just three days after the 19th anniversary of his beloved son of the same name.
His wife Jeannie had passed away in November 1948 at their Cardenden home, from where she had watched the funeral service outside for her boy, Celtic’s Prince of Goalkeepers, on that tragic day back in September 1931.
Morton introduced a new signing, former Hamilton Academical winger Tommy McVinish, recently released by Preston North End, but two more familiar faces would be crucial as they inflicted a first defeat of the season on Celtic, Scotland goalkeeper Jimmy Cowan and star centre-forward Neil Mochan.
It was a tale of two hat-tricks for the 50,000 spectators to enjoy, Mochan and John McPhail both netting trebles, but curiously for a match which ended 4-3 it was last year’s Wembley hero Cowan who received rave reviews in the Sunday newspapers.
McPhail followed up his four-goal display against Lazio in midweek with another dazzling striking performance, his header from Bertie Peacock’s cross opening Celtic’s League account for the campaign on the half-hour.
But within two minutes Mochan had equalised against his boyhood club, a moment to forget for Hoops keeper John Bonnar who allowed the shot to squirm under his body. The Greenock forward then gave his side the lead seven minutes into the second half when he lobbed the ball over Bonnar, but McPhail levelled their personal duel and the match on the hour from the penalty spot, after Peacock had been fouled in the box.
With the score still tied at 2-2 in the final 10 minutes of play, the pair resumed battle. Mochan drew a foul from a frustrated John McGrory, inside-right Tommy Orr converting the award. Orr would be a long-serving player at Cappielow, as was his son Neil, a defender, from the mid 1970s. Within two minutes though, Falkirk referee G A Milligan awarded a third penalty of the match, McPhail again doing the needful for his hat-trick.
But the last word would go to a man who created his own history at Celtic Park. With five minutes remaining, Tommy Alexander’s cross found Mochan unmarked at the far post, the centre waltzing around Bonnar to seal an unlikely victory for the new boys, who had managed just two draws with Clyde from their six League Cup matches.
This was a first home League defeat for Celtic since Third Lanark’s 2-1 success of 16 April 1949 and it remains the last time Celts lost at home on the opening day of a League season at the time of writing, 75 years later!
As the first team were losing in Glasgow, there was a 3-1 victory for the reserves in Dumfries in the opening round of the 2nd XI Cup, a red-letter day in a different sense for Sean Fallon, who had joined Celtic just six months earlier.
I am indebted to Aberdeen supporter and memorabilia collector Dave Galloway for providing the following correspondence, which relates to an incident at Palmerston Park that afternoon involving Sean and home winger Johnny Martin.
It was sent from the SFA’s HQ at 48 Carlton Place, Glasgow to Jimmy McGrory at Celtic Park, dated 12 September 1950.
“Dear Sir,
I enclose herewith copy of referee’s report regarding J. Fallon of your club, which will be dealt with by the Referee Committee in due course. Notice of meeting will be sent to you later.
Yours faithfully,
George G. Graham
Secretary
The enclosed report should be given to the player
COPY
Dear Sir,
Queen of the South v Celtic.
During the second half of the above game J. Martin, outside right of Queen of the South, and J. Fallon, left back of Celtic, were ordered off for Violent Conduct. Prior to the incident Martin was penalised for bringing down Fallon in a tackle. Shortly after [this,] Fallon was penalised for a similar infringement on Martin.
J. Martin resented this, and on rising, made for Fallon. Both players were locked together for a second or two, but no blows were struck. I separated them, took them apart and informed them of my decision.
Yours faithfully,
J. J. Lynch
Referee.”
An extract from Celtic in the Fifties; Volume One by Matt Corr, which was published alongside Volume Two by Celtic Star Books on Friday, 4 September 2026.
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