Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter – Jock Morrison | OneFootball

Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter today features Jock Morrison…

The late David Potter

Paddy Connolly and Jock Morrison, Celtic in the Thirties graphic by Celtic Curio

Celtic have always been well served by the “honest journeyman” type of player. Not everyone can be a flamboyant Jimmy Johnstone or Jimmy McGrory or Patsy Gallacher, and there is always a need for the steady but unspectacular sort of man.

Such a man was John “Jock” Morrison who played in position of left back. Some left backs like Tommy Gemmell and indeed Morrison’s immediate predecessor William “Peter” McGonagle can be more showy and attention-catching, but a solid left back of the “no nonsense” variety is often worth his weight in gold.

A young John ‘Jock’ Morrison

Jock was a miner from Croy, like Andy McAtee, Tommy McAteer and of course the great Jimmy Quinn, and it was the great Jimmy who watched him playing for Croy Celtic and suggested to him that he was possibly a little better than Junior football.

Quinn also, being still an influential sort of character with Willie Maley, also suggested that Morrison, the young right back (as he was originally) of Croy could be looked at.

Jock was good enough to be chosen and joined the club in October 1929. He would have to serve a long apprenticeship however because full backs were aplenty at Celtic Park in the shape of Irish internationalist Willie Cook and Peter McGonagle, but Morrison had the ability to stay around, to learn his trade, possibly above all else simply glad that he was earning some money by playing football rather than working underground.

It is almost otiose as well to add that he was playing for the team that he loved, and Morrison also had the stoicism to cope with the hard life that professional football can be sometimes.

Celtic in the Thirties – Volume One

Celtic in the Thirties – Volume Two

He was given a few games at right back in autumn 1930, and was good enough to be taken as a reserve on the 1931 tour of America, but from then on he was used mainly as some sort of “utility reserve” when someone was injured. They were of course difficult times for all sorts of reasons, and it may well have been that Jock was even contemplating a return to the pits. It was during this time that he scored his one and only goal for the club with a penalty kick against Hibs at Parkhead on September 11 1934.

But he was given an opportunity at left back in early October 1935, and he seized it with avidity and enthusiasm. Malky MacDonald would make the extraordinary statement about Jock that “he had no left foot”. Malky must have been writing with tongue in cheek, because from then until the start of the Second World War, Jock barely put a foot, either right or left, wrong as Celtic recovered from the dire days of the early 1930s and began a very successful period of three or four years which delighted their fans, and more importantly, persuaded them to return to football matches in huge numbers.

Everyone knew that a worldwide cataclysm was fast approaching, but Celtic persuaded their fans to make the most of things!

The Celtic first team that Morrison joined was “managed” in practice if not in theory by Jimmy McMenemy, but also on the staff was Joe Dodds, and for a role model, there were few better than Joe. Morrison learned things like how to tackle without conceding a foul, how to keep yourself between the ball and your direct opponent and how to co-ordinate with your fellow defenders.

Jock Morrison, Celtic FC. Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Image for the books by Celtic Curio

Such things sound easy, and even elementary but when you reach the top level, as this undeniably was, then they have to be relearned. He had maximum support from the experienced Bobby Hogg, the charismatic Canadian Joe Kennaway in the goal and the inspirational centre half and captain, Willie Lyon.

The pressure to deliver a League title for the first time since 1926 (it wasn’t quite nine or ten in a row, for Motherwell had won the League in 1932) was immense, but in spite of a few unaccountable bad days against the likes of Dunfermline and a very unlucky New Year’s Day 3-4 defeat to Rangers, the team rallied, and won their last League 11 games in a row, most of them comfortably and most of them without the opponents finding the back of the net.

The winning of the League opened the floodgates to further success with the Scottish Cup in 1937, another Scottish League success in 1938, a Glasgow Charity Cup success and the pinnacle of it all being the Empire Exhibition Trophy of 1938.

Jock Morrison had come a long way and was recognised as a key member of the team, and he completed the set in October 1938 when Celtic beat Clyde 3-0 in the final of the Glasgow Cup.

Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr, Volumes One & Two, Published by Celtic Star Books, November 2024. Image The Celtic Star

Jock had the good fortune not to be injured very often, but he and goalkeeper Joe Kennaway were both injured in that bizarre game on Friday 30 April 1937 at Fir Park when Celtic went down to their worst ever defeat 0-8 to Motherwell. The team then got into an overnight sleeper train to go and see the English Cup final between Sunderland and Preston! Morrison however was now out for what was left of the season.

War came along in 1939, and neither Celtic nor Morrison coped with it very well. Being a miner, Morrison was safe from being conscripted, but mining was just as important and no less dangerous. He was still allowed to play football on a part-time basis, but it was hard for Morrison who was now in his 30s. He played one awful season from 1939/40, then went out on loan to Morton but gave up the game in 1941.

Jock Morrison at home with his medals and a little Empire Exhibition Cup. Photo The Celtic Wiki

He then returned to his beloved Croy to work as a miner for the rest of his life. He was a man who had done his best for his club for whom he retained his affection. Like his mentor the great Jimmy Quinn, Jock Morrison remained a very quiet and private man until his death in 1992, oddly enough on 25 May, the 25th anniversary of Lisbon.

Murdo MacLeod meets Jock Morrison in 1985. Photo The Celtic Wiki

His family have a great deal to be proud of in Jock Morrison.

David Potter

Matt O’Riley – ‘Football Friends’ posted on 15 November 2024 on the former Celtic star’s Instagram account

Matt Corr’s wonderful new books, Celtic in the Thirties, Volumes One & Two are both out now on Celtic Star Books and you can order a signed copies by clicking on the links below…

CELTIC IN THE THIRTIES, VOLUMES ONE & TWO BY MATT CORR – OUT NOW! Order your signed copies below…

Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books. OUT NOW!

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