Saint Mungo Cup facts for kids

The Saint Mungo Cup was a special football tournament. It took place in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1951. This event was held to celebrate the Festival of Britain. The competition included fourteen clubs from 'Scottish Division A'. Also, Clyde and Queens Park from 'Division B' joined in. In the final, Celtic played against Aberdeen. Celtic won the match 3–2. A huge crowd of 81,000 people watched at Hampden Park.

How the Tournament Started

At first, the plan for the competition was to have only ten teams. These included the six clubs from Glasgow. Other famous teams like Hibernian, Hearts, Aberdeen, and Dundee were also invited.

However, some clubs felt it was unfair that they were not included. They complained at a meeting of the Scottish Football Association. Because of these protests, the first plan was changed. The organizers decided to let more teams play in the tournament.

The Road to the Final

Let's look at how the teams reached the final match.

Celtic's Journey

On their way to the final, Celtic had some exciting games. They beat Heart of Midlothian 2–1. Next, they played Clyde in the quarter-finals. The first game was a thrilling 4–4 draw! They had to play again the next day, and Celtic won 4–2. In the semi-finals, Celtic defeated Raith Rovers 3–1.

The Final Match

In the final, Aberdeen started very strongly. They scored two goals quickly. Harry Yorston scored the first goal after 14 minutes. During this goal, Celtic's goalkeeper, George Hunter, got hurt. Bobby Evans had to play as goalkeeper for about 12 minutes. Then, Tommy Bogan scored Aberdeen's second goal after 35 minutes, with Hunter back in goal.

But Celtic did not give up! In the second half, Charlie Tully changed the game for Celtic. He helped Sean Fallon score two goals. Then, Jimmy Walsh scored the winning goal for Celtic. This made the final score 3–2 to Celtic!

The Trophy's Secret

The Glasgow Corporation helped organize this tournament. They also provided the cup, which was named after Saint Mungo, Glasgow's special patron saint. This cup was their gift to the Festival of Britain.

However, there was a funny surprise! When the Celtic players and their manager, Jimmy McGrory, looked closely at the trophy, they noticed something strange. It had decorations like life belts and mermaids! It turned out the trophy was not new at all. It was actually very old, made in 1894 as a trophy for yachting (boat racing). Then, in 1912, it was changed for a football game between two local teams.

At first, Celtic wanted a brand new trophy. But today, the Saint Mungo Cup is proudly displayed in the trophy room at Celtic Park. It's a unique part of their history!

Other Tournaments

There was also another tournament for clubs in the lower football division. This was called the St Mungo Quaich. Dumbarton won this cup by beating Ayr United in the final.

There were also some friendly games. These were played between Scottish and English clubs. Ayr United played in five of these friendly matches, but they lost every time.

Final Match Details

Teams Who Played

Here are the players who were on the field for the final match.

See also

• 1888 Glasgow Exhibition Cup, a similar tournament held in 1888
• Glasgow International Exhibition Cup, another similar tournament in 1901
• Edinburgh Exhibition Cup, a similar tournament from 1908
• Empire Exhibition Trophy, a similar tournament in 1938 (which also included English clubs)
• Coronation Cup (football), a similar tournament in 1953 (also featuring English clubs)