• Celtic - The Early Years
• Celtic between the wars
• Becalmed before the storm
• The Glory Years
• The end of the Stein era
• A last flourish
• A club divided
• Return to glory
• Moving Forward to the next level

CELTIC BETWEEN THE WARS

After their success during the wartime years, the 1920s saw Celtic sail into choppier waters. The club did not totally lose the winning touch - There were League Championship victories in 1919, 1922 and 1926, and Scottish Cup successes in 1923, 1925 and 1927 - but the club was not as dominant and there were increasing problems off the field. The 20s saw the rise of sectarianism in the Scottish game, culminating in a riot at the end of the 1922 season at Morton as Celtic clinched the league. In the wake of the Irish rising and the Civil War, religious feelings were running high in Scotland.

Celtic remained an attractive side to watch in the 20s with the likes of Patsy Gallagher, Jimmy McGrory and, in goal, John Thomson establishing themselves as Celtic Park favourites.

But fans were angry at rumours of player unrest over pay and conditions and the club's willingness to sell their best players. Patsy Gallagher moved to Falkirk after refusing to resign for minimum wages in 1926, while Jimmy McGrory was offered to Arsenal, though the player refused to move.

The club continued to win honours in the 1930s, with Scottish Cup victories in 1931, 1933 and 1937 and League Championships in 1933 and 1937 as manager Willie Maley built another impressive young side at little cost. But the club's success in that decade was overshadowed by the tragic death of goalkeeper John Thomson during an Old Firm game in September 1931. A brave, committed player Thomson dived at the feet of Rangers' Sam English, sustaining a skull fracture. He died in hospital later that night.

When Thomson was buried in his home village of Cardenden in Fife the following Monday, 30,000 mourners lined the funeral route.