JIMMY MCGRORY - Famous Sportsman, the St Johnston Connection
Daniel Coll had children called Hugh and Mary. Mary
later married Robert Gormley and lived in Craighadoes. Mary appears in the
1901 census as having the Irish language.
Hugh was born in 1829.
He married Catherine Whittaker.
Their daughter Catherine who was born 3 May, 1866, married Henry McGrory in St
Baithin’s Church, St Johnston. They went then to Scotland.
Their son, James Edward, known as Jimmy, was born 26 April 1904 in 179 Millburn
Street, Garngad, in the East End of Glasgow.
David Potter wrote, “The harsh life, already harsher thanks to the demands of
the First World War, was made almost impossible for the McGrory family in 1916
when their mother died, leaving Jimmy’s father (himself a sick man) with seven
children to bring up. But Jimmy could play football and soon found himself a
place in the St Roch’s junior team, earning an extra £2 per week, which was a
godsend to the family finances.”
Jimmy joined Celtic in 1922. He also played international football for Scotland.
He managed Celtic from 1946 for two decades. He turned Arsenal down though it
would have made him the highest paid player in the United Kingdom.
Despite being only 5 foot 6, He got the accolade, “Jimmy McGrory – possibly the
greatest Celtic player of them all.” He had scored an amazing 522 goals for
Celtic. His total score was 550 goals.
In July 2007, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics
produced a survey that put Jimmy as the eighth greatest striker of all time.
Jimmy died 20 October 1982 in the Southern General Hospital Glasgow. He was 78.
From Celtic wiki we read, Jimmy 's Funeral was held at St Leo the Great's in
Dumbreck near to where Jimmy lived - He was subsequently laid to Rest at St
Peter's Dalbeth which is On London Road near his Beloved Celtic Park.
Both Jock Stein and Jimmy's great friend "Malky" McDonald attended the Church
service and then met the Cortege at the Cemetery Gates where "Malky " was openly
weeping at the loss of his friend.
