IN August 1951, in front of 80,000 fans, Celtic defeated Aberdeen to lift the St Mungo Cup, a Festival of Britain competition for the Scottish League’s Division A clubs. It was presented to Celtic’s Bobby Evans at the Kelvin Hall by Lady Warren, wife of the city’s Lord Provost (above).
Three weeks later, the Glasgow Herald said the club had contacted the committee behind the St Mungo Cup to object that it was second-hand. When manager Jimmy McGrory had handled the cup for the first time, a salmon that formed part of the coat of arms on it had come apart. Experts were consulted. The Herald said the trophy had been made in 1894 and may have had some link to yachting. Celtic now wanted a new trophy. If that wasn’t practicable, it would pay for one.
Lord Provost Sir Victor Warren said he regretted that the club had been “so ungracious” as to refuse to accept the trophy. The salmon had been the cup’s handles; the trophy, of hand-wrought silver, had been brought to the committee by a Glasgow silversmith, and was beautiful: indeed, several clubs had told him how much they coveted it. He hoped Celtic would think again.
Celtic’s request was not granted, and the St Mungo Cup sits in the club trophy room today. Celtic say it was originally made as a yachting trophy, hence its maritime imagery of waves, fish and boats; it was adopted slightly for a 1912 game between the City of Glasgow Police and the Provan Gasworks, before being presented to the club in 1951.
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