Jimmy McMenemy

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Nicknamed "Napoleon" by manager Willie Maley due to his strategic and leadership qualities and calmness, as well as an apparent resemblance to Napoleon Bonaparte, McMenemy was said to be "a master of the deceptive movement" who "seldom troubled himself with the physical side of the game – he had no need." He made his debut on 29 September 1902 against Hearts, scoring for the first time in a 3–0 win over Port Glasgow Athletic two months later. One of his first important actions was away from the pitch when he successfully persuaded Alec Bennett to join him at the club; the pair would form Celtic's first famous forward line, along with Davie Hamilton, Jimmy Quinn and Peter Somers. McMenemy was in the team that defeated Rangers 3–2 in the 1904 Scottish Cup final after being down 2–0, and also played and opened the scoring in a playoff match against the same opposition to decide the 1904–05 league title. It would be the first of six league titles in a row between 1905 and season 1909–10, with Celtic also securing two further Scottish Cups in 1907 and 1908.

In Their Own Story

In October 1913, McMenemy suffered a broken collar bone during a match against Aberdeen. After jumping up to win a header, McMenemy collided mid-air with John Wyllie, "and they both fell like a log". McMenemy was not to play for Celtic again until 27 December in a 6-0 victory over Ayr United. Prior to season 1918–19, 38-year-old McMenemy retired from playing, only to return to Celtic by the halfway point of the season, where he was restored to the line-up and helped secure another Scottish League title, his eleventh overall. He also won six Scottish Cup medals with the club, although the only final in which he scored was 1912 against Clyde. McMenemy made 515 appearances for Celtic in the League and Scottish Cup, scoring 166 goals. In Celtic's all-time records, he ranks in sixth place for league appearances and seventh for league goals. He is also the club's oldest goalscorer (39 years, 56 days v Motherwell, 6 December 1939) and third-oldest player (39 years, 194 days vs St Mirren, 22 April 1920). He also holds the record for scoring for Celtic in the most consecutive seasons, scoring in every season from 1902-03 to 1919-20.

Reader's Guide

In June 1920, McMenemy left Celtic and joined Partick Thistle where, in April 1921, aged 40, he helped them to their one and only Scottish Cup victory, beating Rangers 1–0 in the final which was held at Celtic Park. He played on at Firhill for two more years, retiring in 1923. After retiring from playing, McMenemy spent some years away from football and spent time as a publican. He came back to Partick Thistle as a coach, then in 1934 returned to Celtic as trainer assisting Willie Maley, helping players such as Jimmy Delaney and Willie Buchan to develop and taking charge of the squad which won the Empire Exhibition Trophy in 1938, having already secured that season's League title. Maley retired in 1940, however McMenemy was not chosen to succeed him, the role instead going to Jimmy McStay. By then the world was again at war, and McMenemy and Celtic parted company. He died in Glasgow in 1965.

Did You Know?

• McMenemy was nicknamed 'Napoleon' by manager Willie Maley due to his strategic and leadership qualities and calmness, as well as an apparent resemblance to Napoleon Bonaparte.
• He holds the record for scoring for Celtic in the most consecutive seasons, scoring in every season from 1902-03 to 1919-20.
• At age 40, he helped Partick Thistle win their one and only Scottish Cup in 1921, beating Rangers 1–0 in the final at Celtic Park.
• McMenemy's six sons were all footballers; John won the Scottish Cup with Celtic in 1927, just six years after his father's last win.
• Lawrie McMenemy, the former manager of Southampton, is a distant relation of the family.