••• YOU KNOW THE HISTORY

A tragedy just after the end of World War One may well have changed the course of the Celtic story

OVER the past 125 years, Celtic's history 's influence and impact on Celtic in has been littered with many highs and the years up to Jock Stein's appointment. lows, from !:{reattrophy triumphs to It's certainly a question that the Kelly family occasional disasters, And there have been have asked. Inparticular, former Celtic chairman, human tragemes too, such as the untimely Kevin Kelly, has wondered what would have deaths of Celtic greats down through the happened to the Celtic story if his uncle Frank years, from John Thomson and Johnny rather than his uncle Robert had taken over Doyle, through to, more recently, Phil stewardsbip of the club. O'Donnell and Tommy Bums. Kevin's grandfather, James lived in Renton Throughout much of the chili's history, from and moved to Parkhead when he joined the very fust team that took to the field on Celtic. After forging his career with the club, May 28, 1888, the name 'Kelly' was very much he eventually moved to Thombill in Blantyre. synonymous with Celtic. James Kelly, one of the He was married to Margaret and they had 10 finest footballers of the time played, and scored, children - six sons and four daughters. Their in that 5-2 victory over Rangers. He later became oldest son was Frank. a director in 1897 before becoming Celtic By rights a place on the board should have chairman in 1909, a position he held for five passed to Frank and then to any family Frank years. He remained a director of the club until may have had. But life sometimes takes a his death in 1932. cruel twist. The First Wodd War had arrived Later, between 1947 and '71, one of his in 1914 and Frank served his country with the sons, Robert, was chairman of the club. His 3rd Battalion Scottish Rifles. stewardship was marked by a post-war fallow Following..in his father's footsteps, Frank period, when the chairman was believed to alsc played football, as an outside-right. Prior run the team as well as the club, rather than to the start of the war he went on tour with manager, Jimmy McGrory. Celtic to Germany. He made two competitive That changed in 1965 with the arrival of Jock appearances for Celtic in 1918 while on loan from Stein, who took sale charge of team matters, and the army. But like other Celtic footballers of the delivered nine consecutive league titles and a time, he became a causality of war. He was only European Cup to Celtic 'park, along with many 26 when he was killed in a freak accident. other domestic trophies. He died on May 5, 1919. The war had already 'Robert Kelly relinquished, whether happily or ended in 1918 and Frank.had returned home not, control of the football side of the club, and it but he was sent back to France to help bring was a decision that paid handsome dividends. soldiers home. He was travelling on a train from Yet, Celtic's history, prior to the glory years of Italy to France and was involved in an accident. Stein, could have been very different if a young He may have fallen from the train. He later died soldier had returned home after the First World in a hospital in Mille, France from the injuries he War. sustained from the incident. Francis Kelly, alsc known as Frank, was the The Kelly family had always believed Frank oldest son of James Kelly, and by virtue of that, was buried in the family grave at St Patrick's would have inherited the Kelly seat on the board. Cemetery in New Stevenson, . His Sadly, he died in May 1919, and the seat went name was on the gravestone, and it's where Sir to his younger brother, Robert, who joined the Robert Kelly, is buried. board in 1932 on his father's death. "It was while my youngest daughter Pauline It's an intriguing question of;'what might have was researching the family history that she been' for any Celtic historian, particularly given found Frank's name among a list of war dead >

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