This weekend’s Scottish Cup encounter may be the first competitive clash between Buckie Thistle and Celtic – but the history of matches between the clubs stretches back more than 100 years.
Jags committee member, historian and programme editor Easton Thain said: “We first played Celtic in April 1913.
“They played Rangers in a cup game the day before and came up and played Buckie the next day.
“Somebody from Celtic told me we met again in 1921 and Celtic won 4-1, but I’ve yet to uncover any details of that game.
“At Victoria Park in April 1949 a Buckie Thistle and Keith select played Celtic.
“Celtic came north for a tour and they played a Peterhead and Fraserburgh select and then played a Buckie and Keith select.
“Playing for Celtic that day was future Scotland manager Tommy Docherty, and Celtic won 3-1.
“The clubs met again on March 29 1981 for the ‘Save our Spires’ campaign for the St Peter’s Church in Buckie. That game was to raise money to save the church.
“It was mainly a Celtic second XI, but they did include Peter Latchford, a 16-year-old Paul McStay, David Moyes and the late Johnny Doyle.
“That was 3-2 to Celtic, and then the last meeting was on July 30 1989 for Buckie’s centenary.
“That was a full strength Celtic team – it was a first game on Scottish soil for Jacki Dziekanowski.
“Celtic won 3-0, with Tommy Burns scoring two and Andy Walker getting the other.
“But Buckie goalkeeper Alec Innes saved a penalty from Tommy Burns and pulled off a string of other saves.”
Hoops myth
It has been suggested that Buckie started playing in green and white hoops having received a donation of strips from Celtic.
But Thain, 58, added: “That’s an urban myth.
“There was a team called Buckie Wednesday who played in hoops and we absorbed them in 1908 – how Buckie Wednesday got the hooped strips… we don’t know.”
Another connection between Buckie and Celtic is the late Malcolm Slater, who was signed by the Hoops from the Breedon Highland League side in 1958 and played alongside the likes of Billy McNeill.
Slater died in 2021, and Thain said: “Unfortunately when he was at Celtic Malcolm lost both his brothers in a tragedy and came back up north.
“He later ended up going down to England and playing for Leyton Orient and Southend United.”
This weekend’s tie will be the second time Buckie have faced the Scottish Cup holders.
The first was a controversial 2-1 defeat to Falkirk at Victoria Park on March 1 1958.
“It was 1-1 with nine minutes to go, and Buckie’s Martin Buchan took the ball with his back to goal, turned and scored,” Thain said.
“The referee disallowed it and he never explained why.
“Just after, Falkirk went up the pitch and scored.”
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