Jimmy Quinn

:See also Jimmy Quinn (Northern Irish footballer).

The greatest ever?

It is an enjoyably futility to argue who was the greatest Celtic centre forward of all time, since the point can never be resolved; it is difficult even to establish the relevant criteria for such a judgement. Goal-scoring is a large part of it, though not the whole, and the sum total is not the sole measure - not all goals are of equal value. It would be a worthwhile exercise to discover how often in his career Quinn was the scorer of vital match-levelling or -winning goals, as he was in that 1904 Cup Final. Along with goals scored, strike-rate plays its part ? the frequency of scoring can be seen as a measure of how regularly a centre-forward fulfilled the crowd?s expectations, and is a good measure of the excitement he must have generated when he had the ball. Further, there is the question of overall achievement ? in a team game, the individual?s efforts are enhanced if they contribute to a more general success. Finally, in any history, there is much to be said for being the first to do something, setting the mark aspired to by those who come after.

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Viewed in these terms, Quinn?s achievements stand up well: he was a key part of a team that dominated the game in a way none had before and few have since ? something that could not be said of the Celtic side McGrory played for. That cup-final hat-trick was the first a Celtic player scored against Rangers in a major competition, and he also scored the second - a league hat-trick on New Year?s Day 1912 in a 3-0 victory. He remains the only player, from either side, to have twice scored a hat-trick in an Old Firm match. He was the first Celtic player to score 200 goals for the club, and only four others have done so ? McGrory, of course, Lennox (273) Larsson (242) and Chalmers (228) ? and it must be remembered that the last three had European Cup and League Cup competitions to score in, besides the Cup and League that were Quinn?s and McGrory?s only opportunities.

Related Topics:
Old Firm - Chalmers - European Cup - League Cup

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In sum, Quinn was an exciting player who scored frequently over a long period, often in vital games against arch-rivals Rangers, and in so doing contributed to his team?s outstanding and sustained success: thus he is justly remembered as one of the greatest Celtic players of all time. David Potter?s recent biography The Mighty Quinn: Jimmy Quinn, Celtic's First Goal Scoring Hero (Tempus, 2005) is a long-overdue tribute to his memory, and may do something to correct the glaring and inexplicable omission of the great man from Celtic?s own Hall of Fame, for which he has (apparently) not even been nominated, let alone selected.

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• The SFA site credits the second goal in the first 1909 final (2-2) to Munro, but other sources give it to Quinn. It is probable that Munro was the Rangers' goalkeeper, and that Quinn shouldered him into the net when he was holding the ball, which was permitted at the time. Quinn also scored in the drawn replay (1-1) which was followed by a riot. The cup was withheld that year.