A gold medal awarded to a star of Celtic FC’s first-ever trophy success 132 years ago is expected to fetch up to £15,000 at auction.
Scotland international Mick McKeown played left-back in Celtic ’s 6-1 win over Cowlairs in the Glasgow North-Eastern Cup final in May 1889.
The match was played in front of 8000 spectators at Barrowfield Park, and marked Celtic’s first silverware in their first season in football.
The 11.8g shield-shaped medal, right, inscribed “Won by Celtic F.C M. McKeown 1888-89”, will be among the highlights of McTear’s Sporting Medals & Trophies sale on November 5 in Glasgow.
McKeown, born in Dalmellington, Ayrshire, in 1869, was lured to Celtic from Hibernian in 1888.
The defender, who was unbeaten in two games for Scotland, was known for his kick “as strong as a Clydesdale colt” and was an outspoken and fiery character.
A regular at court, on one appearance in the dock in 1898, for being drunk and disorderly and fighting, it emerged he had told police his name was Robert Burns.
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