Joe Cassidy (footballer, born 1896)


Joseph Cassidy was a Scottish professional footballer, mainly associated with Celtic. Cassidy played for the club between 1912 and 1924, although his football career was interrupted by the First World War. He served in the British Army in the Black Watch 1/7th Fife Battalion and won the Military Medal, which led to him being nicknamed "Trooper Joe".

Club career

Cassidy had played youth football for Vale of Clyde before appearing as a trialist for Celtic in a match against Hibernian on 16 October 1912 at the age of just 16, being registered under the surname of Smith for the match. His performance impressed enough for the club to offer him a contract the same day and was handed his first-team debut six months later on 15 March 1913, playing in a 1–0 defeat to Motherwell. Following the outbreak of the First World War, Cassidy enlisted in the Black Watch 1/7th Fife Battalion and was awarded the Military Medal in November 1918.
He returned to Britain soon after and appeared in the first-team for Celtic on 31 December 1918, the day after he returned, in a 1–1 draw with Old Firm rivals Rangers. He soon established himself as a prolific scorer, finishing as the club's top scorer for three consecutive seasons between 1921 and 1924. During the 1922–23 season, Cassidy scored eleven of Celtic's thirteen goals during their 1922–23 Scottish Cup triumph, including a hat-trick against Lochgelly United in the first round and four in the following round against Hurlford United. In the final, Celtic defeated Hibernian 1–0, Cassidy scoring his eleventh goal of the competition to ensure the Bhoys claimed their first Scottish Cup win since 1914. His eleven goals in a single Scottish Cup season remains a joint club record, Jimmy McGrory having equaled the tally in the 1924–25 season.
He left Celtic in 1924 having made over 200 appearances for the club, joining Bolton Wanderers for a fee of £4,500. However, he remained with Bolton for just one season before joining Cardiff City in 1925, spending one year at Ninian Park before returning to Scotland with Dundee in an exchange deal that saw Sam Irving move in the opposite direction. During his time in the Football League with Bolton, Cassidy had suffered from a severe bout of influenza that had caused him to lose 22 lbs in weight and had resulted in him struggling with his stamina levels for several years. In 1929, Cassidy moved to Ireland, joining Ballymena, helping the club to victory in the 1929 Irish Cup final, defeating Belfast Celtic 2–1. He later joined Dundalk for the 1931–32 season but returned to Scotland in January 1932 with Morton.

International career

Having previously represented a Scottish Football League XI, Cassidy was handed his debut for the Scotland national football team on 12 February 1921 in a 2–1 victory over Wales at Pittodrie Stadium in the 1920–21 British Home Championship. Two weeks later, on 26 February, he scored his first goal for Scotland in a 2–0 victory over Ireland at Windsor Park in Belfast. He did not feature again for the side until March 1923, winning his third cap in a 1–0 victory over Ireland. His fourth and final cap came in February 1924, during a 2–0 defeat to Wales.

International goals

GoalDateVenueOpponentResultCompetition
1.26 February 1921Windsor Park, Belfast, Ireland2–01920–21 British Home Championship

Personal life

Due to his regular changes of clubs during the 1920s, Cassidy's first four children were all born in separate countries of the United Kingdom, Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. He died in 1949 at the age of 52.

Honours

;Celtic
;Ballymena
;Scotland