As much as Jimmy was a hero to those that followed Celtic, 8 February 1946 saw the conclusion of this relationship. Delaney made the move south to Lancashire to play for Manchester United. He proved to be just as popular in red as in green-and-white.
Delaney was recruited by Matt Busby and eventually spent four years at Old Trafford. The high point of his time undoubtedly came in the 1948 FA Cup Final, although on that day his team wore their blue change shirts.
Almost 100,000 fans crammed into Wembley to watch as United claimed a 4-2 victory over Blackpool. 11 years to the day after he won the 1937 Scottish Cup win, Jimmy now had his second national cup medal.
Although he was a popular figure in Manchester, by late-1950, Delaney was again on the move, returning north to Scotland where he would play for two teams. Firstly, he went to Aberdeen and helped the Dons with an early season title challenge that eventually fell away.
By the end of season 1950-51 – when Celtic won the Scottish Cup – Delaney was unhappy in the north of Scotland. There are accounts of him not returning to Aberdeen after games, often staying with his family in Cleland. It was even said that he was training with Celtic.
Jimmy Delaney, Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr, out now on Celtic Star Books. Image Celtic Curio
Although he started season 1951-52 in Aberdeen’s red by December he had made the switch to the dark blue of Falkirk. The transfer fee was reported as being £4000 – the same figure as Manchester United had paid to Celtic in 1946.
The Brockville men played in Scotland’s second tier, and the presence of Jimmy helped inspire them to gain promotion to the top division. They did this as runners-up in their league although did blow the chance to finish as title winners.
The next season, a last day victory – including two Delaney goals – helped Falkirk retain their place in the top flight. This season also witnessed a famous Celtic moment, involving Delaney, who was now captain of the Bairns.
In March 1953, Celtic were drawn to play at Brockville in the Scottish Cup. By half-time, Delaney’s men were leading two-nil, and the Celts looked to be exiting the tournament. Charlie Tully then scored direct from a corner – but was ordered to retake it. Then he scored again! This inspired a Celtic comeback which gave them a 3-2 victory.
Jimmy Delaney . Image The Celtic Wiki
By 1954, age was beginning to catch up with Jimmy. He played less often and received critical comments in the newspapers following some of his performances. As such, he sought a new opportunity which took him across the Irish Sea. It was an interesting time that saw him accomplish a unique success story.
