The first issue of the Celtic Supporters Association magazine of 1946 carried items submitted by twelve branches of the Association, including one from Greenock which I quote in full

Greenock And District Branch

President - H. Morrison
• Vice - President - J Gavin
• Secretary - F. Reilly, 16 Mansion Avenue, Port Glasgow
• Treasurer - J. Higgins
• Committee - F. Clark (Social Convenor)
• A. Carr ( Transport Convenor)
• J. McLaughlin
• W.Ferrie
• J. Clabby
• And J. Quigley
• Auditors - M. Murray and D. Tracy
• Trustees - J. Brennan and P. Docherty

It is with great satisfaction that through the columns of our new magazine I should be privileged with the honour of detailing for your interest the past and future events of our branch of the Association. Founded three years ago by three gentlemen, who although members of our branch, do not at present hold acting office; but no doubt will always look with deep interest to the future of this branch. I am referring to Mr. J. Brennan, Mr. P. Devlin. In the past years, which unfortunately were years of war, we have strived to the best of our ability to provide our members with adequate transport conveyance to all matches whether at home or away. I am glad to say that so far we have surmounted all obstacles by which we have been confronted, as quite large numbers of our members travel far and wide in support of their team.

Since our affiliation as a branch of this Association we have organised three dances and one "Brains Trust" all of which, thanks to the members and the local community, have been highly successful. To these people we are very grateful indeed as the proceeds of three of these functions have been donated to very deserving causes. These include the Greenock Royal Infirmary, and the J.Thompson Memorial Trophy, which in the near future will provide keen competition amongst the Boys Guild football teams throughout a wide area of the country, and our Association will no doubt provide a trophy worthy of the great sportsman to whose memory it is dedicated.

In the near future our branch intends to organise a function from which we hope to provide the Little Sisters of the Poor, of the town of Greenock, with a donation to aid them carry out their devoted duties to the aged and infirm members of their community. I might also add that this function at the request of the members will in future be an annual even during the life- time of this branch of Association.

I would also like to state that we have been honoured with the presence of Celtic F.C. players, and players of other clubs and officials of their Supporters' Associations, at all our functions. I would like to attract the attention of all Celtic F.C. supporters and sympathisers in our district who are not already members of our branch that they will be made very welcome indeed if they desire to do so, we are very desirous of having them all enrolled as members of the above branch.
F. Reilly, Secretary

The first paragraph states ' Founded three years ago by three gentlemen, … In the past years, which unfortunately were years of war, we have strived to the best of our ability to provide our members with adequate transport conveyance to all matches". Quite clearly, so far as this contemporary account is concerned, the club was founded during 1943 and provided transport to matches during the war years. Given the fact that the generally held view has been that the club was founded in 1945 it is necessary to provide some information which supports this view. Below is an account from Alec. Sinclair a member at that time and one from the above named P. Devlin who sent a letter to the club detailing his recollections of the founding of the Greenock Branch, Celtic F.C. Supporters' Association… His letter was also published in The Celtic View of 2 November 1988.

The following paragraph is based on the recollections of Alec. Sinclair. During 1945 two Celtic supporters from Greenock, Alex Sinclair and Jackie Brennan, then a student at Glasgow University, attended a meeting of the Celtic F.C. Supporters' Association. After listening to what was being said at the meeting they managed to get agreement from the national officials of the association that if a suitable venue could be arranged the officials, J. Regan, President: M. Carroll, Secretary and R. Glass would attend a meeting in Greenock for the purpose of establishing a properly constituted branch of the Celtic F.C. Supporters' Association. After discussion with the Parish Priest of St Patrick's Church in Greenock, Canon Scanlon, it was agreed that the parish hall could be used as the venue for this meeting. The meeting took place during the summer of 1945 in St Patricks Church Hall, Duncan Street, Greenock, now the site of the Health Centre car park, to discuss the setting up of a Celtic F.C. Supporters' Club in Greenock. The meeting was successful, around eighty men attended and a committee was formed. The Constitution of the Celtic F.C. Supporters Association was adopted. Indeed the membership book for the Greenock and District Branch for season 1947 - 48 included a copy of the constitution.

The club formed was to cover the whole district and it was felt that the representation from Port Glasgow was not as great as could have been therefore it was agreed that the next meeting should take in Port Glasgow. The following notice was placed in the Greenock Telegraph on the 6th and 7th September 1945.

Celtic F.C. Supporters' Association

A meeting of the above association will be held in the British Legion Hall, Scarlow Corner, Port Glasgow on Sunday 9th September at 3pm. Meeting will be addressed by Glasgow delegates. P. D., Secretary

I can only assume that P.D. was Peter Devlin, the same man who sent the following letter to the club detailing his recollections of the founding of the Greenock Branch, Celtic F.C. Supporters' Association.

" During the war, I posted from the Royal Marines to the Admiralty Civil Police in Greenock, where I attained the rant of sergeant. In 1945, an advert appeared in the Daily Record that a Mr W. Fanning was calling a meeting in Glasgow to form a Celtic Supporters Association. I went to the said meeting and became one of the first members. I belonged to Glasgow and gave no further thought to the matter, but I reckoned without the Celtic fans at the tail of the Bank.

Shortly after the first meeting in Glasgow, I was on duty one Sunday morning about 11am when a young gent came to my office in the Albert Harbour, and requested to see me. I thought this young gent was in trouble, so I invited him to sit down and explain his problem. I was amazed, he stated his name was Jackie Brennan, and he had been talking to Martin Carroll the Secretary of the Celtic Supporters association in Glasgow reforming a branch in Greenock, and he advised him to contact me. I was very impressed, I never met a more genuine or enthusiastic supporter, and there and then, we were on our way, to create our first record, being the first supporters club to be founded in a Police Office.

We then had to get a hall for our first meeting, we applied and were granted the use of St. Mary's hall, we invited the Glasgow executive to address the members, then we met our first snag, we were not allowed to put an advert of meeting in the papers. The reason being Morton F.C. has been very good to the school children in granting the use of Cappielow park for sports, etc. and the Parish Priest, and rightly so, felt advertising said meeting, would offend the Morton F.C. officials. This was record number 2, our first meeting being held without publication.

Our next record was, the first bus run to an away game, was run by Greenock. This happened in a strange way, the Daily Record had as advert in the paper stating all supporters buses would leave from George Square, Glasgow on Saturday for Easter Road for the away game with Hibs, but owing to the restrictions in operation at that time, petrol rationing, etc. the Traffic Commissioners would not allow buses for football matches. Was Greenock going to be deprived, oh no, how did we do it, we booked a double - decker bus from the Greenock Motor Services, as a party going on an educational tour to the Edinburgh Zoo. We were the only Celtic bus at the game, another record. Our next conflict with the Commissioners, was on the occasion the committee decided that members wives could travel to Dunfries for the Queen of the South game, it was to be a memorable day, the game, dinner in the town, etc. I had arranged for three buses to leave from Cathcart Square on the Monday, and everything was fine until Thursday when I received a phone call from Alexander's Bus Co. stating that the commissioners would no grant permission for buses to travel from Greenock to Dumfries, but would allow hire from Glasgow. Our problem was solved, I told the manager of Alexander Bus Co. to phone the SMT garage at Inchinnan, this resulted in the SMT buses took the members from Cathcart Square to St. Enoch Square in Glasgow where they changed from one lot of buses into the other, and then at night changed again. I wonder if any of the present day members were on that trip, it was a day always to be remembered.

Around this time my stay in Greenock was coming to an end, much to my regret, but did I forget, no, I have kept up to date with the wonderful success you have achieved, which in no way surprises me, my only regret is, I never managed, owing to work and being out of the country, to visit the club, which is a credit to the members throughout the years and the present committee keep up the good work. I would like to thank you all, and I'm sure the old members, W. Lamont, Laurie Kane, Wee Danny McFadden, G. Reilly our chairman in these days and others, I can't remember all the names would join me in these sentiments. In all the wonderful actions you have taken throughout the years, aiding the poor, no comments are necessary, your generosity is well known, I have traveled a lot since my days in Greenock but I will say and defy contradiction for the kindest hearted and most genuine people, the people from the Tail of the Bank top the lot.

I am now going to conclude, buy congratulating you and the members in giving the honour of performing the opening of your wonderful club in Mrs Brennan, never was an honour more richly deserved. I will say, and I know the young man I man I met that Sunday morning approximately forty-eight years ago wherever he is, would never have dreamed that you and all the past members would fulfil our wishes and make the club which started in a small police office, would become the GREATEST SUPPORTERS CLUB IN BRITAIN.

Give my kind regards to the Committee and the members for the privilege of allowing me to be connected in a very small way with the Greenock Celtic Supporters Association."

I have been unable to find any explanation this crucial difference between the contemporary account place in the first issue of the Celtic Supporters' Association magazine of 1946 by F.Reilly and the recollections of Alec. Sinclair, Peter Devlin. Other members of the club, who were members at that time, whom I have not quoted are firmly of the opinion that the club was founded during 1945 and cannot offer any explanation of this contradiction either.

There are some differences between the recollections of Alec. Sinclair and Peter Devlin on the founding of the club. It is possible that after the initial meeting with officials of the Celtic Supporters Association, Jackie Brennan was advised to contact a member of the Association living in Greenock at the that time; Mr Devlin stated that Stated St Mary's Hall was used for the first meeting whilst all other known participants remember it as being held in St Patrick's parish this hall was used by St Mary's parish and may still have been known as St Mary's Hall. Thus the differences in the accounts may be more apparent than real.

At that time the club was known locally as the Greenock and District Celtic F.C Supporters Club although it was never registered as such with the Celtic with the Celtic F.C. Supporters' Association. It has always been registered as the Greenock Branch. The Port Glasgow Branch first registered with the Association in 1948 and from that time the club dropped the 'District' from its title.

The details of the first committee cannot be confirmed but it is likely that many of those in the committee of the following year, 1946-47 were involved. The membership cards for 1946-47 were titled ' Greenock and District Celtic F.C. Supporters' Association' and listed the committee as follows:

• Chairman - Frank Kilbride
• Vice- Chairman - Frank Reilly
• Secretary - Peter Devlin
• Treasurer - William Lamont

• Jackie Brennan
• Finlay Clark
• J. McLaughlin
• Arthur Carr
• J. Keegan
• William Ferrie
• E.McAfferty

• Jackie Brennan
• J Docherty

• Alexdander Morrison
• M. Murray

• Peter Devlin
• Jackie Brennan
• Frank Reilly

The listing differs from that detailed in the Celtic Supporters' magazine of the same year discussed above. It is puzzling that two official documents covering the same period list two different committees.

The National Executive of the Celtic F.C. Supporters Association during 1946-47 comprised the following:-
President, J. Regan; Vice President W. Fanning; Secretary, M. Carroll; Minute Secretary, J. Brennan, There were also representatives from Craigneuk, Coarbridge, Cambuslang, Dunbarton, Greenock, Paisley, Shotts, Cowie and Hamilton Celtic Supporters Clubs.

The club seems to have been very well organised even during these early days with a proper functioning committee and membership cards issued with weekly subscriptions paid by each member. The Committee listed in the 1947-48 membership card comprised

• Chairman - James Gavin
• Vice-Chairman - John Murray
• Secretary - Hugh Trainner
• Treasurer - John O'Neill Cannon

• M. Murray
• Finlay Clark
• Joseph Monaghan

• Chairman - Donald Harley
• Vice-Chairmand - John Kane
• Secretary - Joseph Kane
• Minute Secretary - John Sime
• Treasurer - John O'Neill Cannon
• Social Convenor - John Grant
• Transport Convenor - T. Bradley

• John Murray
• Hugh Trainner

The basic rationale for the existence of the club, i.e. send supporters from Greenock to support Sellick was recognised with the appointment of a transport convenor and the arranging of coaches to take club members to games. Owing to fuel rationing problems it was not always possible to run transport, the following advertisement was placed in the Greenock Telegraph on the 6t and 7th September 1945.

Celtic F.C Supporters Association

Owing to Ministry of War Transport Regulations Proposed Bus Trip to Edinburgh Has Been Cancelled

The game in question was Hearts v Celtic.

The first bus remembered by Alex. Sinclair was hired from Dunlop & Co. and is remembered as the most luxurious in the aren with "pictures of Indian Chiefs heads painted along either side" the bus left from Dunlop's garageat the corner of Holmscroft street and Duncan street, down Captain street along Roxburgh street, onto Regent street to Dellingburn and then along the main road to Port Glasgow picking up supporters on route. The rout from the garage to Roxburgh Street is now covered by the housing development between Mount Pleasant Street and Regent court.

The club regularly met in the 'Fire brigade' building in a hall sub-let from the ladies section of the Ancient order of Hibees. This building was opposite the old Police Office in what is now Dalrymple Street but at the time it was Shaw Street. It met on a Friday evening in order the the members could make arrangements for the game on the following day, and on the Sunday for a social to get together. The rent paid was 2/6 per night. Meetings of the committee would take place in a room in Mrs Brennans house, she was Jackie Brennan's mother.

The First premises that the club held on its own right were in Harvie Lane ( the site is now covered over by the Greenock town centre ), there were rented by Burton's the Tailors. The premises consisted of two halls, a small hall downstairs used as a meeting place and for social activities and a larger hall upstairs which was used for snooker and billiards. It was not unknown for the snooker tables to be used as makeshift beds for some members after having an enjoyable evening at the annual dance. Although the premises were unlicensed it has been said that 'carry outs' were allowed on the premises. Indeed when any Celtic minded performer was on the bill of the Greenock Empire Variety Theatre the were invited to the Clubrooms.

The club did also undertake social functions and activities from a very early date and visited other supporter's clubs at the time. Over this 10 year period there were only 2 successes, the Scottish cup in 1950-51 against the Famous Glasgow Rangers and the league in 1953-54. The fans stayed faithful during this time and indeed were in a period of consolidation when they moved to new premises and continued to support the team.