Content area
Full Text
HISTORY beckons for Celtic, the chance to equal their own British record of 62 domestic games unbeaten when they host Kilmarnock today.
Whether they can match the 100-year milestone set by Willie Maley's Hoops remains to be seen but historian David Potter believes Brendan Rodgers and his players will better that century-old achievement if they avoid defeat this weekend.
As an author of 23 books about his beloved side, the Kirkcaldy-based writer is adamant the circumstances of wartime, enlistment and the chaos of it all back in 1915-1917 when the record was set has always cast a cloud over their success.
Internationals and the Scottish Cup were put on hold but league football continued as a boost to morale, although player wages were reduced to £1 and they had wartime-related occupations Potter offers Rodgers and the current squad the highest praise and insists being compared to their 1917 counterparts is the ultimate accolade as they look to surpass their feat.
He said: "It looks as though Celtic are going to match the record against Kilmarnock and I would have to say Brendan Rodgers' achievement if he does it would actually be better than Willie Maley's side.
"It's a pity you qualify Celtic's record with the fact it was achieved in the unreal circumstances of wartime.
"But Celtic's record was achieved between 1915 to 1917 and it was in the middle of the Great War. Quite a lot of the other teams were not as successful as Celtic in keeping their men away from the front.
"Maley was able to use his contacts successfully to make sure his players were doing war-related jobs.
"Nobody could have...