Mohammed Salim
Encyclopedia
Mohammed Abdul Salim was an India
n footballer from Kolkata
, then part of the British Raj
.
side, and helped them to claim five successive Calcutta League titles.
After the title win of 1936, Salim was invited to play two friendlies against the Chinese Olympic side. A cousin called Hasheem who lived in England, and was then visiting Calcutta, witnessed the first match. Having seen Salim’s exceptional display, Hasheem urged Salim to try his hand at European football.
Hasheem was so persuasive that instead of playing in the second Chinese friendly, Salim sailed with him on the City of Cairo for England. After a few days in London, Hasheem took him to Glasgow
and Celtic Park
.
Salim was surprised to note that all the Celtic players were professionals.
However, when asked whether he would be able to compete with them he nodded in approval. Salim’s confidence encouraged Hasheem to speak to Willie Maley
, the Celtic manager.
Hasheem told him: “A great player from India has come by ship. Will you please take a trial of his? But there is a slight problem. Salim plays in bare feet.”
Maley laughed, the idea of a bare-footed amateur from India competing against Scottish professionals was difficult to believe. But Hasheem was persistent and the Celtic manager agreed to give him a trial. Salim was asked to demonstrate his skill before 1,000 club members and three registered coaches.
Salim’s ability, even in bare feet, astonished them. They decided to play him in a match against Hamilton.
Besides being a skilful winger, Salim also became famous for playing the game in bandaged bare feet instead of the customary football boots. On his debut in 1937, Salim helped Celtic win 5-1 against Galston
and then another game which Celtic won 7-0 against Hamilton Accies
. As both of these games were friendlies, he is not recorded to have played. The press were excited about his skills and called him "The Indian Juggler" with headlines such as "Ten Twinkling Toes of Indian Salim hypnotized the crowd at Parkhead."
However he started to get homesick. But Celtic were determined to keep him in their squad. In order to persuade him to stay, they organised a charity match and promised him 5% of the total proceed. But Salim refused and asked the money (£1,800; not a small sum at that time) to be donated to orphans. In the end, Celtic couldn't persuade him to stay back and he went back to the Indian sub continent to play for the Mohammedan Sporting Club.
The following is an excerpt from an article in the Glasgow Observer of 5 September 1936 and describes what is said to be Salim's debut in a Celtic strip, a 7-1 win over Galston. This part article appeared in the Celtic View some time around the late 1980s.
"Abdul Salim, Celtic's Indian International trialist, tickled the crowd at Celtic Park on Friday with his magnificent ball manipulation. In his bare feet he was a conspicuous figure but this was further emphasised by his dark skin against the white and green of the Celtic strip. His play was top class. Every ball he touched went exactly to the place he wanted it to. Not one inch was it out. His crosses into goal were simply shrieking to be nodded into the net. I wouldn't like to have calculated the score had McGrory been playing ..... Dawson missed a penalty kick which Salim, despite the invitation of Alex Miller, refused to take."
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n footballer from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, then part of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
Career
By the mid-1930s Salim, a winger, was an essential member of Calcutta’s Mohammedan Sporting ClubMohammedan Sporting Club (Kolkata)
Mohammedan Sporting Club, founded in 1891 at Kolkata, is one of the oldest and leading football clubs in India. The club currently plays in the second division of I-League and premier division of CFL....
side, and helped them to claim five successive Calcutta League titles.
After the title win of 1936, Salim was invited to play two friendlies against the Chinese Olympic side. A cousin called Hasheem who lived in England, and was then visiting Calcutta, witnessed the first match. Having seen Salim’s exceptional display, Hasheem urged Salim to try his hand at European football.
Hasheem was so persuasive that instead of playing in the second Chinese friendly, Salim sailed with him on the City of Cairo for England. After a few days in London, Hasheem took him to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
.
Salim was surprised to note that all the Celtic players were professionals.
However, when asked whether he would be able to compete with them he nodded in approval. Salim’s confidence encouraged Hasheem to speak to Willie Maley
Willie Maley
William "Willie" Patrick Maley , 25 April 1868 - 2 April 1958, Glasgow, Scotland was a famous Scottish football coach, and the first manager of Celtic Football Club and one of the most successful managers in Scottish football history...
, the Celtic manager.
Hasheem told him: “A great player from India has come by ship. Will you please take a trial of his? But there is a slight problem. Salim plays in bare feet.”
Maley laughed, the idea of a bare-footed amateur from India competing against Scottish professionals was difficult to believe. But Hasheem was persistent and the Celtic manager agreed to give him a trial. Salim was asked to demonstrate his skill before 1,000 club members and three registered coaches.
Salim’s ability, even in bare feet, astonished them. They decided to play him in a match against Hamilton.
Besides being a skilful winger, Salim also became famous for playing the game in bandaged bare feet instead of the customary football boots. On his debut in 1937, Salim helped Celtic win 5-1 against Galston
Galston F.C.
Galston F.C. were a Scottish football club based at Portland Park in Galston, East Ayrshire. The club were members of the Scottish Football League Third Division....
and then another game which Celtic won 7-0 against Hamilton Accies
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
. As both of these games were friendlies, he is not recorded to have played. The press were excited about his skills and called him "The Indian Juggler" with headlines such as "Ten Twinkling Toes of Indian Salim hypnotized the crowd at Parkhead."
However he started to get homesick. But Celtic were determined to keep him in their squad. In order to persuade him to stay, they organised a charity match and promised him 5% of the total proceed. But Salim refused and asked the money (£1,800; not a small sum at that time) to be donated to orphans. In the end, Celtic couldn't persuade him to stay back and he went back to the Indian sub continent to play for the Mohammedan Sporting Club.
The following is an excerpt from an article in the Glasgow Observer of 5 September 1936 and describes what is said to be Salim's debut in a Celtic strip, a 7-1 win over Galston. This part article appeared in the Celtic View some time around the late 1980s.
"Abdul Salim, Celtic's Indian International trialist, tickled the crowd at Celtic Park on Friday with his magnificent ball manipulation. In his bare feet he was a conspicuous figure but this was further emphasised by his dark skin against the white and green of the Celtic strip. His play was top class. Every ball he touched went exactly to the place he wanted it to. Not one inch was it out. His crosses into goal were simply shrieking to be nodded into the net. I wouldn't like to have calculated the score had McGrory been playing ..... Dawson missed a penalty kick which Salim, despite the invitation of Alex Miller, refused to take."