[1][2][3] One of the founders of Celtic and its first vice-president, cooperage-owning businessman and Irish nationalist James Quillan, engaged in public disputes via newspapers with other committee members in spring 1889, followed by the club's AGM in June of that year[3][4] over various points in order to gather support for his alternative vision of a charitable sporting society with membership limited to persons of an Irish and Catholic background, for the benefit of that generally very poor and marginalised immigrant community in Glaswegian society.

[5][6] Local churches associated with Celtic were also said to be exasperated at the drunken disorderly behaviour of some of the team's followers, and Quillan's group sought to align themselves to the temperance movement, although the fact that some of their meetings were held in pubs casts doubt on the whether the stated desire to distance their new club from alcohol was genuine.

With the wary Edinburgh Hibernian having rebuffed a proposal to act as opponent in their inaugural match,[3] Glasgow Hibernian first entered the Scottish Cup for the 1889–90 season,[10] but despite having assembled a team of a decent standard through loan arrangements[2] (including Jim Cassidy, John Cunningham, Lewis Campbell, Willie Naughton, Jerry Reynolds and Willie Dunning who all went on to play professionally in England) lost 3–1 at home to Thistle F.C.

[21] Within a few weeks of the Summerton defeat, the Glasgow Hibernian club was dissolved in late October 1890 with no prospect of matchday income in the near future and outstanding debts.

[25] Funds of £500 were provided to build a new ground, which they named Hibernian Park (again aping the Edinburgh Hibs' home of the time), on the south bank of the River Clyde near to the Oatlands neighbourhood,[1][26] on the Rutherglen Road.