12^th September

The headlines in the press on the Monday after the match against Clyde more or less told the story of the game –

 Celts Make Great Start       Super-Sharp Celts

Everyone was back training on the Monday, although the major injury concern was Wee Jimmy, of whom the Boss told the reporters later; “We have checked on Johnstone. His back injury is giving him no trouble and he should be fit. As far as I’m concerned it is a question of putting the right men on the field to do the right job”.

It was also reported in the press that Celtic expect to hear soon from Santos, the crack team from Brazil, as to whether they will be coming to Parkhead for a match in October.

And Hugh Phillips, for many years one of the top referees in world football, announced his retirement.

13^th September

John Prentice reached an agreement with the SFA selectors today about his position as Scotland team manager but he still remains a manager without a team contract.

Morton have signed Gerry Sweeney, Renfrew Juniors’ high-scoring inside-left. Gerry was freed by Celtic last season and was re-instated as a junior. He will stay with Renfrew in the meantime.

Gerry Sweeney – Wrong Time

I had played with Gerry for over a year in both the Reserve side and the Combined Reserve team. He was a very talented player who suffered from the fact that there were too many other good guys at Parkhead wanting to play in that midfield berth, some experienced like Bertie Auld, Bobby Murdoch and Charlie Gallagher, plus newcomers who were there just before Gerry, such as George Connelly, Davie Hay or Jim Brogan. With numbers like that vying for a place, no wonder he never got a chance. As so often in football, the timing of one’s challenge is crucial, not only on the pitch but off it too!

Under the heading –  No Holding the Celts  – a piece in the evening papers stated that ‘Celtic will make a late choice for tomorrow night’s game.

Celtic have played 8 ‘business’ matches since 13^th August and in fair weather and foul, they have won the lot, scoring 30 and losing 3. Ronnie Simpson has had 6 shut-outs.

Frankly, with a record like that, there was little chance of the Boss messing about with his defence, so I just accepted the fact that I would be on the periphery for a while and made sure that I played well in the minor sides.

I was also very busy off the field. My finals were coming up in early October and I was just finishing off the required points as regards the number of patients I saw and the work I undertook. So, my life at that point was all work and very little play. You might point out that being a professional footballer could come under the heading of ‘play’ but I’m afraid that when you are doing it for a living, then it is a very serious business.

Whisky Down the Drain

It was whisky galore on Edinburgh Road, Glasgow, when 9 butts, each containing gallons of ‘the cratur’ flowed away after falling from a lorry which mounted the central reservation of the dual carriageway at Stepps Road.

Only a Miracle

Only a postal delivery miracle could have ensured Hampshire film director John Ainsworth of winning £613,553 on an accumulator bet, a spokesman for the bookmakers Ladbrokes said today.

Mr Ainsworth’s seven-horse bet – postmarked 9.45am on August 12^th, the day of the Newbury race meeting – arrived at Ladbroke’s three days after the race meeting.

As the bet did not arrive before the first race on which Mr Ainsworth wagered, there is a limit of £1000.

Clay Shock

Cassius Clay said in Chicago that he might have broken his right hand during his successful world heavy-weight title defence against Karl Mildenberger.

He paid tribute to the German’s gameness but added that he did not think that he was the toughest fighter that he had met.

“I think that the referee did the right thing (stopping the fight in the 12^th round) although  I knew that a lot of people were disappointed by his decision. But that man (Mildenberger) was hurt real bad”.