Full Week to Recover
Having sat out the match against St Johnstone, I was keen to get myself fit again and had a full week to do so. I took full advantage of the opportunity, nicking up to Parkhead at lunchtimes most days for some treatment, and training with the rest of the part-timers on Tuesday and Thursday.
The diagnosis given by Doc Fitzsimmons was spot on. There had been only slight damage done to my ankle ligaments by Willie Wallace’s tackle; the main pain was from the bruising on the bone round the same area and this responded well to the hot water/cold water treatment, so that by Thursday night I was running almost freely.
I use the word almost quite intentionally. As I was to find out in the following years, it is quite the norm for a professional footballer to come back a bit early from any injury. He is under pressure from the club (who don’t like paying someone when not playing), the fans (who think you should overcome such things in the cause of the club), his family (who get fed up with him hanging around the house) and even the media (who think you are over-paid anyway) to take up his usual role.
So, although I came through a full session on the Thursday evening without showing any side-effects, I was aware that the ankle felt ‘tight’ and I certainly did not want anyone to kick it!
Scots on Top
On the Wednesday night of that week, in Newcastle, the Scottish League side, with Tam Gemmell, Jimmy Johnstone, Joe McBride and John Hughes involved, beat the English League 3-1. Joe got two of the goals, Andy Penman the other.
Pars in Action
At East End Park, on the same evening, Dunfermline put in a fine shift to beat Real Zaragoza 1-0 in the first leg of a quarter-final tie in the Fairs Cup. But would that be enough to take them through in Spain?
Scouting
Sean Fallon and Jock Stein nipped over to Dublin during the week to check on the Bohemians amateur left-half Seamus O’Connell.
Question
Last week, I asked you to tell me the biggest crowd for a Celtic home match. Well, of course, that match did not take place at Parkhead but at Hampden, on 15th April 1970, when 136,505 crowded in to see Celtic beat Leeds United in the semi-final of the European Cup.
And this week’s question is also about crowds. What is the record attendance for a floodlight match at Hampden?
Found (1)
Off the Mediterranean coast of Spain, the US submersible DSV Alvin found a missing hydrogen bomb. The missile was been lost for 47 days and was found 2,1500 feet below the surface.
Found (2)
Football’s Jules Rimet Trophy – the World Cup – was stolen while on exhibition in London. It was found 7 days later by a mongrel dog called Pickles and its owner David Corbett, wrapped in newspaper in a South London garden.
Top Hits
The top ten records in the charts at this time of March 1966 were;-
1 The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More…..Walker Brothers
2 I Can’t Let Go…………………………….The Hollies
3 Sha La La La Lee…………………………Small Faces
4 Groovy Kind of Love…………………………….Mindbenders
5 Barbara Ann………………………………Beach Boys
6 Shapes of Things……………………………Yardbirds
7 Backstage…………………………………Gene Pitney
8 Dedicated Follower of Fashion……………The Kinks
9 These Boots Are Made For Walking………Nancy Sinatra
10 Make the World Go Away………………..Eddie Arnold