Disappointment
Celtic had won the match against Aarhus 2-0, had not really been bothered defensively and had qualified for the quarter-final stages of the Cup- Winners’ Cup but the reaction in the press had not been very flattering and the general public took its cue from that to state their own disappointment.
At the Dental Hospital, for instance, in the following few days, more than one colleague – including a lecturer who had never spoken to me before – mentioned that the team had not played well etc. It was quite annoying. Realistically, if I had put my own performance into perspective, I could honestly say that I had competently controlled my immediate opponent – a winger called Hermansen – had played my role in a defence which had been rarely troubled and never wasted a pass.
At the same time, I would have been the first to admit that overall, the team did not ‘fire’ as a unit and in retrospect, I had no doubt that this was partly due to the casual build-up before the match, when everyone behind the scenes seemed very confident of victory and even the Boss was talking as though the tie was already won.
It must have been a wake-up call for him too as I don’t remember him being too confident ever again!
Training
I was back at training on the Thursday evening, when the inquest began again, the rest of the part-timers all wanting to know the inside stories. Everyone was looking for a place in the first team so they all wanted to know about this and that, even in-between sprints round the track.
At the end, Sean Fallon came into the dressing room, motioned me outside and told me to report to Parkhead on the Saturday for the match against Hamilton. He then announced the side for the next reserve match, which would also be against Hamilton on the Saturday at Douglas Park. The team chosen for that match was John Fallon, Ian Young, Frank McCarron, Jim Brogan, John Cushley, ‘Newman’, George Connelly, Henry Quinn, Steve Chalmers, John Divers, Tony Taylor.
Our Opponents
For the first five seasons of the 1960s, Hamilton had been in the Second Division. In the previous campaign of 1964-65, they had finished second in that league, winning promotion to the First Division along with champions Stirling Albion. Unfortunately, though, they were finding life tough in the higher division, not scoring many goals while letting in quite a considerable number, between 3 and 4 per match. Their players would really be looking forward to coming along to Celtic Park on the Saturday?
The papers gave the contest little mention, this brief piece typical of the coverage ;-
‘Celtic report no serious injuries following the victory over Aarhus. John Hughes was limping the next day but is OK. It looks like an unchanged team for what should be the ‘stonewall’ home win of the day – against lowly Hamilton’.
Stein’s Other Job
Jock Stein’s Scotland © Daily Record
Just a few hours after giving a brief press conference at Parkhead, Jock Stein headed for Park Gardens, the headquarters of the SFA, where he addressed another gathering of journalists to announce the pool chosen for the Home International match against Wales on 24th November. The players involved were ;
Baxter (Sunderland), Ferguson (Kilmarnock), Forrest ( Rangers), Gilzean ( Tottenham Hotspur), Henderson (Rangers), Greig (Rangers), Hughes (Celtic), Johnston (Rangers), Law (Manchester United), McCreadie (Chelsea), McKinnon (Rangers), McNeill (Celtic), Martin (Sunderland), Murdoch (Celtic), Provan (Rangers), Stevenson (Liverpool).
Question
Firstly, the answer to the previous question, the names of the only two Celtic players to have each scored 5 goals in a match? This game took place at Celtic Park on 11th September 1968 and it was a League Cup quarter-final against Hamilton. Celtic won 10-0 and all the goals were scored by Stevie Chalmers (5) and Bobby Lennox (5).
The question this time round concerns the reserve side listed above and particularly the name of the player down as ‘Newman’. This laddie not only went on to sign for Celtic but he later managed the club; his name, please?
Film Stars Roll Into Las Vegas
Hollywood film stars began arriving in Las Vegas yesterday for a long weekend climaxed by Monday night’s World Heavyweight boxing match between Cassius Clay and Floyd Paterson.
Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Frank Sinatra and Eddie Fisher were among the early arrivals.
Taken Off
The ‘Perry Mason’ TV series will end in the USA this year. The Columbia Broadcasting System network which presents the series considered it ‘worn out’.
“Avengers” – in their eighties
Mrs Edith Oates (80) and her brother Walter Gravill (86) of Thorne, Doncaster, who were attacked during the weekend by intruders in their shop, remembered what they had seen in the ABC television series ‘The Avengers’.
They set about the intruders and drove then off.
Yesterday, they received a telegram from Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg, who are stars of the serial.
It said “Congratulations on your splendid contribution to the enforcement of law and order.
We always knew that Yorkshire could deliver the goods”.