A Wonderful Time
For anyone with Celtic’s interests at heart, the few days after the League Cup final were ones of euphoria. Fans were glad-handing each other in the shops, pubs and streets; older mums and aunties had never been cuddled quite so much; and wee bairns wearing anything green were having toys and sweets thrust at them by total strangers. It was quite a time!
Even the Coaches were Happy
Three days later, on the Tuesday evening, when the part-timers reported to Parkhead for training, there was still a decided buzz around the place. Everyone had a smile on their faces and even the jokes were louder and more raucous than usual. Some brave soul asked if we could see the League Cup and instead of the request being dismissed out of hand, as would normally be the case (“you’ll see plenty of the cup when you win it yourself” was the usual answer) we were taken along to see the trophy in the Boardroom…..only after we had taken our shoes off at the door and entered in our socks!
Press Reaction
In the papers, while Celtic’s victory was acknowledged and the performance of the players praised, the post-match activities were receiving most attention;-
Why? The Big Inquest Starts
Why were Celtic allowed to make a lap of honour at Hampden?……Was the invasion of Rangers supporters a concerted act of violence?…..Would an all-ticket crowd have made any difference?
These are the questions Glasgow magistrates will thrash out in talks with the Scottish Football League and the Scottish Football Association, and the Celtic and Rangers managements in a ‘once and for all’ bid to end the feuds and incidents when the clubs meet.
A Quote from the Man at the Top
Even Rangers chairman John Lawrence decided to get involved in the matter and, rather surprisingly, chose to make a point on a specific football incident in the match. Under the heading…….
Penalty
……...Mr Lawrence said : “The Celtic player fell over Provan’s leg……I fail to see how a penalty kick could have been awarded”.
Fortunately for fans of Celtic, referee Hugh Phillips did see why a penalty should have been awarded and did so, although it would be fair to say that a number of spectators – and not all at the Rangers end – might have empathised with Mr Lawrence.
No Rest
Only four days after the League Cup final, both Celtic and Rangers prepared to go back into action, curiously against teams from the same city;
Testing Night for Both Dundee Teams
Can Dundee United go to the top of the table by beating Rangers? Can Dundee halt the all-conquering Celtic’s run of 8 wins and a draw in the last 9 matches?
These are the two big questions which await an answer at Ibrox and Dens Park tonight when the combined might of Dundee’s senior clubs take on Glasgow’s big two.
Dundee will have to match fire with fire tonight. Celtic are playing fast, aggressive football of a non-stop variety. They will be all-out from the first touch of the ball.
Celtic’s only doubt is Ronnie Simpson, who has an ankle injury. John Fallon will step in if Simpson fails to make it.
Naples
It was announced that Celtic and Scotland manager Jock Stein and trainer Walter MacRae of Kilmarnock will fly to Italy this week-end to watch the Italy v Poland World Cup tie in Naples.
After the Naples game, Stein will fly to Denmark, where Celtic play Aarhus on 3rd November in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup.
Action on an Airliner
An airline pilot armed himself with an axe and overpowered an armed Cuban exile who tried at gunpoint to divert the airliner to Cuba to pick up refugees.
The airliner landed safely at Key West, Florida after a scheduled flight from Miami.
Medals for Beatles
The Beatles arrived at 11am at Buckingham Palace this morning to receive their MBEs from the Queen. After the presentation there was a press conference in the Saville Theatre in London for the group and their manager Brian Epstein, who announced that recording sessions were well under way for their next album, Rubber Soul.