Press Reaction
Over the weekend following the 0-0 draw in the Scottish Cup final, the headlines in the press blasted out various thoughts ;-
It Must Still Be Celtic
23rd April 1966: Scottish Cup Final Celtic v Rangers – Part Two
Seamill
On the Thursday morning, two days before the Cup Final, a Celtic squad – including myself – headed for Seamill and preparation for the big day. The atmosphere was good, there was a lot of banter and the boys especially enjoyed the fine weather, absolutely perfect for the first paddle in the sea of the summer season, even if we only went in up to our ankles!
There was also a head tennis competition on the grass at the back of the hotel, facing the sea. Curiously enough, I can recall that the final was between a pairing of wee Jimmy and Ronnie up against Cesar and Joe but I can never remember who won the blasted thing. If ever I asked one of the players involved, they always said that they won!…but can you trust a competitive football player at a time like that? Continue reading
23rd April 1966: Scottish Cup Final Celtic v Rangers – Part One
Coming Home
Losing to Liverpool was a shattering blow. It did not matter whether one team or another was the better side, we were out! Certainly, the referee’s choice to deny Bobby Lennox a goal due to a debatable offside decision by a linesman was heartbreaking for every Celtic fan. From where I was sitting, it certainly looked onside but I must also admit that I was not in line with the ball.
Nowadays, when that particular incident is mentioned, people tend to say that it wouldn’t happen today. Unfortunately, that is not true. It still does occur today. The problem is that a referee naturally has difficulty in keeping up with play all the time and there are occasions when he has to rely on the eyesight, position and reactions of his linesmen. And human nature dictates that they cannot get their decisions right all the time.
19th April 1966: Liverpool v Celtic – Part Two
The Morning of the Match
Considering the importance of the match, it was a pretty relaxed atmosphere in the hotel on the morning of the match. After breakfast, we were told to go back to our rooms for a while, as a few pressmen and also some fans had arrived in the building. It was not as though we did not to meet all these guys; it was more that the Boss had still not announced the team and he did want people asking us about it. So, back to the rooms we went, like Primary 7!
Later on, just before lunch, we came down again to the foyer, appropriately dressed in our training gear and were taken by bus to a small grassy area – somewhere in Southport – for a loosening up session. Then it was a return to the hotel, a light lunch and back to the bedrooms for an afternoon siesta – with still no mention of the team for that night. Continue reading
19th April 1966: Liverpool v Celtic ECWC SF – Part One
Pressure
I was under a bit of pressure at that time. Celtic might have about to travel south to play Liverpool in the return leg of the European Cup Winners’ Cup and you might think that such a scenario would have been enough pressure for anyone to cope with. Unfortunately, I was under the cosh from a different direction – the Dean of the Dental Hospital – who I assume had been receiving complaints from the heads of other departments that I was missing classes and more importantly, letting patients down by having to cancel their appointments at short notice. I was very apologetic but it was unavoidable; the dates of matches were made up earlier in the season but as the campaign un-folded, as a result of games being postponed, a good run in Europe etc, it was not always possible to be precise as to when the match might be played. So, I just had to over-use that very helpful word – sorry! – and did my best to get back on track with my work schedule.
16th April 1966: Hibs v Celtic – Part Two
What the Papers Were Saying
‘The championship contenders, Celtic and Rangers, are both away today, both on tough assignments.
Celtic go to Easter Road for the second game in their vital 10-day spell which could bring them the league, the Scottish Cup and entry into the cup-winners’ tournament.
Today, its Hibs. On Tuesday, comes the second leg of the Liverpool tie. And, on Saturday, the cup final against the other half of the Old Firm.
Will there be any reaction after Thursday’s efforts in the first leg against Liverpool? Will big John Hughes return to the Parkhead side?
These are the questions to be answered at Easter Road. Hughes is fit and will be considered. There are no fresh casualties.
It looks odds-on for John to return and play at Liverpool, too.
As for reaction, this hasn’t bothered Celtic previously this season. Every game they play now carries stress and strain’.
16th April 1966: Hibs v Celtic – Part One
Anfield awaits
Reaction After Liverpool Match
Even after a period of reflection, press reaction was that Celtic had been the better team on the night but there was also worry that a one-goal lead might not be enough to see the Bhoys through.
Funnily enough, that had been the feeling of the guys sitting with me up in the Main Stand. Some of them had never had the chance to play for the first team but they were all Celtic fans at heart and wanted success for the club. However, the general feeling was that if Liverpool played for the whole of the return match in the way they had shown in flashes at Parkhead, then they might get the goals necessary. It wasn’t a gloom and doom forecast but it was a realistic appraisal of the situation. Continue reading
14th April 1966: Celtic v Liverpool ECWC SF – Part Two
The Odds
On the day of the match, the odds being offered at the bookies were 4-6 Celtic, 5-2 Liverpool.
The Teams
What the papers had said was probably correct. Celtic had no injury worries but the Boss had decided to leave out John Hughes; while for Liverpool Roger Hunt was out, having failed to recover from an ankle injury. The teams on the night were ;-
Celtic – Simpson, Young Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, McBride, Chalmers, Lennox, Auld.
Liverpool – Lawrence, Lawler, Byrne, Milne, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Chisnall, St John, Smith, Thompson.
14th April 1966: Celtic v Liverpool ECWC SF – Part One
Exciting Days
These were great times for everyone connected with Celtic, only the second time the club had got to the semi-final stage of a European competition. It was a particularly good time for the players and management, who were at the sharp edge of the venture. Obviously, though, the players actually involved in the first team were feeling the best of all, revelling in the press coverage of the forthcoming match and excited at being involved. Which, of course, did not involve me!
And I could not even get a match in the reserve team game the night before the big one, when Celtic went through to Brockville to play Falkirk in a league match. The team that night was Martin, Halpin, O’Neill, Henderson, McCarron, Brogan, Connelly, Cattenach, H Quinn, Sweeney, Taylor; the result was a 6-1 for Celtic; and the scorers were Henry Quinn (2), Jim Brogan (2, both pens), John Halpin and Davie Cattenach.
9th April 1966: Celtic v St Mirren League – Part Two
More Punishment Expected?
Only four days after they had lost to Celtic at home, St Mirren made the trip up to Glasgow to meet the green-and-whites again, in another league match at Parkhead. After comfortably winning the Love Street encounter only four days previously, the Boss decided to tinker with the side, bringing in Davie Catttenach for Bobby Murdoch and Charlie Gallagher for Bobby Lennox.
So the side which ran out at Celtic Park that afternoon was Simpson, Young, Gemmell, Cattenach, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, McBride, Chalmers, Gallagher, Auld.