Pre-Match
At lunchtime on the day of the game, Zurich experienced temperatures of around 85 degrees but this dropped to around 81 degrees nearer the kick-off. The game was watched in the stands by the President of FIFA, Sir Stanley Rous.
The Teams
Zurich – Iten, Munsch, Kyburz, Neumann, Stierli, Leimgruber, Kuhn, Bani, Kunzl, Kubala.
Celtic – Simpson, Gemmell, O’Neill, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Lennox, Chalmers, Auld, Hughes.
The Play
Was it a sign of desperation that Zurich coach Kubala should put himself into the side at the age of 41 or did he really think that he could make a difference? That was the question on everybody’s lips just before the match started and it was not long before an answer was forthcoming. As they had done in Glasgow, Celtic stepped up to the plate and took charge of the play, allowing the Swiss champions little room or time to display their own skills.
To be fair, Zurich did try to get going – with Jinky and Yogi falling back to give some support in defence – but within 15 minutes, it was obvious to any neutral that Celtic were in charge and soon made their presence felt in the area that matters, that of goals.
3 minutes
Jinky did get the ball in the net from 10 yards but Stevie was deemed offside.
22 minutes
as he had done in Glasgow, Tam Gemmell strode forward and unleashed a great shot from all of 30 yards. 1-0 Celtic
38 minutes
a corner by Jinky and this time Stevie, well onside, got on the end of it. 2-0 Celtic.
For the remainder of the half and into the second half, Celtic were in complete control, receiving applause from the crowd for their attacking ploys. At the same time, that same crowd were not slow in jeering at their own team. Celtic wrapped the match up quite quickly.
48 minutes
Neumann brought down Bobby I inside the box and Tam stepped up to score his second. 3-0 Celtic
Frankly, this was Celtic’s most comfortable victory in European football and they thoroughly deserved the praise they received from not just their own fans but the Swiss supporters too.
Zurich 0 Celtic 3 Aggregate 0-5
Other Results
On the same night, Rangers beat Glentoran 4-0 to progress in the European Cup Winners’ Cup with an aggregate of 5-1
Going Well
Veteran British yachtsman Francis Chichester should be approaching the Atlantic island of Tristan de Cunha and the ‘Roaring Forties’ on his world-circling voyage along the route of the trading clippers.
The position the 65-year-old author gave in a faint, brief radio message, picked up by an operator at Cape Town, put his sketch Gypsy Moth 1V about 1000 miles from Rio de Janeiro and 3,500 miles from Cape Town.
Didn’t Fancy a Move?
Bobby Collins, the ex-Celt and former Scottish international inside-forward who became one of England’s top stars at Leeds United, decided today not to join Bury FC. Terms had already been agreed between the clubs.
Always There!
One of the BBC’s most consistently popular programmes – Women’s Hour – has its 20th anniversary this week.
It first went on air on the afternoon of Monday October 7th 1946 and since then, 2 o’clock in the afternoon has been a regular switching-on time for thousands of listeners. The programme still maintains an average audience of 3 million daily.