Morning of the Match

As you might imagine, the Boss had been none too pleased with the performance of the reserve team the previous evening and made his displeasure clear when a few of us turned up at Celtic Park for the first –team match against Hearts. So, like little boys always do when they are under the cosh from their teacher, we kept out the road. I, for one, went back out to my car and sat there for a while, coming back in just before the start of the game. Childish, perhaps, but it served a purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Teams

Celtic:

Simpson, Gemmell, O’Neill, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Chalmers,

               McBride, Auld, Lennox.   Sub: Gallagher

Hearts:

Cruikshank, Ferguson, Holt, McDonald, Anderson, Miller, Wallace, Kerrigan,

               Murphy, Gordon, Traynor.   Sub: Hamilton

 

The Play

Hearts were always popular visitors to Celtic Park and also had brought a good support, so nearly 35,000 were present when referee Mr McKenzie from Coatbridge blew the whistle for the start of the match.

Unfortunately, right from the beginning, the visiting support saw their side under pressure from the home team. Bobby Lennox had a shot saved by Jim Cruikshank, then Bobby Murdoch sent a strong shot just over the bar. The pressure was on and soon the Hearts defence crumbled –

12 minutes…right-back Ferguson got flustered as he tried to make a clearance, the ball fell to Bobby Lennox who flicked it over the defender and shot. Left half Miller tried to clear but only succeeded in smashing the ball into the roof of the net.  1-0 Celtic.

 

From then on, until the final quarter, it was all Celtic and they might have had more goals if efforts by Lennox, Chalmers, Johnstone and McBride had not been straight at the keeper or found Jim Cruikshank in inspired form. There was also the possibility of Hearts almost stealing a goal in one of their – very occasional – breakaways, which would have made the scoreline ridiculous.

 

76 minutes….Stevie Chalmers controlled a pass from Willie O’Neill then sent a well-timed effort into the path of Joe McBride and he slammed the ball home. 2-0 Celtic

Then, in the final minute of the match, another goal arrived;-

89 minutes…..Centre-half Anderson brought Joe down in the penalty area and, once he had dusted himself down a bit, Joe made no mistake with the resultant penalty.

 

                        Final Score   Celtic  3  Hearts  0

 

Other Results

Ayr United	0	–	1	Airdrie
Dundee United	1	–	3	Aberdeen
Hibs	1	–	2	Rangers
Motherwell	6	–	2	Dunfermline
Partick Thistle	1	–	0	Falkirk
St. Johnstone	1	–	3	Kilmarnock
St. Mirren	1	–	3	Clyde
Stirling Albion	2	–	3	Dundee

 

Future Celt

In the above match between Motherwell and Dunfermline, four of The Steelmen’s goals were scored by one John ‘Dixie’ Deans.

 

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A Life Cut Short

Jackie Paterson  – the butcher boy with the sledgehammer punch which netted him an estimated £100,000 in 91 contests – is dead, the victim of a bottle attack in South Africa. He was 46.

During a career that began in 1936 and ended in 1951, Jackie won 6 major titles. He became Scotland’s second world fly-weight champion, following in the footsteps of that other hero, Benny Lynch.

 

 

Top Ten

The ten most popular records at this time of year in 1966 were ;-

1          Good Vibrations                                     Beach Boys

2          Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James   Manfred Mann

3          Gimme Some Lovin’                          Spencer Davis

4          Reach Out and I’ll be There               Four Tops

5          Stop, Stop, Stop                                  The Hollies

6          High Time                                          Paul Jones

7          A Fool Am I                                        Cilla Black

8          Green, Green Grass of Home             Tom Jones

9          What Would I Be                                Val Doonican

10        If I Were a Carpenter                          Bobby Darin