Murdoch: “Fit”!
© Daily Record

1st December
When a Scottish side has travelled to an away match in Europe and come away with a 3-1 victory, it is an excellent result. So, everyone connected with the club was highly delighted and the press was fulsome in its praise on the Monday after the game;-

So Cool Celtic Made It Look Easy

The French press was also very complimentary ;

Paris Jour reported – “The second half was a confirmation of our apprehensions born in the first. Grave defensive errors allowed the Scots two goals which virtually put Nantes out of the cup”.

Le Figaro said;

“Celtic showed that they did not come to France just to defend. The Nantes goal seemed to have a magnetic attraction for them.
Despite Nantes’ praiseworthy efforts, the French were never allowed time to manoeuvre in midfield”.

The Nantes daily newspaper Ouest France said;

“Nantes have no chance now. Celtic were more athletic, more mobile, more complete and even better tactically than Nantes”.

There was better news for an essential man in Celtic’s midfield –

Murdoch Fit to Play Against Killie
‘ Bobby Murdoch, injured in last night’s 3-1 victory over Nantes in the European Cup tie in the Malakoff Stadium, will be fit to play in the important league match against Kilmarnock on Saturday.
Murdoch’s legs were a mass of bruises last night but after they had been examined by trainer Neil Mochan and the club doctor, manager Jock Stein said – “The damage is not as serious as we thought it might be. The leg is still painful but Murdoch will be fit to play at Rugby Park”.

The same grand news was given about all the players who had taken part in the Nantes match. A check today showed that everyone was fit.

2nd December
There was another piece of good news in the press the day before the match;

‘John Hughes, the Celtic outside-left who has been out of action since he injured a knee against Rangers in the League Cup Final on 29th October, could make a shock return to the side against Kilmarnock tomorrow. He is listed in the party of players from which manager Jock Stein will make his last-minute selection.
Hughes was originally scheduled to make his return in the reserve game against Kilmarnock tonight – but the match has been rained off’.

I must confess that it was much to my annoyance it was rained off. In fact, I was seething. If I was going to get my place back in the team, I needed to play…and show what I could do. I had been doing double sessions at training for a couple of weeks and was now in top condition but the only matches I was playing in were the bounce games at the end of training! And as these were sometimes 18-a-side and two-touch, it was hardly the ideal circumstance to show some form. Still, if the game was off there was nothing I could do about it, so I just came in on the Friday afternoon for another session.

There was another piece in the evening press about the situation in Scotland in general;

‘Celtic and Rangers both have big European matches next week but if you think that at the moment the players and officials of both clubs have nothing on their minds but Borussia Dortmund and Nantes, you-re wrong.
As far as the ‘Old Firm’ is concerned tomorrow’s league games take priority but both are vital.

Two Leading Clubs Visit Strong Opponents
Celtic are at Rugby Park and Rangers at East End Park and their opponents, Kilmarnock and Dunfermline, know that if they fail to stop the ‘Old Firm’ their chances of taking the league title will be slight’
Before this match, Kilmarnock are six points behind Celtic, while Dunfermline are 11 behind Celtic and 8 behind Rangers.

Victim
Actress Jayne Mansfield’s six-year-old son Zokan underwent a second serious operation for injuries suffered when a lion mauled him last Saturday.

Quick Break
Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton (54) and her 7th husband Vietnamese Prince Pierre Raymond Doan Vinh are said to have decided to separate. Married in April 1964, they were last seen together only a month ago.

Loss
Alexander Stephen and Sons of Linthouse, Glasgow, the Clyde shipbuilders, made a substantial loss on their £3million contract to build three dredgers for Russia, the Chairman confessed.
He said the main cause of the loss was the accidental flooding of the first of the three dredgers, the Severodvinski, when on trials. Delivery was delayed for three months.