Jock Stein Sums It Up

“I hope tomorrow’s Naples crowd is the noisiest, rowdiest, bottle-throwing crowd we’ve ever come across. If they are rioting, it’ll mean that we’re doing well. But if they are sitting up there enjoying themselves, it will be Italy who are doing well”.

The words of Jock Stein in his last meeting with the press corps before the big match. Asked how he rated Scotland’s chances, he said “I think the Italians have the harder job. The onus is on them. They’ve got to avoid defeat”.

During the meeting, there was no mention of the team. With hindsight, one can realize why. Due to injury of one sort or another, the numbers in the pool were reducing. Brown and McNeill were out, as now was Jim Baxter; and they were joined by Willie Henderson late on. Law, of course, was already out, so it was easy to see why Jock Stein held his team news till just hours before the match. And when it did come out, it caused a sensation, an eleven of Blacklaw (Burnley), Provan (Rangers), McCreadie (Chelsea), Murdoch (Celtic), McKinnon, Greig, Forrest (all Rangers), Bremner (Leeds), Yeats (Liverpool), Cooke (Dundee) and Hughes (Celtic).

Parodying Winston Churchill’s famous remark after the Battle of Britain, an evening paper had the line;

”Never in the field of international football was so much distress caused to so many by one decision”.

Big Ron Yeats Liverpool Centre half in at No.9 after a catalogue of Scots injuries
© LFC

It was the 9^th name in that list of eleven that caused all the furore. Ron Yeats was a tried and tested centre-half, a ‘stopper’ type who had started his career at Dundee United before transferring to Liverpool, where he was the anchor in a solid defence. He was not a centre-forward yet here he was, listed in that position. Would he actually play there, with long balls pumped up to him from behind? Or did Jock Stein have another plan? Whatever the case, there was no doubt that the manager had created a talking point for the country’s football fans!

There was apprehension among the Scots fans present in the Sao Paolo Stadium. Only one player – John Greig – had more than 7 caps, while the Italians seemed to have experience all over the pitch. And the choice of Ron Yeats in the number 9 shirt was still causing doubts in their minds. Would Scotland go all out for a win and throw caution to the winds? Or would they sit back and try to frustrate the home side?

Almost as soon as the whistle blew, the Scottish tactics became clear. After lining up in the centre-forward role for the kick-off, Ron Yeats ran backwards to take up a position alongside Ronnie McKinnon in central defence. Scotland were going to try and keep the Italians at bay!

And indeed they did, for most of the first half, methodically shuttling back, attempting to slow the pace of the game. Then a mistake gave Italy the lead.

Goal One……In the 38^th minute, Eddie McCreadie shaped to clear Rivera’s cross, only to completely mis-cue the ball, which fell for Pascutti to score from close range. Cushions rained down from the terracings as the Italians celebrated. As well they might, since the Scotland side was hardly set up to chase a match. But the players did their best and the home supporters had to wait till near the end before they had further reason to cheer.

The late, great Giacinto Facchetti – scored the crucial 2nd. More of him later!
© Wikipedia

Goal Two……In the 74^th minute, Adam Blacklaw collided with one of his defenders in punching out a cross, the ball fell into the path of left-back Facchetti and he lobbed it into goal just under the cross-bar.

Goal Three…..Just before the final whistle, a sideways flick by Rivera landed right into the path of Mora, who scored from an acute angle. And that was the trigger for bonfires to start up all over the terraces.

Result: Italy 3 Scotland 0

It had been a disappointing night for Scotland and the final table showed just how close we had come to qualification;-

After the match, there was real despair among the Scots fans, both in Naples and at home, that we had missed out, especially when the finals were being held in England, our nearest neighbours.

The Italian fans, by contrast, were euphoric, their joy evident in the coverage in the press and on TV. The players were feted to the skies, each and every one of them praised for their efforts in the qualifying campaign.

Unfortunately, just over six months later, those same players were to receive a slightly more critical response, thanks to the efforts of a team called North Korea …

Off (1)

There did not seem to be any great enthusiasm among the Glasgow football-supporting public anyway, so it was probably no great disappointment for many when the Old Firm Select v Moscow Dynamo match was called off for the second time in 24 hours.

Those in charge at Celtic FC had seemed quite confident the previous evening – when the Hampden match was cancelled – that the Parkhead pitch and its surrounds would be up to staging the game. However, another frosty night over Friday/Saturday –when the temperature dropped even further than had been the case in the run up to the weekend – mean that not only was the pitch even more hard and icy but the terracings and walkways were dangerous too. So, Hugh Phillips had no choice but to cancel the encounter, which would have given the Soviet players the night off. I wonder what they did? Cossack dancing at the Barrowland, perhaps?

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Anglos Unscathed in European Ties

Law Lays on Goals for United

That was the good news for Jock Stein after a number of his squad for the match against Italy had been involved in the midweek European competitions. The results were;-

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Shambolic!

That was the word used in at least one newspaper to describe the situation at Largs where the Scots party for the match against Italy had gathered. In another, the circumstances were laid more bare;-

Scots Training at Largs Fades into Farce

‘The best laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft a’gley’ just about sums up Scotland’s preparations for the Naples match. Yesterday, when it was hoped that a 19-strong squad of players would foregather at Largs to prepare, and plot, with the ultimate idea of pulverizing Italy next week, the dismal total of players available turned out to be 10.

So, with the best intentions in the world and having made every effort possible, it is difficult to see what good can come of it.

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Worries for the Boss

This must have been a stressful time for Jock Stein. The post of manager to one of the Old Firm sides is difficult enough but at that particular moment in 1965, Stein was also manager of a Scotland side trying to qualify for the finals of the next World Cup, to be held in England in 1966. Having beaten the Italians in the home leg – 1-0 at Hampden on 9^th November – the table now stood as below;

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The Rugby Park Boys

This was a match with a difference, for me at any rate!

Up till now, I had always been told on the Thursday evening where I was playing and with which side, the reserves or the first team. But that particular week, when there was no reserve match at the weekend, everyone had been told to report to Celtic Park on the Saturday and the team would be announced then.

At that time of that season, Kilmarnock, who had won the title the previous campaign, were lying in 6^th place in the table, some 10 points behind Celtic. Like many sides, they were not scoring enough goals and were also losing too many. However, they had some quality players and were quite capable, again like many other sides, of raising their game when they played one of Glasgow’s Big Two, so we all knew that the match would not be easy.

Tension

Celtic Park, 1960s
© Daily Record

I found the scene at Celtic Park before the match quite amusing. Every single player, when they arrived, walked right through the building to the tunnel to get out to see the pitch, which was being cleared of the straw by the ground staff. And when they came back in again into the old snooker room – now the table tennis room – I thought it was funny to see the different reactions.

Now, I must confess that I was not looking forward to playing on such a tricky surface but I had more or less resigned myself to it – if picked – and was mentally getting myself ready. Most of the others seemed to be doing the same but there were a few, including some experienced players, who were almost fuming at the thought of playing on such a surface.

Comments ranged from : “Its in terrible state” to “You can’t possibly play on that!” to “ The ref’s bound to call it off” to “Quite disgraceful, that’s what it is!”.

Anyway, while this anguish and even anger was being displayed in the table-tennis room, our coach Neilly Mochan came in to tell us that referee Mr McKenzie from Coatbridge had just inspected the pitch and found it playable! Neilly was a wise man. As soon as he had given us the news, he pushed off! And he was right to do so. As soon as he left the room, the voices were raised once more although this time even more vociferously. It was to no avail, though…the game was going ahead.

The Team

The team had not yet been announced at that point. This was a new thing for me, although I would get used to it in the forthcoming years. Suddenly, Jock Stein pushed open the door of the room, stood just inside the entrance and read out the from a sheet of paper: “Right, gentlemen, the team the afternoon is Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, Cushley, Clark, Johnstone, McBride, Chalmers, Lennox, Hughes. Now, get ready as quick as you can and get out for a feel of the pitch. It’s quite hard”

“Wilbur” in again for the injured McNeill © Daily Record

So, Billy McNeill did not make it; John Cushley was in. Charlie Gallagher was out from last week, Stevie Chalmers in; and Bertie Auld out, John Hughes back. The chosen ones headed for the dressing room; those left out tried to control their disappointment and carry on playing table-tennis or gather in small groups in the foyer for a chat…..no doubt about the team selection!

And there was a surprise for me in the dressing room. For the first time as a Celtic player, I put on the all-green strip.

The Match

The ground staff had been working on the pitch right up to the kick-off but it helped little. The surface was horrendous. Playing silky football was out; it was a case of trying to keep one’s feet and getting the ball forward from the back into the opposition half and let them worry about defending.

Celtic started the better, finding their feet better too and had most of the early play but Killie had a real chance when Jackie McInally –father of the future Celt Alan – went right through on a good run but lost his footing just as he tried to shoot. Celtic also made one or two chances but they were difficult ones and by half-time the game was still goalless.

‘Then Kilmarnock broke out of defence in the 57^th minute and McIlroy put them into the lead when he popped up in the centre –forward position to pick up a pass from McLean. The outside-left looked offside but after the referee consulted with his linesman, the goal stood’.

 We were annoyed by the decision but had to get back into the game and the equaliser came ten minutes later;

‘Celtic got an amazing penalty goal equaliser in the 67^th minute. Chalmers had challenged goalkeeper Ferguson for possession and the referee decided that Ferguson had pushed the centre and awarded a penalty.

Hughes took the kick and gave Ferguson no chance with a shot that was in the net before the goalkeeper could move’

By now, we were the more dominant team and made some other, admittedly, difficult chances. The breakthrough, though, came seven minutes from the end;

‘McBride put Celtic into the lead in the 83^rd minute with a great drive from a Johnstone pass’

So, a 2-1 victory and a suitable headline in the press –

A Penalty – And Hughes Spot On

“Joe McBride – hits winner
© Daily Record

We were all pleased with the win – as was the Boss – as on a surface like that, mistakes are inevitable and fortunately none of ours were in crucial areas. From everyone’s reaction after the match, although most of us had come down on to the pitch with a thud at one time or another, no one seemed to be seriously injured. Bruises and grazes were about the extent of the damage. The win left the league table looking like this;

Those figures show the crucial aspect of defence in any league race. Those top five teams in the league had all roughly scored the same number of goals but look at the variation in goals against. That can often make the difference.

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Nae kissing…if you want to keep your teeth!        

A dental scientist yesterday blamed kissing as a major cause of tooth decay. Recent experiments have shown that tooth decay is a highly infectious disease and not an inherent defect in teeth.

Dr Doran Zinner, reporting his findings in Florida, said : “This is not going to stop kissing but it does mean that we have taken a major step forward in stopping decay”.

Arrest of a Murderer

Captain Henry George Kendall, the man who caught Dr Crippen in 1910 died yesterday in a London nursing home. He was 91.

He had sent a message to Scotland Yard from the liner Montrose, of which he was master, revealing that Crippen was on board.

The dramatic message by wireless, a new invention, was the first step to the gallows for Crippen for murdering his wife.

Another Role for Tommy

Paramount Pictures have acquired the film rights to the British musical ‘Half a Sixpence’ still running on Broadway, it was reported in New York yesterday. The film version will also star Tommy Steele, the pop star turned actor, in his role as Kipps.

A Game from the Past….and a Moment to Remember

Sponsored by the Jim Craig CSC

A game from the Past……English international half-back Tom Barber made his Celtic debut against Clyde on 31^st August 1918 while on loan to Celtic from Aston Villa and working in the munitions factories at Glasgow. He made another four appearances for the club during that one season – also playing for England against Scotland in the Haig

Hospital Fund International at Celtic Park on 18^th June 1918 – before going on to play a few matches for a number of clubs in Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

And a Moment to Remember…..on 19^th April 1913, a crowd of 120,081 was at Crystal Palace for the FA Cup Final and they saw a looping header by Tom Barber score the only goal of the match as Aston Villa beat Sunderland. Tom then joined the Footballer’s Battalion in 1914 but received severe wounds on the Western Front and took some time to recover.

After his footballing adventures round Britain after the war, Tom retired from football in 1923. Tragically, though, he was soon struck down by tuberculosis and died in 1925 at Nuneaton at the age of 37.

Man with a Mission

While Jock Stein no doubt would have been pleased with the excellent result against Hamilton, he would almost immediately have needed to switch mentally to his other job as manager of the Scotland national team and the game against Wales in midweek. And over the ensuing 48 hours, it was a case of bad news following bad news as several players in the 16-man squad were forced to call off for one reason or another.

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Pre-Match

As I came to on the morning of the match, the noise of the rain battering on the roof of my parents’ house told me all I needed to know. It was going to be a wet pitch!

I had hoped for a long lie but Mum needed help with her bags at the grocers at the top of the road so I did my bit there, while trying to fit in breakfast and a pre-match meal around my duties.

Then, it was up to the top of the road for the bus into town, getting off at Argyle Street and getting on another to take me to Celtic Park. By the time I got there, my coat was not only drenched but my hair was plastered down over my forehead. Oh! the pleasures of living in the West of Scotland?

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Disappointment

Celtic had won the match against Aarhus 2-0, had not really been bothered defensively and had qualified for the quarter-final stages of the Cup- Winners’ Cup but the reaction in the press had not been very flattering and the general public took its cue from that to state their own disappointment. Continue reading →

17th November 1965 Celtic v Aarhus

Prior to the Match

1)   Rest

Unfortunately, although I strongly fancied the idea of a nap in the afternoon before the match against Aarhus, there was no chance of me getting one. I was still a student, I was expected to attend classes and see patients, as the points total for treating patients was crucial – you were awarded points for fillings, root treatments etc and a student could not sit the final exams unless he or she had reached a certain total- and I was taking too much time off already.

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