11^th March

Everyone in for training as usual and, to my delight, I was feeling much better. It was if I had turned a corner on a long road. The leg was fine when I was running and in the usual two-touch match at the end of the session, I got a couple of blows on it which did not cause much of a problem.

Later, when I picked up the evening paper, there did seem to be a problem –

“Ridiculous – that was Celtic chairmen Bob Kelly’s reaction to a Scottish League management committee ruling today that any Celtic player in the Scottish League game against the English League at Middlesborough on Wednesday of next week must NOT play for Celtic against Shamrock Rovers in the St Patrick’s Day game in Dublin on Monday.

The managerial committee edict came within an hour of seven Celtic players being named by Scotland team manager Bobby Brown in a pool of 17 players named for the game.

After learning of the ban, Mr Kelly said  – “This is a ridiculous decision. The sponsors and the spectators in Dublin want to see Celtic’s European Cup-Winning side. That’s why around 45,000 tickets have already been sold. Now the Scottish League’s ban would appear to prevent several of our top players from turning out at Dublin”’.

Apparently Celtic had told the Scottish League that Celtic would have been happy to make arrangements for the players involved to travel to Middlesborough but this was not accepted by the committee. Discussions are on-going at the time of going to print.

The 17 players for the match against the English League were – Simpson (Celtic), McCloy (Motherwell, W Callaghan (Dunfermline), Greig, McKinnon, D Smith ( all Rangers), Gemmell, Murdoch, Johnstone, McNeill, Lennox, Hughes (all Celtic), Murray (Dundee), Smith (Aberdeen), Cormack, Stein, Stevenson ( Hibs).

12^th March

Everyone back in for training again and news that Bertie Auld is probably out for the remainder of the season. His knee problem will require an operation and he is not expected back for the rest of the campaign.

The draw for the semi-final of the Scottish Cup was made –

Rangers or Hearts v Morton

Dunfermline v St Johnstone

Joe McBride has turned down a chance to move to St Johnstone. Willie Ormond, the St Johnstone manager, contacted Celtic about the transfer of McBride. The Perth Boss feels that McBride could play a big part in helping his club stay clear of relegation.

After Willie Ormond’s approach Celtic brought McBride into the picture. But it did not take Joe long to decide to stay with Celtic and continue his fight to get back into the first team.

13^th March 1968 Celtic v Airdrie  League – Report

Afternoon of the Match

By the time all the guys arrived for the match, around 6pm, an hour and a half before kick-off, there had still been no mention of the side.

I was getting a little apprehensive. I had made it clear to everyone the day before that I felt that I was back to normal but whether the Boss thought so was another matter. And did he want to make too many changes to a side that was playing pretty well?

I had never known the pre-match period to take so long to pass and I was just getting really frustrated when the call came for us to go into the dressing-room and I joined the others…with fingers crossed!

Praise the Lord!…. the news was good.

The Teams

Celtic

Simpson
Craig, Gemmell
Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan
Johnstone, Gallagher, Wallace, Lennox, Hughes.
Sub: Chalmers

Airdrie

McKenzie
Jonquin, Keenan
Goodwin, Black, Whiteford
Madden, Ramsay, McPheat, Jarvie, Phillips.
Sub: Caldwell

The Play

We started off playing into the strong breeze which did not help our play to reach the levels of which we were capable but we kept control of the play all right and took the lead almost halfway through the half….

22 minutes….cross by Tam, header by Lemon and we were in the lead. 1-0 Celtic

And the crowd of 17,000 had to wait only 6 minutes for another–

28 minutes…low hard shot by Chopper turned in by Wispy.  2-0 Celtic

If the Boss was a happy man at the interval then it certainly did not come across, as he was a bit critical of a couple of slack moments at the back and of us wasting some chances up front. We went back out a little chastened – and determined – and got almost an immediate reward –

48 minutes….this time, Lemon crossed into the middle and Wispy reacted quicker than the Diamonds rearguard, sending a nice header past Roddy MacKenzie.                  3-0 Celtic

And, with 16 minutes left, Wispy got his hat-trick –

74 minutes…a high centre by Lemon and Wispy almost hooked the ball into the net over his shoulder.

Final Score  Celtic  4  Airdrie  0

The Table

That brought us level with Rangers in terms of games played but they were still two points clear of us in the table –

However, fans of the Light Blues would not have been too happy that night as Rangers were beaten 1-0 by Hearts in a quarter-final replay in the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle.

That meant it would be the first time since season 1951-52 that neither of the ‘Old Firm’ sides would be in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

In that season, Celtic had lost 2-1 to Third Lanark at Cathkin in a 1^st Round replay after a goalless draw at Parkhead. The Rangers v Motherwell match in the quarter-finals also went to a replay, the Steelmen winning 2-1, then going on to beat Hearts 3-1 in another replay in the semi-final and Dundee 4-0 in the final.

Cary Grant, the 63-year-old film actor, was injured last night when his chauffer-driven car was in collision with a lorry on a Long Island expressway.

Grant is reported to have suffered a nose injury and a passenger, Baroness Gratia von Furstenberg, had her right leg fractured.

7^th March

The day after the Aberdeen match was an easy one for the guys who had played; they just did some light work. For the rest of us, it was business as usual and we put a shift in.

Later that day, news came through that Rangers were apparently not willing to play Celtic in the semi-final of the Glasgow Cup, their officials stating that they are involved in too many competitions. The decision was treated with dismay by Rangers fans and glee by those supporting the Hoops, as it definitely did appear to be a backing-down on the part of Rangers from an Old Firm contest.

Day of the Match

An amazing crowd of 42,000 was at Parkhead for this clash, played on a Friday night, the game only taking place because both teams had been knocked out of their respective cup competitions. Before the start, the Hoops fans were in full voice, screaming that Ranger’ were afraid to play us’ or perhaps words to that effect.

Teams

Celtic

Simpson
Gemmell, O’Neill
Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan
Johnstone, Lennox, Wallace, Connelly, Hughes.
Sub: Chalmers

Newcastle

Marshall
Burton, Clark
Elliott, Winstanley, Moncur
Sinclair, Scott, Davies, B Robson, T Robson.
Sub: Iley

The Play

Naturally, being the home team, we threw everything we had at Newcastle in the first half but their defence was in fine form. We did have chances through a Cesar header and shots by Chopper and Connelly but, much to the annoyance of the support, Newcastle went ahead in 32 minutes, when a cross by Elliott was headed in by Davies.

I should not have imagined that the Boss would have been too happy at the interval and he would have been even more unhappy halfway through the second half when outside-right Sinclair skinned Tam and sent in a cross which Scott headed home.

It is not often that you hear boos from the Celtic support directed at their own side but that night, they were certainly audible. And the game had an almost unbelievable ending-

87 minutes….Jinky blasted one high into the roof of the net. 2-1 Newcastle

89 minutes….Newcastle get another when T Robson scores from a Davies pass.       3-1 Newcastle

90 minutes….Lemon scores a fine goal right on the whistle

Final Score  Celtic  2  Newcastle  3  

4^th March

Everyone back in for training and with the match against Aberdeen coming up on the Wednesday, there was plenty of effort being put in. This was a time when you wanted to show the Boss that you were very keen to take part in everything that was going on.

I was definitely running a lot more freely after the weekend but, to be honest, I did not think that I was ready for a match. I never felt that the Boss was too keen on doing those one-to-ones with players about how you felt. Perhaps he had been ‘conned’ in the past by some player or other or perhaps he just preferred to rely on the evidence of his own eyes. If he had been looking at me that day, he would have seen that, for all the effort I was putting in, the final product in terms of pace was not quite what it should be, so I did not expect to be in the side for the clash with the Dons.

The report about the Kilmarnock match in one of the evening papers that night was surmounted by a headline about one man in the team –

 It’s That Old Johnstone Magic!”

Wee Jimmy certainly had his moments but I should imagine that Wispy had reasons to feel slightly annoyed. It is not often that a player scores four times in a match and does not get a mention for being top player, so perhaps the Wallace household was not the happiest in the country that night!

5^th March

Celtic and Rangers were ordered to play their postponed Glasgow Cup semi-final at Ibrox Park on Monday. And that means a hectic time for Rangers – 5 games in 10 days!

At Parkhead, we all trained, although some were definitely out of the forthcoming match. Luggy was still suffering from his back; Bertie had knee and ankle problems. I trained with the rest but was very grateful to see that we did not finish the session with our usual 7 – or 8-a-side. If somebody had caught me on my sore leg, well, I had better not go into the possible consequences. I think assault is an offence.

There was an interesting set of stats in one of the evening papers. It showed the record of the major clubs over the past 5 matches –

2000 Clyde shipyard workers are to lose their jobs between April and August. This shock news was announced this afternoon by Upper Clyde Shipbuilders.

Day of the Match

Everybody in the first-team pool – apart from me – did not have to report until later in the afternoon. I was told to do the same but I also came in early morning to do a work-out, as I had not played for some time.

I was not expected and was even treated with a certain amount of annoyance by the ground staff boys. They had been getting the dressing-rooms ready for the match that afternoon and did not want to clean them a second time. They did not exactly say that I was a nuisance but I got the message anyway and after training, kept my gear on, put my own clothes in a bag and made by way home to have a bath in peace. Not quite in peace, though, as my Mum told me to make sure that I cleaned the bathroom afterwards. Honestly, it was a tough life being a professional footballer!

The guys and I all reported around 6pm for the match having provided our own pre-match meal at home. The Dons were not doing particularly well that season and at the time of the game were 10^th in the table with a record of P22 W9 D4 L9 F40 A34 Pts22.

Still, they usually had a habit of raising their game when playing Celtic and we could take no chances if we wanted to keep the pressure on Rangers.

The Teams

Celtic:

Simpson
Gemmell, O’Neill
Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan
Johnstone, Lennox, Wallace, Gallagher, Hughes.
Sub:  Hay

Aberdeen

Clark
Whyte, Shewan
Peterson, McMillan, Murray
Johnston, Smith, Watt, Buchan, Craig.
Sub: Robb

The Play

Anyone coming in late for this game would have missed a couple of goals as we just took control right from the start and drove the Dons players backwards –

3 minutes….Yogi pushed a short pass to Charlie and his cross was headed in by Lemon.  1-0 Celtic

7 minutes….Shot by Charlie which Billy got his head to.  2-0 Celtic

Aberdeen got a little bit of a breather after that but only in terms of goals. We still controlled the play but it was not until the half-hour mark that we added to our tally –

30 minutes….cross from Yogi was chested down by Lemon and he then hammered the ball past Bobby Clark.  3-0 Celtic

35 minutes…this time a hard, low center by Tam was headed in by Lemon. 4-0 Celtic

The guys got an amazing ovation from the crowd of 28,000 at the interval but the match had been destroyed as a contest. Unfortunately, Celtic’s rhythm was gone and they just could not get it back. Charlie had to go off with a knock in 65 minutes and on came Davie Hay for his first-team debut.

Johnston made it 4-1 with a powerful 25-yard drive and the Dons had other chances, firstly when Ronnie had to make a good save from a Buchan header and then when Watt’s overhead lob hit the bar and bounced out.

The result, though, was never beyond doubt, although we were perhaps a little fortunate that damage had not been done to our goal average, which might yet be an important factor in deciding the league championship.

Final Score  Celtic  4  Aberdeen 1

19^th February

After the Newcastle game, it was a busy time for Bob Rooney. A few had picked up knocks and were getting treatment for them. There were also some who had injuries from previous games, like Yogi and Bertie. Yogi was in the Scotland squad due to meet England on the forthcoming Saturday so it was important to get him right and the other guys in Bobby Brown’s group – Tam, Jinky, Billy and Lemon – seemed to be OK.

I was not doing great myself. I had taken a real over-the-top challenge from a young guy in an Aberdeen strip in the reserve match on the Saturday and had a horrible gash down the side of my leg just above the ankle. I suppose you could say it was my own fault. The ball had broken loose, I reached it before anyone else and just took a quick look around to see if anyone was in position for the pass. That proved fatal. While I looked left, he came in from the right – in fact he must have launched himself at me – and I went down heavily. He was booked, came over to apologise afterwards but the damage was done and I needed some stitches and bandages. Driving home that day wasn’t much fun, either!

20^th February

We all headed for Seamill, except yours truly, who was told to do my training at Celtic Park and get a daily check from Bob. My leg was really tender…and when I got home my mother asked me if I would walk up to the shops at the top of the road to get some potatoes!

21^st February

A report in the dailies mentioned that Celtic will start the construction of a £100,000 covered enclosure at the Springfield Road end of the ground in  April.

23^rd February

The guys were all back from Seamill and of course, the ones in the Scottish party were with the others down at Largs. A bit of training for everyone…and that included me, who did all the runs rather slowly and painfully!

24^th February

Scotland and England draw 1-1 at Hampden. The Scottish team was Simpson, Gemmell, McCreadie, Greig, McNeill, McKinnon, Cooke, Bremner, Hughes, Johnston, Lennox. It was a match in Group 8 of the European Championship and crucial to Scotland’s chances, so it was no surprise that a crowd of 134,000 turned up. Unfortunately, the result was not good enough for Scotland, who had suffered poor results against Wales (1-1) and Northern Ireland (0-1), so we were not going to the European Championship finals in Italy during the summer.

26^th February.

Everyone back in for training with some – (no names given) – running much more gingerly than others.

27^th February

“Wednesday’s match against Aberdeen is likely to go ahead” was the good news given out to the press by the Boss after training. “We are most hopeful that game will go on; the pitch is improving by the minute”. We would, though, be short of a couple of players. John Clark was out with a bad back and it might be another two weeks before Bertie could regain some mobility after his knee and ankle problems.

As regards my own situation, the leg was still extremely painful, although I could still run but not with any fluency.

28^th February

Rather surprisingly after the confident prediction of the Boss yesterday, the match against the Dons was called off. An inspection was made early in the morning – I was told later that it had been done just after dawn – and it was decided to call the match off after a heavy frost had come down during the night.

Other matches off were Airdrie v Hibs, Dundee Utd v Falkirk and St Johnstone v Morton.

29^th February

A full day’s training for everyone and this one included John Clark. The Boss had been at Old Trafford the previous evening to see Manchester United beat Gornik Zabrze 2-0 in the first leg of a European Cup quarter-final tie.

1^st March

Just the usual light session the day before a match and I really appreciated the lack of intensity in the work-out. The leg was improving but if anything touched it I nearly hit the ceiling so the dressing-room was rather a dangerous place at that precise moment.

After the session, the Boss announced that a squad of 13 players would be travelling down to Kilmarnock for the league match on the morrow and I nearly fell off the bench in the dressing-room when I heard my name read out. He was kidding, surely?

Morning of the Match

We reported to Celtic Park just after noon on Saturday and boarded the coach for the trip to Kilmarnock. There was also a reserve match at Parkhead against Kilmarnock Reserves that day and some of those guys were coming in just as we were leaving. The trip was uneventful and when we arrived at Rugby Park and went out to have a look at the pitch, we were all pleased to see that, in spite of the cold snap that we had all suffered, the surface was looking good for the time of year and more importantly, was not too muddy.

The team was then read out and for the first time in my life, I was absolutely delighted not to hear my name in the team. The leg was improving every day but I was still a long way from match fitness. So, as I headed out to find a cup of tea, the chosen ones went to their appropriate places and started to get ready.

The Teams

Kilmarnock

McLaughlin
Arthur, McFadzean
Rodman, McGrory, Beattie
McLean, Queen, Morrison, Gilmour, Cameron.
Sub: McIlroy

Celtic

Simpson
Gemmell, O’Neill
Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan
Johnstone, Lennox, W allace, Gallagher, Hughes.
Sub:  Quinn

The Play

We got off to a great start and should have been a goal up in the first minute. Wispy flicked the ball on to Chopper, he pushed it forward and hit a fine shot towards goal. Keeper McLaughlin was up to the task, though, and made a spectacular dive to his right to stop the ball going in. It was nearly the perfect start….but a goal came soon after –

4 minutes……corner from Charlie, header by Cesar across goal and Wispy was in position to stab the ball home.  1-0 Celtic

Perhaps that start made us careless as Killie got two chances in as many minutes, the first when Tam and Ronnie got in each other’s way and then when Ronnie got his hands to a good header from the un-marked Cameron which was heading for just under the bar. However, we kept a clean sheet and soon got a reward at the other end –

16 minutes….good work and a fine run by Yogi, who then slid the ball into the path of Wispy and his right foot did the rest. 2-0 Celtic

The Kilmarnock guys did not fold but were giving as good as they got but the longer the game went on, the more they were pushed back on the defensive and we got another one before the break –

42 minutes….great work by Jinky, who beat three men in a tight space before passing the ball to Wispy. His cross was met perfectly with his head by Lemon.          3-0 Celtic

It would have been a happy dressing-room at the interval and the guys certainly looked delighted to be back out on the pitch in the second half. Once more they took control, initially missed a few chances but made sure of another nearly halfway through the half when Wispy got the fourth goal in 72 minutes. Shortly afterwards, Chopper was injured in a clash of heads and went off, Jimmy Quinn coming on for his league debut. And it did not take Jimmy very long to get his name on the score-sheet for Celtic’s 5^th with Wispy scoring Celtic’s 6^th – and his 4^th – just before the whistle.

Final Score  Kilmarnock 0  Celtic  6

As you might imagine, there was a great atmosphere in the dressing-room afterwards and that continued all the way back to Celtic Park on the bus.

Reserves

At Parkhead that afternoon, Celtic Reserves had beaten Aberdeen Reserves 4-2. The Celtic team was John Fallon, Ian Young, John Gorman, Davie Cattenach, George Connelly, Davie Hay, Hugh McKellar, Pat MacMahon, Stevie Chalmers, Joe McBride and Jim Clarke. The goals came from MacMahon, Hay, Chalmers and McKellar.

Other Results

Table

15^th February

Everyone reported for training and for those who had played on the Wednesday evening against Stirling Albion, it was a relatively mild affair. Those who had not played were put through a tougher session.

There were a couple of guys on the treatment table. Yogi had injured his knee and Bertie had a couple of problems. As Celtic, thanks to the Pars, were by that time out of the Scottish Cup, there was a free weekend coming up so the friendly match that had been arranged against Newcastle at St James Park was a real focus of attention in the press.

16^th February

The squad left by coach for Gateshead, where they would be based before the match. Bertie and Yogi did not travel. Nor did I, as I had some personal business back in the city. The Boss was OK about it although as my part of the deal, I would play for the second team against Aberdeen reserves.

The Day of the Match

It was very cold in Newcastle and there was some snow on the pitch which melted as the sun rose higher in the sky. George Connelly would be making his first-team debut and Ronnie was given the captaincy role as he returned to his old club.

In the Newcastle side, future Celt Gordon Marshall Snr was in goal; future England manager Bobby Robson was at outside-left; and ex-Celt John MacNamee, normally a rock for the Magpies at centre-half, was unfortunately out injured and missed facing his former club.

The Teams

Newcastle

Marshall
Burton, Clark
Elliott, Winstanley, Moncur
Sinclair, Scott, Davies, K Robson, B Robson.
Sub: Duffy

Celtic

Simpson
Gemmell, O’Neill
Murdoch, McNeill, Clark
Wallace, Johnstone, McBride, Connelly, Lennox.
Sub: Brogan

The Play

The official attendance was given as 38,790 and they gave Ronnie Simpson a rousing reception when he led Celtic out.

From the start, play seemed to be about even in terms of pressure. For every Celtic attack, the Magpies replied with one of their own and both keepers made outstanding saves. As usual, wee Jimmy was the main threat to Newcastle and the entertainer-in- chief but in spite of all the energy and effort put in, it was still goal-less at half-time.

And, according to the reports, the end –to- end stuff continued right through the second half as well, the breakthrough coming quite late in the match, when Newcastle’s Jim Scott – another Scotsman – fired home the only goal of  the game.

 Final Score  Newcastle 1  Celtic 0

Other Results

While the Hoops and the Magpies were battling it out in Newcastle, back in Scotland there were ties in the Scottish Cup taking place. The matches between Dunfermline and Aberdeen and Partick Thistle versus Clyde were both cancelled but the other results were-

The Reserves

Back in Glasgow, the Reserve side ran out to face Aberdeen at Celtic Park. The team was Fallon, Young, Gorman, Cattenach, Craig, Hay, Taggart, ‘Newman’, Quinn, MacMahon, Macari. It was also a very competitive affair but after opening the scoring we lost a couple of goals to go down 1-2.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Joint Tallest

One of the two tallest cranes in Europe was in use today in Glasgow hoisting lamp standards from the underpass on to the new fly-over in Castle Street, Townhead. Its ‘twin’ is being operated in the south of England.

Owned by Argos Crane Hire of Glasgow, the American-built crane rises to a height of 109 feet plus a 27-feet ‘fly-jib’. It cost £56,000

11^th February

It might have been a narrow win at Fir Park the previous Saturday but all the guys were well aware that the Steelmen were one of those sides who usually gave us a hard game so the atmosphere two days later was one of satisfaction. That always made the banter that bit noisier and we all enjoyed it, apart from those who were either receiving treatment or were waiting to go on the table.

Yogi had injured his back in the first half of the Motherwell match but after being seen on the Sunday was definitely improving. Bertie had picked up injuries to both knee and ankle in the second half but as we had by then used our only substitute, he had been forced to play on. That did not help his case and the view was that he might be out for a couple of weeks.

For the rest of us, we had a tough old session at Barrowfield in pretty wet conditions, running, shooting etc. And as the two players mentioned earlier were the only two getting treatment, there were two teams of about 14-a-side available for the two-touch match which always ended the session.

12^th February

The Boss was fairly pessimistic about Bertie’s chances over the following week – “Auld’s trouble is damaged ligaments. That takes time to heal and we can’t put any date on when he will be fit again”.

The rest of us went back up the road to the training ground and as it was coming down in sheets, we got the chance to take our cars. That then caused some more problems, as not everyone wanted to take his car, as it could get really dirty when soaking wet players piled into it after training for the trip back to Celtic Park. Honestly, sometimes we were never happy!

Two sides which would meet in the Scottish Cup at the weekend – Dundee United and Hearts – decided that some time away from their usual training grounds might help. Hearts went golfing at Longniddry, just east along the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh; while the Terrors were all treated to a 4-day break at Carnoustie.

The break must have helped both teams to tone up their goal-scoring, as the tie finished Dundee United 5 Hearts 6!

13^th February

The pool of players chosen by Bobby Brown for the international against England on the 24^th February was announced today. Six Celts were included – Simpson, Gemmell, Hughes, Johnstone, Lennox, McNeill.

For us, the day before a match usually meant some track-work and that is exactly what happened. However, after all the rain that had come down over the past few days, the track round the pitch at Celtic Park in those days was very heavy, so no chances were taken and we did not spend long outside

And, just for a change, the Boss announced the side that would meet Stirling Albion on the morrow, stressing that the game was one of those that we had in hand over Rangers, so picking up the two points would be not only necessary but crucial. The Big Fellow could get his point across pretty well sometimes!

Pre-Match

The Boss might have mentioned how crucial this match was for us but it obviously did not rank high enough for us to be fed beforehand so I had to reply on the my own efforts. In the event, the scrambled eggs on toast with some tea was highly satisfactory and I left my parents’ house late in the afternoon for the trip up to Parkhead. As I expected, everyone was in fine fettle and we were all looking forward to the match, although well aware that our opponents would also be up for it.

The Opposition

Unfortunately, Stirling Albion – who had spent the previous two seasons in the First Division after winning promotion in season 1964-65 – were struggling badly by that time, anchored at the foot of the table and already slightly adrift of the rest.

For every goal that they scored, they were losing an average of three and that is a sure recipe for disaster. And to make things worse – for us – they were all nice guys, particularly their right-half Sammy Henderson, who had only moved there from Celtic. Still, as the Boss would say – “no mercy!” – and that was the attitude we tried to adopt.

The Teams

Celtic

Simpson
Craig, Gemmell
Murdoch, McNeill, Clark
Johnstone, Wallace, Hughes, Gallagher, Lennox.
Sub: Chalmers

Stirling Albion

Murray
Reid, Corrigan
Henderson, Rogerson, McKinnon, McPhee, Smith, Lynn, Peebles, Hall.
Sub: Laing

The Play

From the kick-off, we had all the possession, made a number of chances but these were all messed up due to carelessness near the box. Everyone also seemed to be smitten by a sudden urge to score from far out and I must confess to trying one or two myself. We had been given an early chance to take the lead …..

16 minutes
McKinnon pulled down Jinky in the box, the referee –Mr Pringle from Edinburgh was in no doubt as to the decision and Tam stepped forward to blast the ball home. Celtic 1 Stirling Albion 0

… but from then on, we wasted a number of good opportunities.

At the break, the Boss was at his positive best, his only criticism our lack of concentration near the goal. We were all aware of that and went out keen to change things.

Unfortunately, we did not improve much. Stirling defended well and even made or two forward breaks. The crowd – pretty small at 17,000 – was beginning to get a little restless and while not exactly giving us some stick, you could feel their disapproval. Then we got another

60 minutes
Reid mis-timed a clearance and Wispy, challenging Rogerson for the ball, hooked it backwards on to the hands of keeper Murray, who could not stop it going over his head and in to the net.

Final Score  Celtic 2  Stirling Albion 0

Table

5^th February

While we were all in for training at Parkhead, Scotland Boss Bobby Brown was having to cope with some withdrawals from his squad for the U-23 game against England. Both Willie Johnston and Jim McCalliog pulled out with injuries received at the weekend.

Training at Barrowfield was pretty tough, a sure sign that the Boss had not been too pleased with the performance against the Jags. You would think a 4-1 victory would have satisfied most managers but the Boss could be pernickety at times if he felt that we had not played as well as he expected. Obviously, in spite of the result, that had been the case on Saturday, hence the hard work at the beginning of the week.

In the evening, the Reserve side beat Motherwell Reserves 2-1 at Celtic Park.

6^th February

It had been announced the previous day that we would be going down to Seamill for the few days and we left early in the morning, were quickly allocated our rooms then did a session on the lawn between the hotel and wall bordering the sea. The fresh air was fantastic and we all enjoyed it.

After lunch, we had the opportunity of a few holes of golf and that was followed after dinner by a visit to the cinema, where we all sat in two rows like little schoolboys, passing the ice-creams along to each other.

In the evening, the Boss disappeared to Rugby Park to see Kilmarnock and his old club Dunfermline play out a 1-1 draw.

7^th February

Training and some golf once again during the day; just some rest round the hotel in the evening. The card schools got underway, the rest of us relaxed with some tea and chat.

At Hampden, Scotland’s U-23 side were beaten 2-1 by England.

8^th February

The headlines in the press tended to show that Scotland had been a bit unlucky the previous evening……

Scots a Shade Unlucky to Lose

…and there almost universal condemnation of the display by the Welsh referee, Mr Gow of Swansea –

Ref Too Lenient With ‘Strong-Arm’ English

There had been 14,497 at the match and the Scots goal had been scored by future Celt Harry Hood, at that time with Clyde.

9^th February

After the usual walk before breakfast – along the main road towards Largs, down the lane at the far end of the golf course to the beach and then back again to the hotel along the strand – we did a light workout later in the morning before having some lunch and then coming back up to Glasgow again by bus.

By the look of the guys, there were no injury worries among the squad and we all went off our separate ways back to families and – in some cases – kids.

In the evening press, the big story came from England, from Sunderland in fact, who had sacked their manager Ian McColl – ex- Rangers and Scotland – and replaced him with one of their former managers, Allan Brown, at that time in charge at Sheffield Wednesday.

Morning of the Match

It was a short trip to Fir Park, so lunch was not on the menu. Most of the squad was involved that day in one way or another. The Boss had read out the first team on the bus on the way up to Parkhead the day before and had also mentioned the Reserve team that would play Rangers at Celtic Park at the same time in a third round tie of the Second Eleven Cup. So, while one set of players boarded the bus for the trip to Motherwell, the reserve players would come in a bit later to get ready for their match.

The Opposition

On that day, Motherwell were sitting 3^rd bottom of the First Division with a record of P23 W5 D5 L13 F29 A43. This was not a record that suggested they could be a real danger to Celtic but we all knew that teams like that raised their game when they faced the league champions and the Steelmen would be no different.

The Teams

Motherwell

McCloy
Whiteford, Mackay
Campbell, Martis, W McCallum
Wilson, McInally, Deans, McCall, Murray.
Sub: Hogg

Celtic
Simpson
Craig, Gemmell
Murdoch, McNeill, Clark
Johnstone, Wallace, Hughes, Auld, Lennox.
Sub: Chalmers

The Play

We started really well, taking the game to Motherwell all the time and putting their defence under real pressure. At the same time, our own backline was in control of their attacks quite comfortably. And halfway through the first half, we got the breakthrough –

27 minutes
Yogi started the move in midfield and after the ball had been spread out to the right wing, he was in position when the cross came in to head home.
Motherwell 0 Celtic 1

We should have got a few more after that but every shot on goal seemed to be straight at keeper Peter McCloy and frankly he did not have to work too hard to keep them out. Yogi was in good from up front as was Bertie in midfield but in spite of making the chances, we did not take them and the interval came with only the one goal in it.

There was a surprise for the fans at the start of the second half. Yogi had been having some trouble from his back and had been pulled; Stevie replaced him. Suddenly, we could all feel that the Steelmen had raised their game and were now making a real fist of it. At the back, we had to work hard to keep them out.

Then, we were struck by more trouble. Bertie had obviously taken a knock and was limping but with our only substitute having been used, he just had to hirple on! And Motherwell took advantage of our problems, raising their own game and looking as though they had some extra men on the park. Fortunately, we managed to keep them at bay and when the final whistle blew it was still.

Motherwell  0  Celtic  1

Other Results

Table

Reserve Match

In the Second Eleven cup-tie at Celtic Park, Celtic Reserves lost 0-2 to Rangers. The team was;

Fallon, Young, O’Neill, Cattenach, Connelly, Brogan, Gallagher, MacMahon, Quinn, Hay, Macari.

22^nd January

We all reported back in for training on the Monday after the Hibs match and I was called in for a chat by the Boss. He was quite solicitous, asking me how I was feeling and whether I felt up to training and playing.

I explained that my nausea would come in waves, the problem being that I would feel OK for a long period, then it would strike suddenly and I had no control over when that was. He told me to just continue to train with the team, say nothing about it to the other players – and he would say nothing to the press – and we would see how the week would work out.

I thought that a sensible way to deal with the situation. When the nausea did strike – and I was in the middle of a run or shooting practice etc – I would just stop and hold my knee as though that was a slight problem. Players do that all the time if they are feeling a little tightness, so nobody gave my problems a thought.

The others in the first-team squad seemed all right, apart from Jinky, who had come off at  half-time the previous Saturday with some sort of leg injury

Obviously, there had been some problems with the state of the pitches at some other grounds as this piece appeared in one of the evening papers ; –

‘The Scottish League Management Committee today upheld the decisions of the referees who declared Broomfield Park, Tannadice Park and Hampden Park playable for the Airdrie/Kilmarnock, Dundee United/Rangers and Queen’s Park/Brechin City matches. A complaint from Rangers FC about games being played on unsuitable pitches was noted’.

23^rd January

Back in for training again and I went right through a session without feeling the slightest twinge of anything. Things were definitely improving. I had been told to keep the Boss up-dated on how I was feeling, so to avoid anyone being suspicious, I merely gave him a thumbs-up sign when I thought no-one was watching.

I was, though, getting a little bit worried about how the general public, particularly the Celtic contingent, were assessing the Scottish Cup match against Dunfermline. The Pars had been playing well recently and yet in one of the dailies, it said ;

‘If recent results and recent history count for anything in football, the name CELTIC will go straight into the ballot drum on Monday when the draw for the 2^nd round of the Scottish Cup takes place at Park Gardens’.

Was that confidence….or stupidity? Wasn’t it only a year ago that they were saying the same about Rangers and Berwick Rangers?

24^th January

A day off. All the first-team squad reported to Bonnyton Moor Golf Club for a few holes. The one man missing was Jinky, not because of injury but because he did not play golf!

25^th January

The usual not too heavy work-out two days before a match. I felt only the slightest problem doing the sprints but when it did hit me, it was like a knife in the guts. I spoke to the Boss afterwards and he motioned me into his room. I wondered what the problem was but it was merely to say that he had decided he could not take the chance of playing me against Dunfermline. If I had an episode of nausea on the pitch, it could strike just at a crucial moment and he did not want to take a chance. It was a sensible decision and I could only nod my head in agreement. Never one to miss a trick, though, he then went on to say that he thought that it would be good for me to get a competitive match under my belt so suggested that I play in the reserve game against Stirling at Annfield on the Friday night. “Thanks a bunch!” I thought but just kept my mouth shut.

The Boss later told a little white lie when he was quoted as saying to the press –

“all our players are fit at the moment. I will see how they are at training tomorrow before making any definite decision”.

And George Farm, the manager of  Dunfermline, was almost arrogantly confident when interviewed about the clash at the Pars’ luxury hotel at Dunblane, where they would stay until leaving for Parkhead on the Saturday –

“Let Celtic Worry!”, he declared.

26^th January

It was reported in the press that John Clark was OUT of Celtic’s cup team against Dunfermline at Celtic Park on the morrow – the result of a training ground injury. Midway through the session, he injured an ankle.

The Boss said that Jim Brogan will replace John Clark and Davie Cattenach would take over my right-back slot.

That night proved to be a successful one for the Reserves at Annfield. In spite of a heavy pitch and some driving rain, we ran out 4-0 winners over Stirling Albion. The team was John Fallon, Jim Craig, Willie O’Neill, Sammy Henderson, George Connelly, Davie Hay, Vic Davidson, Charlie Gallagher, Jimmy Quinn, Pat MacMahon and Lou Macari, with the goals coming from Vic Davidson (2), Jimmy Quinn and Pat MacMahon.

Curiously enough, although I never really liked playing at Annfield, which had slopes that I do not approve of on a football pitch, I always admired the setting and the quaint building – containing offices and dressing-rooms – a little behind one of the stands.

27^th January 1968 Celtic v Dunfermline Athletic – Scottish Cup -Report

The Morning of the Match

It is easy after all these years, especially when one knows the outcome of the match, to appear wise after the event and state that things did not feel good before the game. I can still recall, though, that the atmosphere before that particular contest was, let’s say, ‘unusual’. Oh! there was the usual banter but it seemed forced rather then natural. Could it be that the comments in most of the press that Celtic were certainties to go through was putting the guys under pressure? Or did the throwaway line from the Pars manager – “let Celtic worry” – have an effect on the players? Whatever the cause, that dressing-room was not the chatty and noisy place it usually was.

The Boss and Sean were doing their bit, masseur Jim Steel kept up the banter but few were responding to it and I soon left them to it, although never for one minute expecting the result that was coming up. I just thought everyone was having a quieter day than usual.

The Teams

Celtic

Simpson
Cattenach, Gemmell
Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan
Johnstone, Wallace, McBride, Auld, Hughes.
Sub: Chalmers

Dunfermline

Martin
W Callaghan, Lunn
Fraser, Barry, Thomson
Edwards, Paton, Gardner, T Callaghan, Robertson.
Sub: Hunter

The Play

The team was wearing green shirts and shorts with white stockings, an outfit which was met with approval from the stands. Wee Jinky got the first shot on goal, then the Pars also made a push, through Edwards and Paton. In the 24^th minute, Billy McNeill mis-hit a good chance from 10 yards; a minute later, Joe McBride hoisted his shot over the bar, also from close-in.

Dunfermline were not out of it, though, relying on quick breaks and by the half-hour mark, the match had turned into a dour, tough encounter, lots of hard, fast tackling on both sides but a decided lack of rhythmic football from Celtic.

In the stands and the terracings, the Hoops fans were not enjoying it. The ones around me in the South Stand were complaining most of the time, asking loudly either “what was wrong with the team?” or “why are they not taking control?”.

Sometimes, when you are a injured player watching your team at a time like that, you feel like saying to these guys – “because the opposition is playing pretty well”.

In 39 minutes, Jim Brogan had a great shot from the edge of the box which went through a packed group of players in the penalty area and found the corner. However, just as Brogie started celebrating and his team- mates rushed to join him, somebody noticed that the referee, Mr Davidson of Airdrie, had blown for an offence,  presumably offside, so the score still remained goalless and was the same at half-time.

Celtic took control from the re-start and a shot from Wispy went just over the bar. From a free-kick at the other end, future Celt Tommy Callaghan brought out a great save from Ronnie. Joe McBride went off; Stevie Chalmers came on. Then a goal arrived.

64 minutes
Pars substitute Hunter made a good run down the right wing. He crossed into the box where Robertson had two attempts at goal; the first one was blocked but the second fairly whistled past Ronnie.

1-0 Dunfermline

I thought that we would be annoyed by going behind and really take the game to the Pars but it did not work out like that. The Dunfermline guys kept our forwards in check and when they did come forward, our defence looked very square and vulnerable. Then, with 16 minutes to go, as often happens, a mistake by an individual player lets the opposition in –

74 minutes
Davie Cattenach was well short with a pass back and Pat Gardner latched on to the ball, rounded Ronnie and calmly slid the ball home.

2-0 Dunfermline

The Celtic fans making up the vast majority of the 47,000 crowd were shell-shocked. We looked a bit perplexed on the pitch too but hard as we tried to get back into the match, the Pars players just took control of the game and from that point on, it was more a question of them possibly scoring a third goal as opposed to us getting our first.

When the whistle went, it was no surprise that our guys got a bit of a going-over and I’m sure that they would have been pleased to get back into the dressing-room

Final Score  Celtic  0  Dunfermline  2

I decided not to go into the dressing-room at the end of the match, so I did not hear the Boss’s reaction to the defeat. However, from what the guys told me afterwards, he was fairly reserved in his comments although very magnanimous when talking to the manager and players of the winners, his old club. Deep down, though, he must have been hurting.

Other Results

Aberdeen  1  Raith Rovers  1
Ayr United 0 Arbroath  2
Clyde  1  Berwick  0
Cowdenbeath  0  Dundee  1
Dundee Utd 3  St Mirren  1
East Fife  3  Alloa  0
East Stirling  3  Hibs  5
Elgin City  3  Forfar  1
Hearts  4  Brechin City  1
Morton  4  Falkirk  0
Motherwell  1  Airdrie  1
Partick Th. 0 Kilmarnock 0
QOS  1  Stirling Albion 1
Rangers  3  Hamilton 1
St Johnstone 3  Hawick RA 0

New Programme

Singer Elvis Presley has been signed by the National Broadcasting Company (N.B.C.) to star in his first television programme. The hour-long show will be made in Hollywood and shown later this year or early in 1969.

Shortly after the 2-2 draw with Rangers on 2^nd January, the weather deteriorated badly, with most of Scotland suffering from snow and frost. This meant that training was difficult at both Barrowfield or the track at Parkhead, although after the incident with the pitchfork flying into the air, we were never asked to that running across the straw on the pitch again!

There was a bit of hope that the match on 6^th January – against St Johnstone in Perth – might go ahead but on the Friday afternoon, the 5^th January, news came down from Muirton Park that the referee had been called in and his verdict was that the match should be cancelled.

6^th January

Some other games did go ahead –

This left the league table looking as follows –

8^th January

The draw for the 1^st Round proper of the Scottish Cup was made and the big two both received home ties –

Rangers v Hamilton
Celtic v Dunfermline

10th January

Training was becoming monotonous, to be honest. Manager Jock Stein admitted that unless there was a big improvement in the weather, he could not see the game against Stirling Albion going ahead at Parkhead on the 13^th.

12^th January

Four First Division matches were already off – Aberdeen v Morton; Dundee United v Airdrie; Motherwell v Dundee; Kilmarnock v Dunfermline. There was an inspection at 4pm at Celtic Park but the referee only took a cursory look before cancelling the clash between Celtic and Stirling Albion.

13^th January

Some matches did go ahead –

And this left the league table looking as follows –

On the 14^th and 15^th, we trained as best we could, with the Boss trying to find us somewhere suitable. We eventually fell back on an old favourite…….

16^th January

A squad of 16 players left for Seamill for a few days, normally for a bit of peace and quiet but on this occasion, that was broken up by a match against Morton, due at Cappielow. The pitch was in great condition that night considering the weather, the Morton guys gave us a good work-out and we ran out winners by four goals to three.

Then, it was back to Seamill for a couple of days before coming back up to Parkhead on the 18^th.

19^th January

Training as usual at Parkhead, just the light work-out we normally did on the day before a match. The news from all the grounds seemed to be positive, so we all went home in a positive frame of happy, happy that this Saturday might see us back our normal procedures. After all, as footballers, Saturday is usually a working day.

20^th January 1968  Hibs v Celtic League – Report

Morning of the Match

Everyone reported at the appropriate time for the trip by coach to Edinburgh and the atmosphere was good, with all the boys in great form – except for me. The nausea that I had suffered from after the trip to South America had come back with a vengeance overnight and I just felt a trifle fragile that morning, if I was being honest.

Rather than phone in, I had come into the park early and explained to the medical team just how I felt. Surprisingly enough, there was some sympathy for me and when I caught sight of myself in the mirror, I could see why. I looked like death warmed up! It was decided that there was no chance of me performing that day, so I was packed off home just in case it was something I could pass on to the other players. To be honest, I was quite pleased. The prospect of taking part in a crucial match while feeling like that was just not on and I did not want to be in the position of letting anyone down.

So, as the squad headed for Edinburgh, I drove south-west, to my parent’s house.

The rest of the morning for the players apparently went OK. Lunch at the Norton Hotel just outside the city on the west side, then along Princes Street and down Leith Walk to Easter Road, the noise from the fans increasing as the bus got nearer to the ground. Then in though the front door, across the foyer to the tunnel and a walk out on to the pitch to check the conditions before returning to the dressing room to firstly find out the team then get ready for the fray.

The Teams

Hibs

Wilson
Duncan, Davis
Stanton, Madsen, McGraw
Marinello, Quinn, Stein, Cormack, Scott.
Sub: Cousin

Celtic

Simpson
Cattenach, Gemmell
Murdoch, McNeill, Clark
Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Lennox, Hughes.
Sub: Auld

The Play

One of the papers the next day mentioned that Celtic had rather upset one of Hibs’ regular ploys, that of winning the toss and shooting up the slope on the Easter Road pitch in the first half so they could shoot downhill in the second. We won the toss that day and opted to shoot up the hill, leaving Hibs to go in the opposite direction. And just after the start, things became even worse for the Hibees –

2 minute
a hard cross from Tam Gemmell hit Madsen on the leg, the ball ricocheted off then also hit Duncan on the leg before rolling over the line. 1-0 Celtic

Hibs gave everything they had but Celtic always seemed to be the more likely to score again and just before the 20 minute mark they did so…

19 minutes
corner by Jinky, header by Lennox.  2-0 Celtic

Unfortunately, just before half-time, came one of those ‘better forgotten’ moments. Right back Duncan was rather clumsily brought down from behind by Yogi and had to be stretchered off the field, his leg broken. Unfortunately, the incident provoked some trouble behind one of the goals and play was held up for four minutes.

After the break, Hibs found it difficult. Two goals down and shooting up the hill, things just did not come off for them and Celtic looked to be always in control. By the end, the home side looked well beaten and the Bhoys’ fans were delighted with the points.

Final Score  Hibs  0   Celtic  2

Other Results

Table

At least 17 people died as a hurricane, the worst in memory, raged across Scotland.

9 were killed in Glasgow, where tenements were wrecked in a night of terror a police chief described as “worse than the blitz”.

2 died in Greenock, 2 in Edinburgh, one in Cambuslang, one in a crash at Bonhill, a man driving his expectant wife to hospital; a cyclist on the Kirkintilloch-Cumbernauld road; and a motor cyclist in Dumfriesshire.  

Morning of the Match

I was in early for some treatment but I absolutely knew that I was out. The ankle was still swollen and really tender to touch so I had given up all hopes of making the team that afternoon. It is grim when you miss any game; to be injured at the time of an Old Firm game was sickening. Bob Rooney was equally pessimistic and when Doc Fitzsimmons came in to see the ankle, it did not take long for him to rule me out.

Also, Ronnie Simpson had not recovered from his injury sustained in a clash the day before with Clyde’s Dick Staite, so John Fallon was drafted.

We went for a pre-match meal at our usual haunt but curiously enough, not a word was said about the team all the time we were there. There was very little point in the Boss assessing the Rangers side and the way it would be asked to perform – we knew their players really well by that time – but it is nice to get to know the team early, as it sets the chosen ones up for the contest and I think that the boys that lunch-time would have liked to have been told the line-up.

The other regular we were sure would be out was Ronnie, who seemed to be suffering from both rib and ankle knocks, so at least John Fallon knew he was in. And from a selfish point of view, I rather enjoyed stuffing my face with some scrambled eggs – and chips – while the rest had their much lighter pre-match lunch.

The Opposition

Rangers at that time were a very good side, having reached the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup only a few days after we had won in Lisbon. They were also top of the table before the match and would be keen to take the points at our home base. They would be missing Alex Ferguson for a previous misdemeanour; we would similarly be without Willie Wallace.

The top of the table before the match that day looked like this–

The bus journey from the hotel over to Celtic Park was as brilliant as ever. It was strange for me to be part of the team and yet, due to the injury, knew perfectly well that I would not be involved so had no problems with pre-match nerves. That’s what should have happened but the reality was that I could feel the tension rising within me as we approached the stadium and I suddenly realised what I was going to be missing over the next few hours. That was very unexpected…..and quite frustrating!

Pre-Match

The size of the crowd should have surprised no-one as this had been organised in advance as an all-ticket encounter with the ground limit set at 75,000. And as the bus stopped outside the front door around an hour before kick-off, it seemed that a pretty high percentage of that number were already around the premises, half of them cheering for us and the other half doing the opposite.

From then on, the format was the usual. A walk down the tunnel to check the condition of the pitch and take in the atmosphere; the return to the dressing-room for the team announcement; then the call to get stripped and ready.

As I have mentioned before, even when you are a member of the squad for a match like this, the fact that because of injury (in my case) or non-selection, you are not involved that day, you just do not feel as if you belong in the dressing-room and you usually go elsewhere – anywhere – to try to shake off your disappointment.

That was certainly the feeling I had that day and I headed for the tearoom, where I could have a chat with my fellow non-participants and also meet supporters and press-men. When we all saw the team list, there was a surprise for everyone when it came to the name of the substitute. Jimmy Quinn, the grandson of the famous Jimmy of the early years of the 20^th century, had been doing well in the reserves and now the Boss had put him on the bench for that day’s match. Seldom does a substitute not come on so young Jimmy would make his debut in an Old Firm match and that immediately started a conversation about other Celts who had done the same. I chipped in with a couple I knew of – Bobby Collins and Bertie Auld – but it was generally agreed that it was not a common occurrence.

The Teams

Celtic

Fallon
Cattenach, Gemmell
Brogan, McNeill, Clark
Johnstone, Murdoch, Hughes, Auld, Lennox.
Sub: Quinn

Rangers

Sorensen
Johansen, Greig
Jardine, McKinnon, D Smith
Penman, Watson, Hynd, Johnston, Persson.
Sub: A Smith

The Play

This turned out to be an exciting  match – or ‘dramatic’ as the papers called it – and right from the team announcements, the fans had some things to ponder. For Rangers, there was no Alec Willoughby or Willie Mathieson, so with John Greig at left-back, Sandy Jardine in midfield and Roger Hynd at centre-forward, they obviously had gone for a bit of power among the skill.

Jock Stein had changed our side too. Although it was read out as above, the fullbacks immediately switched, Tam to the right and Davie to the left; Bobby Murdoch was at inside-right; with John Hughes at centre-forward.

John Fallon got off to a good start when he comfortably clutched a fine volley by Orjan Persson and then John Greig brought down Jinky just outside the box.

18 minutes
Bertie Auld took the free-kick and his shot deflected off Sandy Jardine, the ball heading in a different direction to Eric Sorensen. 1-0 Celtic

It would be fair to say that from that point to the interval, Celtic were all over Rangers, completely dominating the play, forcing the Light Blue players back into defence, so much that our own rearguard had very little to do. And, although I was not present in the dressing room, I could imagine that the Boss would have been quite a happy man with the score – and the performance – and would merely have told the guys to go out and repeat it after the break.

The second half started in the same frenetic fashion as the first but now there was one subtle change in the level of play. From being out of it in the first half, Rangers were now the dominant side, the left-wing partnership of Johnston and Persson proving very difficult for our right side to cope with. And it was not long before they got a reward.

55 minutes
Willie Johnston got the ball out on the left and just when it seemed that he did not know what to do, he wheeled and sent in a hard low shot. John Fallon went down to get it but the ball squirmed out of his grasp and slowly rolled over the line and into the net.  1-1

We were shell-shocked in the stands and the guys must have felt the same on the pitch but to give them credit, they rallied. Jimmy Quinn was brought on for his debut in place of Bertie and his pace caused some problems for the Gers defence. Rangers, though, still looked the more likely side to score but we dug in and, against the run of play, came up with a cracker.

78 minutes
the ball was passed by Brogie to Chopper, who swiveled and then hit a wonderful left-foot shot high into the roof of the net. 2-1 Celtic

At that point, everyone sitting beside me – and I should imagine, most of the stands and terracings – would have thought that Celtic had done it but unfortunately – perhaps even tragically – fate was still to intervene and waited till almost the final whistle to do so.

88 minutes
with the Celtic fans urging referee Bobby Davidson to blow his whistle for an end to the proceedings, Kai Johansen ventured forward and hit what the papers called a ‘speculative shot’ towards goal. As John Fallon went down to stop it, he seemingly mis-judged its pace and, to the horror of the Celtic end and the delight of the Rangers contingent, the ball rolled slowly under his body and over the line.

Final Score    Celtic  2  Rangers  2

As I believed that there was nothing I could say that was relevant to the situation, I stayed out of the dressing-room at the end and waited for the guys out in the foyer. From what I heard later, the Boss seemed completely shocked rather than angry, everyone else thought that any comments were totally un-necessary and the dressing-room atmosphere was probably one of the quietest-ever. Even Steely said nothing!

A Happy New Year? I don’t think so!

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