The scene was set perfectly for the match of the season on Saturday, 17 April 1971, as Aberdeen hosted Celtic at Pittodrie.
The Dons were now three points clear, with Celtic having just three games to play beyond the trip north, a home victory thus leaving Aberdeen requiring only to win their final game at Brockville to secure a first title for the Granite City since 1955 and end Jock Stein’s hopes of matching Willie Maley’s six-in-a-row record, which had stood since 1910.
On the other hand, a draw or Celtic win would see the advantage remain with the defending Champions, albeit they would still require points from their final matches. The full house 36,000 crowd included the 10-year-old Matt Corr, an overnight stay with the supporters’ bus in Aberdeen the stuff of childhood dreams. For just £1, the dads on the Cairn CSC could bring one of their kids to see a virtual title decider. Happy days.
We would be on the road by 8am, in those days before motorways and bypasses, stopping for lunch at Forfar before arriving at Pittodrie in good time for kick-off. I will always remember, as we approached the Granite City, one of those dads, Harry Docherty, bursting into a spontaneous version of “The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen,” and the rest joining in. Wonderful times.
Our seats were in the back row of the main stand, looking along the six-yard box at the Merkland Street end, and we would have a perfect view as Harry Hood opened the scoring right in front of us within two minutes, following a corner on the far side.
Aberdeen had won at Celtic Park back in December, as they had done the previous May and then again in the Scottish Cup final a few weeks later. They were going for a fourth successive victory over Stein’s men – quite unheard of in those days – and they would not be giving up their tilt at the title without a fight.
There was pandemonium all around us seven minutes before the break when the Dons equalised, through Springburn-born Alex Willoughby.
The former Rangers striker was partnering his second cousin, Jim Forrest – a Garngad man and the scourge of Celtic so often in the early 60s, at Pittodrie – up front for Aberdeen. Willoughby took advantage of an error from Evan Williams to blast home at the Beach End for 1-1. Celtic’s title hopes would now hang in the balance over the final 45 minutes of football in the cauldron of Pittodrie.
There is a defining moment in every season, and this one came 10 minutes into the second period. Castlemilk-born teenager Arthur Graham was enjoying his tussle with his hero – Celtic captain Billy McNeill – and history beckoned as he rounded Williams and prepared to give his Aberdeen side a precious lead. With the goal gaping and 15,000 Celtic supporters holding their breath, Cesar then made a miraculous recovery to block the ball on the line.
Celtic would not look back. Harry Hood would limp off near the end, replaced by Jimmy Quinn, as Stein’s men showed all the experience of those previous big games to hold out for the point required.
Now it was advantage Celtic.
Matt Corr
