‘8 in a row for Celtic and this is how it feels,’ Sunday Mail headline

DidsburyCelt has been helping us through the international break by telling his story as a Celtic supporter. Check out the earlier instalments over the past 9 days on The Celtic Star – just go to our homepage HERE. Now here’s DidsburyCelt account of season 1972/73…this is how it feels to be Celtic…

This is part ten of my story for The Celtic Star: “Supporting Celtic from Near and Far.” All previous editions can be found using the search function on the site.

1972-73 Season

My playing badly career ended at the close of the 1971-72 season but I was keen to stay in the game and had often thought about refereeing. A fellow Scot in the office had been whistling before he came South and had carried on in Manchester and was doing well having been promoted to the referees’ list of the then Northern Premier League. (Next step would be Football League linesmen’s list to be followed, if successful, by promotion to Football League referees’ list.) I had a few chats with him and in summer 1972 I attended the training course and started refereeing when the amateur season commenced in September.

I had a wonderful time for five years before I retired. I have some glorious memories and some horror stories.

This is about supporting Celtic but I want to share one incident with you which still makes me laugh 50 or so years later. As I was about to start the season I went with my pal to the leisure centre across the road from the office to join the men’s keep fit class.

There were some great lads there and we had some fun. After I had been attending for two or three years a guy came along who was a good footballer but a bit of a hot head who could find trouble reasonably easily. When he saw my pal and me he was less than impressed.

Certainly I had cautioned him a few times and had probably sent him off on an occasion. Anyway that seemed to have been left on one side and training went along happily. Some time after and bearing in mind that at the time I worked in the tax office which was common knowledge amongst the lads and so he definitely knew I was on a match involving his team.

He was not having a good game and things were not working out for his side either. He and his mates were giving me a hard time and moaning. For me most of what was being said was water off a duck’s back but as the match progressed his frustration increased and at one point, behind my back, he announced to his mates in a derogatory fashion that I was a tax man. The next decision that annoyed him produced the protest, again behind my back, “He’s probably a traffic warden in his spare time.” Referee, tax man, traffic warden! Three hated professions? Wonderful!

Back to Celtic! The six League Cup section matches produced four wins and two home draws to take us to the knock out stages with the final game (3-3 against Arbroath) being remarkable. The visitors scored an own goal and Derek Rylance who had never scored for the Red Lichties before grabbed a hat trick. Funny old game!

September saw a combination of competitions opening with our defence of the League title in a 7pm kick off at Hampden (work being done on the main stand at Celtic Park) where we hammered Kilmarnock 6-2 in front of a crowd of only 11,560. A visit to Morton yielded a 2-0 victory and this was followed by a low key, and low attendance 18,000+, European Cup tie at home (Hampden again) to Rosenborg (2-1). Another League match at Hampden saw us destroy Rangers 3-1.

Now came a huge delight for me as the Bhoys arrived at Old Trafford to play in Bobby Charlton’s testimonial. For days I had been telling my work mates that we would win and win well. We certainly played well but just could not score and it ended 0-0 but it was a joy to be among Celtic fans again (and it cost me 10/- in a side bet with one of the many Man Utd fans in the office).

On the way home the team achieved a 2-1 win at Stranraer who scored first in a hard fought match but it just about secured our place in the next round of the League Cup. A visit to Dens Park saw us play decently but on the day no match for an excellent Dundee side well worth their 2-0 triumph. Off to Trondheim next for the second leg against the amateurs of Rosenborg who gave us a tough time and on taking the lead after 37 minutes were ahead in the tie with their away goal. Strikes from Macari, and Hood and Dalglish at the end saw us through. Back home in Paradise we closed out the month with a 1-0 win against Ayr United to move back to the top of the table having been dislodged by Dundee.

The Celtic bench at the away game v Rosenborg

Into October and we entertained Stranraer in the 2nd leg League Cup tie. Again the Stair Park men took the lead but we ended comfortable winners (5-2 on the night and 7-3 overall). Now a 1-1 draw at home to Airdrie caused some frustration as the Diamonds defended well after having taken the lead. Another disappointment against Dundee (0-1) in the away leg of the League Cup tie was followed by four victories Partick Thistle (A 4-0), East Fife (H 3-0), Ujpest Dosza (H 2-1) and Aberdeen (A 3-2). Those three domestic games were all in the League but would the European Cup win be sufficient against a good Hungarian side that had caused us so many problems last season?

As we moved into November we had played 21 competitive matches, ignoring the pre-season Dryborough Cup, and we had another nine lined up. First we hosted Dundee in the League Cup and won 3-2 so squaring the tie after 90 minutes. Extra time produced no goals.

Once again Mr R H Davidson provided one of his curious performances resulting in Jock having an exchange of words with him and being fined £100 by the SFA. Mr Davidson managed to upset Dundee as well. The decider was played at Hampden on the 20th with Dundee taking the lead. The Bhoys hit back strongly and by half-time were 4-1 ahead which is how it stayed.

A 3-1 win at home to Dundee United sent us off to Hungary for the vital second leg. We started appallingly, nothing new there, and were three down and out after 22 minutes. We could not drag ourselves back into the tie despite hitting the woodwork twice late on. We came back well from that bad experience scoring five without reply at Motherwell, four at home while conceding two against Hearts, another four in that League cup replay and three for the loss of two at Falkirk.

That gave us a four point lead at the top of the league. We closed out the month by going behind for the fourth game in a row in the League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen but within three minutes Harry Hood had levelled from the spot. On 73 minutes Aberdeen took the lead again but immediately Jinky equalised and seven minutes later Tommy Callaghan notched the winner.

Hibs were waiting in the final next month.

There were only four matches in December beginning with a 6-1 thrashing of Dumbarton at Boghead. Now came that League Cup final where in a fine game Hibs deservedly carried home the trophy. Following that a visit to Arbroath saw the hosts score after about 20 seconds but two late goals from Harry Hood made the points safe.

The visit of Hibs produced a fine top of the table clash as a 1-1 draw took us into the New Year still with that four point lead. On 28 December Jock was admitted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary cardiac unit for observation.

January 1973 was a frustrating month with three score lines of 2-1 but only one in Celtic’s favour at home to Dundee and a 3-1 win at Ayr. All four matches were tough with defeats at Rangers and Airdrie who at the time were in bottom place. Interestingly all four fixtures had late or very late goals and all were significant. (Conn (89 mins), Rangers winner; Dalglish (82) against Dundee; two more for Dalglish (79 and 85) at Somerset Park; and McCann (89) for The Diamonds.) All that meant that we were 2nd behind Rangers three points adrift but with three games in hand.

We commenced our defence of the Scottish Cup on 3 February at home to East Fife with Jock back in charge as we achieved a comfortable win 4-1. This was followed by a 4-0 success at Kilmarnock (Kenny scored 2 and hit the bar with a penalty), a 1-1 draw at Paradise against Partick Thistle (Bobby Murdoch scored Celtic’s 6,000th goal) and a 2-2 draw away to East Fife (Murdoch hit the bar with a penalty, Hood was entrusted with the re-take which the keeper saved and then he saved another from Dalglish on 87 mins with Dixie notching the equaliser after 88 mins).

The month closed with two 4-0 wins. The first was at Motherwell in the cup with our new goalkeeper Ally Hunter* saving a penalty at a crucial stage when we were one goal ahead. After that it was straightforward. (Incidentally, this was the first time since Tynecastle on 5 March 1966 that Celtic had played a Scottish Cup tie outside Glasgow.) The second was at home to St. Johnstone who put up stiff resistance making us grateful for Bobby Lennox’s opener on 15 minutes. The other three came in the last twenty minutes.

 

* I can add a little note to the signing of Ally Hunter from Kilmarnock. The Rugby Park outfit were part-time then. Ally worked in the same office as my late dad. The old man was very friendly with the three or four other Celtic supporters in the firm one of whom was a pal of Jock. When the Big Man decided to make his move this lad was asked to sound Ally out. It seems he jumped at the chance. Certainly he signed very shortly after.

March 1973 was a bit mixed. Aberdeen and Morton were beaten at home and then a visit to Tannadice produced a 2-2 draw. An early goal from Bobby Lennox was cancelled out four minutes later and after twelve more minutes we were behind but the Buzz Bomb was on hand one minute after that to square matters up. That effectively evened things up at the top of the table as well with Celtic and Rangers both on 43 points after 27 games but goal difference in our favour 43:34.

St. Patrick’s Day brought Aberdeen back to Paradise on Scottish Cup business and like the League match eleven days previously they attempted to put up the shutters (in the parlance of those days. In present times? They parked the bus). On this occasion they were successful but not so in the replay on the Wednesday evening.

This was a real cup tie. Dixie had a shot cleared off the line and then cleared one off our line to keep the hosts out. Four minutes from time Cesar produced a trademark header to put us in the semi-final. At the end of the month two goals at Tynecastle gave us a comfortable victory and four at home to Falkirk repeated the dose and so we were two points adrift of Rangers with a game in hand and still holding that goal difference advantage of 9.

April opened with what was Celtic’s game in hand and a 2-0 win over Motherwell put us on top with our goal difference slightly increased. In the cup semi-final Dundee made no effort to win and Celtic only came alive in the last ten minutes when Jinky joined in. The replay was as bad until extra time when Celtic scored three goals with Wee Jimmy notching two and Kenny the other between Jimmy’s brace. Comfortable wins at Perth (3-1), home to Dumbarton (5-0), and home to Arbroath (4-0) saw us a point clear of Rangers who could only draw 2-2 at Aberdeen.

With an advantage of 20 in the goal difference stakes a point in the final match at Easter Road would see us home for eight-in-a-row. Dixie gave us the lead after 22 minutes but Hibs battled all the way. After 71 minutes Kenny Dalglish more or less settled it and then on 80 minutes Dixie finished things off. Champions again!

Into May and the Scottish Cup Final. With the amateur football season finished in Manchester I was free to come up for the match. In a pulsating clash Kenny put us in front but we could not capitalise and Rangers equalised.

Immediately after half time they went in front but George Connelly levelled with a penalty. Just after the hour a header came off the Celtic goal post and ran along the line where Forsyth was standing. Surely he must score his first goal for Rangers. He stuck out his foot and in my desperation I was sure that he was about to miss but his studs connected with the ball and sent it over the line. We pressed for another equaliser but it was not to be.

It had been a long time since I had attended consecutive Celtic games but I had that joy, even if we had lost the Cup Final, on the following Monday evening at Elland Road, Leeds for Jack Charlton’s testimonial match.

Great anticipation as I drove over the Pennines with some friends, Celtic supporters and not, but all football daft. What an advertisement for the people’s game. The speed and standard was excellent. With such hard men as Norman “bite your legs” Hunter in the Leeds team and Davie “The Assassin” Hay playing for Celtic there just had to be at least one crunching tackle with “The Assassin” coming out with the ball. Cue wild cheers from the Hoops’ fans.

Three times we went in front and Leeds came back on each occasion but in 86 minutes when Jinky broke clear to run through and beat Gary Sprake we Celtic fans erupted in joy.

Earlier we had arrived at the stadium and just walked up to a turnstile and handed over our cash. We were standing beside many Leeds fans but while the atmosphere was electric it was also very friendly. The great fans of two great teams had come to salute a great player,  a World Cup winner.

Most appropriately the match was refereed by England’s top man at the time Gordon Hill.  After Jimmy Johnstone had scored what was going to be the winner and we had calmed down a little I looked round and saw a young Leeds fan looking forlorn.

Perhaps subconsciously I thought back to Palm Sunday 22 March 1970 when those other Leeds fans had organised the European Cup semi-final tickets for me and yet, remember that all I have ever wanted was for Celtic to win. Now I found myself saying to this lad, “Don’t be upset or disappointed. Your team has not lost tonight and mine hasn’t won. The winner is football. If I thought that Gordon Hill would play extra time I would go onto the pitch and equalise for Leeds myself.”

Equally in my mind I may have been delighted to think that in the same season I had been at testimonials for two of the finest players ever to grace a football pitch. The drive home was superb. The talk about the match was wonderful. A good feeling persisted for days. An amazing end to a successful season!

DidsburyCelt

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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