Celtic 4 Rangers 2 Hallelujah – A Miracle on a May Monday Night in 1979

Having failed to sign Willie Pettigrew from Motherwell, Billy turned to an old colleague to bolster his strike force for the run-in, signing Vic Davidson from Blackpool, on the eve of a fixture at Easter Road. Like most of the fans behind the goal that day, I had no idea who he was, when he ran onto the pitch for his second debut, in the pre-mobile/social media days of 1979.

I would experience a similar problem many years later in Berne, when a shaven-headed Gerry Creaney took the field against Young Boys. Another comical opening for Celtic and the restored Latchford saw us two goals down within 15 minutes and, despite a late penalty from Ronnie Glavin, playing his last game for Celtic, the month ended like so many had before, in defeat.

The League table made grim reading, with Celtic seventh in a league of ten, five points behind second-placed Rangers, who had played two games more, and a further five behind leaders Dundee United, albeit an incredible six fixtures behind them. There would be much to do in April and May to provide the support with some success in this craziest of seasons.

‘Celtic are hangers on’

April began with another hard-earned victory at Fir Park, in the rearranged Ne’erday fixture, where a rare Danny goal lit up another man-of-the-match performance from the comeback captain. A late Bobby Lennox penalty proved decisive in this midweek seven-goal thriller, with a comfortable home victory over Thistle on the Saturday then lifting Celts to fourth in the table.

Celtic ‘outclassed’

Celtic headed to Tannadice the following Wednesday, for a critical match with League leaders United, where despite going ahead through a Vic Davidson header, the points stayed in Dundee thanks to a late Dodds winner.

Ten points behind with ten games to play, it was a sombre journey home.

However, things would take a turn for the better on the Saturday, at a packed Love Street, where a fabulous strike from George McCluskey settled the issue there, as news filtered through that relegated Motherwell had beaten Rangers, enabling Celtic to nudge ahead of them into second place on goal difference.

Continues on the next page…