Despite Celtic’s domination, they took only a single-goal lead to Anfield, courtesy of Lennox’s near-post flick, early in the second-half.
Liverpool had won all three of their home ties by a two-goal margin, seeing off Juventus, Standard Liege and Honved, and having beaten Herrera’s Inter 3-1 in the previous season’s European Cup Semi-final at Anfield, they were making confident noises ahead of the return leg, played just five days later.
Over 10,000 Celtic supporters made the journey to the home of the Beatles, on a dreadful night, the heavy pitch a factor, as Johnstone dropped out and Hughes came in. Despite a Chalmers effort hitting the bar, the impetus was with the home team for the most part. Notwithstanding that, there were two crucial decisions made by the referee, which meant the dream of a Hampden final was not to be.
On the hour, with the Celtic defence holding out bravely against a Red onslaught, Hughes was harshly judged to have committed a foul at the edge of the box. Up stepped Smith to crash a shot at the wall, the ball deflecting into the corner of the net, as Simpson looked on helplessly.
Five minutes later, the injured Strong leapt bravely to head a second goal for Liverpool, as the tie slipped away from Celtic.
However, there would be one final act of drama, in the dying seconds, McBride beating Yeats in the air to send in the onrushing Lennox, for the vital away goal. Cue bedlam in the Anfield Road terracing, as the Celtic support celebrated wildly, then, realising that the Belgian officials had incredibly given offside, showered a rain of bottles onto the pitch, as the night ended on a sour note.
Not for the first or last time, the pace of the Saltcoats-born legend had deceived officials into making an incorrect call.
So rather than Stein’s green-and-white army marching on Hampden the following month, for the second successive season the European Cup-Winners’ Cup Final would involve teams from England and West Germany, as would the World Cup Final in July.
Borussia Dortmund had eliminated West Ham United, the holders, in the last four and they would complete a double in Glasgow in front of 42,000, with a 2-1 win after extra-time, thanks to goals from their international duo, Held and Libuda.
As the Dortmund fans celebrated a first-ever European club success for West Germany, there would be little time for those of a Celtic persuasion to lick their wounds.
Three days later, Lennox again scored in the last minute. This time there was no flag raised, as his Fir Park winner ensured that Celtic would be the champions of Scotland for the first time in twelve long years, since Stein captained the class of ’54.
Unlike then, now the title came with another prize, entry into the greatest club competition on Earth. And the rest of that story is History.
Thanks as always to the folk behind the Celtic Wiki on Kerrydale St., a fabulous source of information for these stories.
Hail Hail!
Matt Corr
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