If at first you don’t succeed…Mike Maher on Celtic’s First Attempt at Winning Ten-in-a-Row

Hello again from Aotearoa. Trust you are all keeping well. I see the virus flaring up again in Scotland. Still think we might not see this season get fully completed. In Auckland we are in a “Level 2 ” situation, while the rest of the country is a bit more relaxed at Level 1. We are hoping that we move to that in the next 10 days or so. We can get out quite easily but restrictions about numbers. My wife’s mother died (RIP) at the beginning of the month and we could only have 50 at the funeral.

We got together for the first time this season for the St Mirren game, however we could only book for a maximum of 10 to get into the pub to watch it.

We are heading for summer and the clocks went forward this weekend. That meant a 3am rise this morning for the Hibs game. While most people moan about the financial loss of missing out on Champions League, down here our main gripe about Europa League is that it means more Sunday fixtures. And of course for us that means Monday mornings with resultant loss of sleep before heading into the first day of the working week.

Still I hope it is a problem for a while yet. I am happy to sacrifice some sleep for a run in Europe. Tough trip coming up this week. Glad to see a better performance this morning but these one-leg only ties are a worry, particularly when it means a lengthy, tiring trip.

Anyway I was talking to some of the lads about the last time we were going for Ten-in-a-Row and thought I would put down some of my recollections. This is attached if you think it worth sharing.

Keep Safe

Mike Maher

IT’S SIXTY IN A ROW FOR MIKE MAHER…

With the 2020/21 season now underway I am into my 60th season of watching the Bhoys. Amazingly the majority of them will now be from 18000 kilometres away, but the passion and enthusiasm is the same as it was when Celtic Park was just a short three penny tram ride away.

Of course, the world, football and Celtic have all changed so much since the 1960/61 season when I first made my way to Paradise. It might be worth noting some of those changes one day but for the moment my thoughts are on the 1974/75 season when Celtic were last going for Ten-in-a-Row.

And there is a definite difference between the tension I felt then and what I feel now.

For those who were not around then it might be an idea to set the scene. From the mid 1950’s until Jock Stein arrived Celtic were in the doldrums. True they were never involved in relegation battles but they were certainly never title challengers. In my pre-Stein years, it never really occurred to me Celtic might win the League. It was not that we were playing second fiddle to Rangers either. We were a long way behind them. Hearts, Kilmarnock, Dundee were more likely challengers than us.

We did come 3rd in 1962, finishing 5 points behind Rangers and 8 behind the champions, Dundee but I don’t recall any genuine title expectations amongst the support at the time. I was at the match against Dundee on 3 March that year. Bobby Lennox’s first team debut. Dundee were the better side and led by a goal up until the last 10 minutes when we nabbed two late goals to win 2-1. We celebrated Big Billy’s late winner but there was also some concern that we were maybe helping Rangers’ title challenge more than our own!

Our world changed after Jock arrived but even then, it was hard to envisage a real period of league domination. Celtic had won 6 titles in a row before, but that was in the opening decade of the century.

My father who was born in 1918 was nearly 47 when Jock became our manager. In his lifetime Celtic had won 6 titles but 3 of them had been before he was 5 years old so he only really had memories of 3 league championship wins in almost 40 years of following Celtic.

And competition was fiercer in that era. In the 20 seasons from the first full season after the War until Celtic’s title win in 1966 there had been 7 different champions. Rangers were certainly the dominant team of the period with 10 wins but Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, Kilmarnock, Dundee and of course Celtic had also been crowned champions.

Rangers and Hibs had won titles in successive years but no team had managed 3 in a row. The financial gap between clubs was nowhere as great as now. With an astute manager and a good squad of players it was still possible for the likes of an Aberdeen or Hibs to have a league winning season. Of course, if they did the chances were it would only be a one off as the players would likely be lured south. But it did mean that the chances of one club having several consecutive seasons of title success were unlikely. So as Celtic got to 3, 4 and 5 in a row we realised how special they were.

Although there were few books about Celtic in those days I had seen a photo of the special shield awarded to Celtic in 1910 to mark their 6th consecutive title. That was thanks to the street vendors outside Celtic Park who sold posters with photos of teams and trophies from the past.

In 1971 I was able to witness that piece of history equalled and the following year at Methil I saw us make more history with number 7. With new history made I felt that expectancy levels changed. Although number 8 was won narrowly, or maybe because it was won narrowly, lots of fans just expected us to win the league.

In 1973/74 expectancy was replaced to some extent by complacency, at least as far as lots of fans were concerned. Crowds were down and many people I knew who had been regulars a few seasons previously were now picking and choosing games.

There were other factors – for example the state of the economy was not what it had been in the 1960’s but nevertheless there was a feeling that we would win the league no matter what the opposition were like. And to a degree that was what happened. Hibs had a very good team and put in a challenge but they were always chasing us and although we were only 4 points above them at the end, we had not won any of our last 3 games after the title was clinched.

“The Eternal Champions” was one newspaper headline and having got to 9 there seemed no reason why we could not do TEN. For me the idea of Ten was not a specific target other than a “Glorious Decade” sounded a lot neater than a “Glorious Nine”.

IT’S SIXTY IN A ROW FOR MIKE MAHER…

The season started as usual with the League Cup and a routine 2-1 win at home to Motherwell. However, the following |Wednesday night at Somerset Park we looked out of sorts and Ayr United beat us 3-2. I remember Big Jock making his feelings known about how he was not happy with the performances of many of the players. The warning was heeded. We won our next 3 games, home and away against Dundee Utd and the return encounter at home to the Honest Men. With the section won before the last game we were not concerned about only drawing 2-2 in the final group fixture at Fir Park.

The title defence got off to a good start, a 5-0 home win against Kilmarnock followed by a 4-2 victory at Shawfield. Next up was Rangers at Celtic Park. I watched this game from the Jungle. Many of the mates I had gone to the games with over the past few years were not as regular attenders by now so I had started to go more often with some guys who were in the Saturday Morning League team I played with.

Their stance was near the back of the Jungle facing the 18-yard line at the Celtic End of the ground. From there we saw Celtic dominate the first half and thanks to Kenny Dalglish go in at half time with a 1-0 lead. As Rangers had not won at Parkhead for 6 years we were confident that we would see out the game but that was not what happened. Rangers performed better in the second half and Colin Jackson headed home their second goal in a 2-1 win.

A few nights later there was more despair. Our European campaign started with a 1-1 draw at home to Olympiakos Piraeus. My own disappointment that night was not the result, or even the general performance but the realisation that we were no longer a real force in Europe.

The Greeks were a good team, they were really well organised in defence, but they were not great. I couldn’t help think that a few seasons earlier we would have seen them off. A couple of weeks later they unsurprisingly won the second leg 2-0 and we were out of Europe at the first hurdle.

That caused some despondency around the place but we kept churning out wins in the League. On the penultimate Saturday of October we clicked. Hibs, who were playing well and considered as genuine title challengers came to Parkhead full of confidence and were swept aside 5-0 with Dixie Deans getting a hat trick. The following Saturday Dixie repeated the trick and despite Joe Harper also getting a hat trick he ended up on the losing side as Hibs were beaten by 6 goals to 3.

It was a great game and the goal I particularly enjoyed was Celtic’s 5th and the one that completed Dixie’s hat trick. He threw himself at a wayward Jimmy Johnstone shot that was going across the goalmouth and diverted the ball into the net with a powerful diving header. It reminded me of my father’s description of a typical Jimmy McGrory goal.

One of my friends had managed to acquire a centre stand ticket for this game and he found himself sitting a couple of seats behind his parish priest who was a somewhat reserved man. However, when DIxie scored that goal he was up out of his seat yelling and jumping like a dervish!

The following week we had a good, but narrow win (1-0) over Aberdeen. The Dons played well that day and might have felt they were worth a draw which they might have got but for a missed penalty. A few weeks later it was our turn to miss a penalty and had to settle for a single point in a scoreless draw at Tannadice. In the run up to the New Year form was good.

On a cold December Saturday at Dens Park I witnessed probably the greatest overall individual performance I have ever seen from any Celtic player. Kenny Dalglish gave a masterclass. He scored 3 goals and made 3 others in a 6-0 win.

As we made our way back down from Dundee everyone was raving about him and looking forward to seeing the highlights on Sportscene that night. I explained however that I would not be at the pub as I had recently started dating a new girlfriend from Viewpark and had promised to take her out for a meal that night. Margaret fancied a Chinese but I suggested a good steak meal at the Coachman in Broomhouse. A bit more expensive but I assured her she was worth it. Imagine our surprise when we discovered there was a TV in the lounge there with Sportscene on the screen!

So, despite the home defeat in September we had got to the end of the year and into the start of the second half of the campaign with a 2-point lead over Rangers. 1975 got off to a good start with a comfortable 5-1 New Year’s Day win over Clyde to set us up nicely for the trip to Ibrox 3 days later.

When we arrived at Ibrox we discovered that George Connelly was out injured and that Harry Hood was starting ahead of wee Jimmy who was on the bench. We were not sure if that was down to the conditions (it was raining and the pitch would be cut up from almost the start) or was it a tactical move.

Whatever we started well but conceded to a Derek Johnstone header after 6 minutes. Despite that we pressed on and Paul Wilson was causing problems for the Rangers defence. However, chances were not being taken. Harry Hood had one chance that looked as if it just needed to be prodded over the line – but he missed. And we were punished for those misses. Rangers went 2 up after only 5 minutes of the second half.

But even then I still felt we had a chance. We had plenty of the ball but as the pitch got heavier we got bogged down in midfield and if we did break through the opportunity was missed or saved by Stewart Kennedy who had a great game in goals for Rangers. With about 15 minutes to go Rangers scored again and there was no way back.

We stood, soaked in the open terracing at the Celtic End listening to the roars of celebration from the other end. Although there still 14 games to go and we were level on points with Rangers I felt that game dealt a big psychological blow to the players and the fans. We had not played too badly but we had lost 0-3. And you could feel the confidence that result had given to Rangers. They must have believed that our 9-year stranglehold on the title could soon be over.

IT’S SIXTY IN A ROW FOR MIKE MAHER…

The atmosphere at the next game a week later (Motherwell at Celtic Park) was a bit tense. You could feel the concern in the Jungle, especially when the visitors went 2 up in the first 20 minutes. We did rally though and a double from Harry Hood brought us level with still more than half an hour to go. However opportunities were missed again and Willie Pettigrew got the goal that won the game for the Steelmen.

At that time most of my local mates were Motherwell fans so I had to endure some ribbing the following day at our usual Sunday 5-a-side game at the YMCA. We did get back on the rails the following week with a 5-1 victory at Somerset Park but we were now chasing Rangers.

The next Saturday there was a break from league football as we got our first involvement with that season’s Scottish Cup – a tough trip to Easter Road. I was a bit disappointed that such a glamourous game was happening at such an early stage of the competition. During the last 9 seasons Celtic had rarely had an away draw in the Scottish Cup. And when we did it saw us go to Shawfield and Firhill.

We had always fancied a trip to the likes of Brechin or Queen of the South to give us a nice away day and the chance to see Celtic at a different venue and experience the local hostelries. Nevertheless it was always enjoyable to have a trip to Edinburgh so we would make the best of it.

The game was appealing in its own right but I felt that there was some more importance being attached to the Cup as fans felt that if the title race was indeed not going to end in satisfaction then we just had to win the other trophies. Certainly, all the regulars were back for the journey through to the capital and we joined the big crowd on the vast open terrace opposite the main stand. Dixie did it again with the opening goal in the first half in the first half and Stevie Murray sealed the win with a second goal with about 10 minutes to go.

The result and the performance buoyed us all up and hopes were revived for the title challenge. However, the next two games saw us back in the depths of despair again. Heavy rain throughout the country resulted in our home game against Dumbarton being postponed so the next time we saw the Bhoys in action was a fortnight later at Arbroath.

The Gayfield side were toiling at the bottom of the division so a good victory was expected. Even when Jimmy Bone gave the home side an unexpected early lead we dominated and went in at half time 2-1 ahead. The second half was more of the same. We pushed Arbroath back into their defensive third for virtually the whole half but again missed chances and the inevitable happened with under 15 minutes to go when a breakaway saw Derek Rylance net the equaliser. It was a quiet journey down the road. We had thrown away a point and Rangers were again 2 points clear. Worse was to follow.

The following Tuesday we played our catch-up game against Dumbarton, another side battling at the bottom end of the table. At half time we were again leading – this time 2-0. But a poor second half let the Sons back in. Ex Celt John Cushley came on at half time to shore up the visitors’ defence and future Celt Tom McAdam got the equaliser in a 2-2 draw. We were now a point behind Rangers who had played a game less.

With no more games against the Ibrox men we were relying on favours from other teams – and we would also have to improve our own performances. As the second half had wore on the singing of “its magic you know, it’s gonna be 10 in a row” had faded and at the final whistle it gave way to a long and loud round of booing.

A few days later we progressed in the Cup, eliminating Clydebank but the following Saturday the league slump continued when we went back to Easter Road. Even Dixie could not find the net and we were generally outplayed by Hibs who won 2-1.

On the journey back West even the super-optimists could offer no reasons to justify our league winning chances. The following Saturday it looked as if Partick Thistle might add to our woes. The Jags lead 2-1 at half time but Kenny equalised and in the very last-minute Harry Hood netted a wonderful free kick to give us a 3-2 win.

I remember the excited celebrations in the Jungle following that goal but, in Yogi’s Bar later on that evening a look at the League table showed we were still 4 points behind and running out of games. At the end of the old year we had a 2-point lead. Of the 8 games that had been played since then we had won 3, lost 3 and drawn 2. In the same period Rangers had won 6 and drawn 2.

IT’S SIXTY IN A ROW FOR MIKE MAHER…

The Cup was giving us some relief from our League travails and the following Saturday I was the driver of a full car load for the trip down to Dumbarton for the quarter-final tie. An all ticket crowd packed into Boghead and we were a goal up after 5 minutes when Ronnie Glavin fired home a free kick. The lead did not last long though.

Future Celt Tom McAdam headed home after being set up by Lisbon Lion, Willie Wallace. Paul Wilson netted the second half winner and the mood on the journey back was the best it had been for months.

Midweek was different. A trip to Pittodrie on the Wednesday night. The combination of the long journey and our recent form meant that lots of Supporters Clubs were not running buses and as none of my other regular travelling companions were bothering to go, I didn’t fancy a round 300-mile trip on my own.

However, on the Tuesday I thought that as I had been to every game so far I should make the effort. I phoned John Sullivan to see if there would be a bus going from Phil Coles. He assured me there was so I said I would see him the next day and told my boss I was having the Wednesday off work.

My brother Jim also made a late decision to go so the 2 of us headed down to Langloan for the mid-afternoon departure. When we got to the pub we realised that were still plenty of Celtic fans who were keen to see their team irrespective of performances. There was a large crowd already gathered outside, beside the parked bus. As there was no doubt a fair few in the bar who would also be going I did not need my O Level Arithmetic to work out that the number of seats on the bus would not equal the number of expectant passengers.

A few minutes wee John came out and surveyed the scene. After the driver opened the bus John stood on the entry steps and said “members first”. After they had taken their seats he asked for those non-members who had booked a seat with him to get on. I grabbed Jim’s arm and we quickly got through the crowd and aboard. I made a point of saying to John as we did that I was glad I had phoned him. As we took our seats the bus was now full but there was still a fair-sized crowd milling around outside.

“Three in a seat guys” was John’s next instruction. We shuffled over and a few more squeezed aboard. Some people outside started to drift away but some still remained looking hopefully at the bus door. “Right – into the pub and get some empty beer crates” was the command. And so a few more fans with no concern for their lumbar regions sat themselves down on upturned beer crates down the aisle of the vehicle as an overladen bus started the journey north to the Granite City.

We had time for a couple of pints before kick-off so Jim and I popped into a wee pub in King Street not far from the stadium. The patrons were in the main Dons fans but there at the bar was Pat Kane. I had not seen him for a few years after leaving school but he had come up to Aberdeen to attend University so we had a chance to catch up and the 3 of us went to the match together.

Another defeat. This time by 3 goals to 2. We played not too bad actually but Aberdeen were better on the night and Billy Williamson grabbed a hat trick. We were now 6 points behind and even the slightest hope we had of catching Rangers up was surely now extinguished.

We had time for another pint before heading to the parking spot to get the bus. To say I was not looking forward to spending the next 3 hours or so squashed up in a packed bus for the journey back down the road was an understatement.

As I sat with my head up against the window I became aware of someone knocking on the glass and calling my name. I looked out. It was Ian Henderson and a couple of lads from Carfin. He told me that they had come up by train as their Club had not run a bus. Of course, the last train to Glasgow departed before the end of the game so they were trying to get a lift back on one of the buses but so far with no joy. He pleaded with me for help. I asked John but the driver who was no doubt concerned about the numbers already aboard refused to take any more passengers. I felt terrible when I saw the look on Ian’s face. (As not too much time later I went to New Zealand it would be a couple of years, after my return to Scotland, that I met Ian again. He told me that they had had to spend that night in Aberdeen train station before catching the first train to Glasgow the next morning).

Our night was not that comfortable either. An overcrowded bus with sweaty bodies most of which had consumed a fair quantity of Guinness was not the most fragrant of places to spend a night. At one point someone made an effort to open the rooflight to get some fresh air but it was jammed. A few minutes later someone else tried and was successful. Too successful. The hinges broke off and the skylight went flying out onto the road behind the bus. So, for the next 100 miles we had a hole in the roof to contend with! Eventually we got home and managed to grab a few hours’ sleep before work the next morning. I wondered if Celtic realise the efforts that some fans make to watch their team?

IT’S SIXTY IN A ROW FOR MIKE MAHER…

With the hopes of Ten-in-a-Row being almost completely extinguished it seemed as if the Celtic players thought that they may as well get it over with as soon as possible. The next 2 games saw uninspiring performances and single goal defeats. Dundee United came to Parkhead on the Saturday and an Andy Gray header gave them the victory.

A few weeks previously there had been anger and booing at the performance of the team. Not on this occasion. The fans were now silent and resigned to the loss of our title. It was the same scoreline at Broomfield the following week. A goal that Peter Latchford might have done better with too. The big Englishman had come up a few weeks earlier and had taken over from Ally Hunter in goals. However he had lost a few soft goals and the support were not convinced about him.

By now Hibs had moved into second place. On the last Saturday in March Hearts were the visitors to Celtic Park while the top 2 clashed at Easter Road. With 5 games now left Rangers had 50 points, Hibs had 41 points and Celtic 40 points. As it was 2 points for a win in those days Rangers just needed a draw to clinch the title. And they got it in a game that finished 1-1. Celtic actually put on their best display in weeks. Inspired yet again by Kenny Dalglish we beat the Jambos 4-1. But the return to form was far too late.

That night Margaret and I went into the city centre for a meal and a few drinks. As the 240 bus back to Viewpark went past Glasgow Cross and along the Gallowgate it picked up a few Rangers fans in celebratory mood. We sat in silence. Seeing Rangers fans happy is not something I like to witness but, on this occasion, I was not too perturbed. “Let them have their moment” I thought. Their last title was 11 years previously. This would just be a blimp. Big Jock would get us back on track. And anyway we had won 9 Championships in a row. There was no way they would get close to that!

The win against Hearts put some smiles back on some faces and we still had the Scottish Cup to look forward too. The semi-final was at Hampden on the following Wednesday. Once again our opponents were Dundee. We seemed to get them at this stage of the competition every year!

One of my regular match day companions at this time was John Fagan, a former school mate and our Saturday Morning League team goalkeeper. We decided to take our respective girlfriends Margaret and Kathleen to this game and we got tickets high up in the North Stand that perched above the crowd in the vast enclosure below.

It was not the greatest of games and it was mistake from former Celt Tommy Gemmell that let Ronnie Glavin net the only goal of the game. So we were through to the Final where our opponents turned out to be Airdrie. I was a bit disappointed. The Diamonds were going through a good patch but they were a “robust” unglamourous side without a big support and I had hoped for a more appealing tie. Nevertheless, it was a chance to make up for the League disappointment by lifting the two other trophies on offer.

Before the final there were still 4 league games to play. We pretty much went through the motions with a win, a draw and finally 2 defeats. Crowds were down and there was a very flat atmosphere about the place. On 16 April we had our last home game of the season against Dundee. However, that day had another, more important significance for me.

Our Saturday Morning side – Cornhill Utd – had reached a Cup Final which was being played that morning at Barrhead against a team from Greenock. The bulk of our team were Celtic fans although the Jags, Motherwell and Albion Rovers had adherents in our ranks. We also had one Rangers fan, a good midfielder by the name of John Stevenson. although John Fagan had immediately re-titled him Sean MacStiofan when he joined us. (Those with an interest in Irish history of that period will see the relevance and perhaps irony in the nickname).

Despite his football loyalties John was a well-liked and appreciated member of the squad and he was one of the stars in our 4-3 win on a rain-soaked pitch. We were presented with the trophy in the pavilion and then headed to a nearby hostelry to celebrate. Normally it would be a pint and then off to the Celtic match. On this day the mood was different. The pub seemed a more inviting place than Celtic Park so I ended up being the only one who left in time to get to the game.

The others did not miss much. In front of a mere 12,000 crowd another blunder by Peter Latchford gave Dundee a late goal in a 2-1 win. I had a good view of the goal as for some reason I watched the game from the Rangers End side of the Jungle. The only other thing of note I recall was the debut, as substitute, of a young redhead by the name of Burns.

The league campaign that had started with high hopes came to its sad conclusion the following Saturday at Muirton Park. St Johnstone had more to play for than us, as a win would ensure them a place in the newly formed ten club Premier League that was to start the next season. And they got the points in a come from behind 2-1 win. Only my brother Jim accompanied me to that game and it was a silent journey home with other results confirming we had managed third place, 11 points behind Rangers, 4 behind Hibs and just ahead of Dundee United on goal difference.

For the Cup Final John and I had managed to get South Stand tickets with a great view of the game and the trophy presentation. Margaret and Kathleen again joined us to watch Paul Wilson star with 2 goals in the 3-1 win, and then see Big Billy lift the Scottish Cup for the last time as Celtic captain.

With the title gone, and with Cesar’s retirement there was a sense of end of an era about the occasion. And it was the end of an era for me. In 5 days’ time I would be aboard a plane to Auckland. I would not be seeing Celtic for a while. As it happened it was not until I was back home again that Celtic would win the title a couple of years later. Obviously they needed me!

And now here we are 45 years later going for Ten-in-a-Row once again. Back in 1975 I never imagined this could happen. With all that is going on in the world at the moment there is no chance I will be getting back to Celtic Park soon (if ever) so the Bhoys will have to manage it on their own!

Mike Maher

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