The Celtic fans in the crowd of 45,384 were quietly confident as their side ran out at Ibrox on this day in 1994 to meet Raith Rovers in the final of the League Cup.
Manager Tommy Burns had put out what appeared to be a strong side; Gordon Marshall in goal..Tommy Boyd, Tony Mowbray, Brain O’Neill and Mark McNally at the back…Mike Galloway, Paul McStay, Simon Donnelly and John Collins in midfield… with Charlie Nicholas and Andy Walker as the strikers.
After Raith opened the scoring in 18 minutes, Celtic equalised just on the half-hour mark, Tommy Boyd’s cross being headed back across the face of the goal by Mike Galloway and Andy Walker was there to head home.
Celtic dominated the remainder of the match and with only six minutes left, took the lead through Charlie Nicholas.
The Hoops fans were delighted and had no doubt that their side would now go on to take the trophy. Unfortunately, though, the Raith players had other ideas.
Only three minutes were left on the clock when Gordon Marshall failed to hold a shot from just outside the penalty area and Gordon Dalziel forced the ball home, taking the match into extra-time.
Rather surprisingly, Raith Rovers held out fairly comfortably in extra-time, so the match went to a penalty decider.
At the end of the regulation five kicks a-piece, the teams were still level.
Raith then scored another to edge in front and Paul McStay stepped forward to take the next. Unfortunately, it was well saved by Raith’s keeper Thomson and as McStay stood in anguish with his hands on his head, the men from the east coast and their supporters savoured the moment.
Leigh Roose, born on this day in 1877, was a Welsh international goalkeeper when Celtic signed him on loan from Sunderland in the early months of 1910.
Thanks to the solid displays of Davie Adams, Leigh only got one chance in the first team for Celtic, a league match against Clyde on 10 March 1910 and he moved south to Huddersfield a year later.
In 1914, Leigh Roose joined the Royal Fusiliers, won the Military Medal for his exploits in the field and two years later, was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme.
Leigh has no known grave but his name is on the Thiepval Memorial.
Jim Craig
