After completing a ‘double’ in the Centenary Season of 1987/88, Celtic’s fans were hopeful of a good run in the European Cup the following season. In the previous two campaigns in Europe, they had firstly lost to Dinamo Kiev in the second round of the European Cup in 1986/87; then suffered the indignity of a first –round exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in 1987/88 in the UEFA Cup.
When the draw was made for the 1988/89 competition, Celtic were paired with Honved of Hungary and duly travelled to Budapest for the first leg in early September.
On 7th of that month, they went down to the Hungarian champions but only by a single goal, so Billy McNeill and his men had every reason to feel optimistic about the return, which was played on this day in 1988.
On the night, the Celtic side was Rough, Morris, Rogan, Aitken, McCarthy, Whyte, Stark, McStay, McAvennie, Walker and Miller, an eleven which took the game by the scruff of the neck right from the start and never allowed Honved into it.
The goals were shared between Billy Stark, Frank McAvennie, Andy Walker and substitute Mark McGhee, the 4-1 aggregate score putting Celtic into round two, where they would meet Werder Bremen.
Many Happy Returns to Bobo Balde, born on this day in 1975.
Jim Craig
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