Ten of the Celtic team which had won the European Cup in Lisbon took to the field at Hampden on this day in 1967 for a league cup semi-final tie against Morton, with former Celt Jim Kennedy among the ranks of the men from Greenock who were at that time in the top six in the league.
45,662 were in the ground to see John Hughes give Celtic the lead in 4 minutes, with Willie Wallace getting the second in 7 minutes. Morton then pulled one back but further goals from Jimmy Johnstone in 18 minutes, Bobby Lennox in the 20 minute and myself just a minute later made the HT score 5-1.
In 53 minutes, yours truly made it 6-1 and in the 66th minute, John Hughes scored number 7 after a great run and put Celtic into the final, where Dundee were a-waiting.
Enjoy the highlights of this game here – I was on a hat-trick!
The great Ronnie Simpson was born on this day in 1930.
‘Faither’ had a playing career lasting 25 years, during which time he played for Queen’s Park, Third Lanark, Newcastle Utd, Hibs and Celtic; was in the GB squad for the 1948 Olympics; won the FA Cup with Newcastle in 1952 and 1955; won League, Scottish Cup, League Cup and European Cup medals with Celtic; received his first cap at the age of 37; was Scotland’s Player of the Year in 1967; and after retirement, was a member of the Pools Panel.
Ronnie died in Edinburgh on 19 April 2004.
Jim Craig
Celtic’s Greatest Ever Goalkeeper…Read HERE.
