On this day in 1969, Celtic beat Hibs 6-2 in the League Cup final and I am delighted to say – “I was there” and on the pitch too!
All the initial rounds of this competition – including the quarter- and semi-finals had been completed in the autumn of 1968 but a fire at Hampden Park shortly afterwards meant that the final had to be postponed hence the date of this match being six months later.
74,000 had turned up for the occasion and the Celtic fans had a field day. It would be no exaggeration to that we were in total control after the first 20 minutes, our goals coming from Willie Wallace (23), Bertie Auld (30), Bobby Lennox ( 45, 58, 73) and myself (75). From then on, we rather took our foot off the gas and Hibs took advantage to get two late counters in the last ten minutes, which gave the score a slightly more respectable look.
As you might imagine, it was a happy dressing-room afterwards and the atmosphere became even more delirious when news came through that Rangers had lost 1-2 to Dundee United at Tannadice, almost assuring Celtic of collecting their 4th consecutive League title.
The team was Fallon, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox.
Jim Craig
5th April 1969, Celtic beat Hibs 6:2 in the League Cup final.
Willie Wallace, Bertie Auld, Bobby Lennox(3) and Jim Craig with the goals. pic.twitter.com/DTt9Geh9FF
— Li'l Ze (@LilZe8) April 4, 2018
