On this day in 1970, a Celtic eleven ran out at Elland Road to face Leeds United in the first leg of a semi-final tie in the European Cup.
The travelling party of players, management and directors had journeyed down from Glasgow by train and were using a hotel in Harrogate as their base. Some two hours before the kick-off, they boarded a coach which would take them to the ground itself, where some 45,000 fans had gathered to watch the action.
The Celtic team was Williams, Hay, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan, Johnstone, Connelly, Wallace, Lennox, Auld and they could not have got off to a better start. After only 45 seconds of play, George Connelly controlled a through ball to shoot powerfully from 20 yards and the effort was deflected past Gary Sprake in the Leeds goal.
After that, it became a game of two halves, Celtic completely dominating the play for the first 45 minutes – including a wonderful display by Jimmy Johnstone – but Leeds took control after the break and the Celtic defence had its work cut out in keeping the English champions’ forwards at bay. At the whistle, though, it was still 1-0 to Celtic.
Jim Craig
