34 years ago today wee Joe Miler scored the only goal at Hampden in the Scottish cup final as we beat Rangers to not only win silverware, but stopped them doing a treble in the process. I guess you could say we earned the bragging rights over that summer.
This game has a special place in my heart as it’s one of my earliest memories of watching the hoops, and one I can vividly recall. Everyone has one of those games, and this is one of mine.
Rangers were of course favourites having won the title and Celtic finished a disappointing third, but this was a cup final and a chance to finish the season with some success.
The winning goal arrived just before half time, when Joe Miller pounced on a Gary Stevens error and slotted the ball past Chris Woods in the Rangers goal to send the Celtic supporters into a frenzy.
It was even more sweeter when you recall that in the lead up to the goal a bit of quick thinking by skipper Roy Aitken made the Rangers even more Raging. Big Roy of course took a throw in that should have been awarded to Rangers. Oh well, you don’t try, you don’t get, as the saying goes.
The rest of the game is a faded memory, but the final whistle like Joe Millers goal will live with me forever, like the cup final the year before this is one of my first footballing memories.
The weather of blue skies and bright sunshine were a perfect backdrop to the celebrations occurring on the pitch and terracing of Hampden. We were oblivious to the dark clouds that where about to form around us the next five years, but let’s not dwell on that. The memory of that day will live with me and many Celtic supporters forever. Here’s to you Joe Miller.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy