“Oh Harry, Harry, Lou Macari and…Denis Ruddy?” – An extract from Harry Hood: Twice as Good. The official biography by Matt Corr which is published next month…
The embarrassment of attacking riches available to Jock Stein was highlighted by the fact that Celtic beat South American champions, Nacional, then opened their defence of their Scottish title by scoring nine against Clyde with Harry – last season’s leading goalscorer – unable to command even a seat on the bench following his recovery from injury.
He would make do with a goal in the reserves’ 7-1 win at Shawfield. Harry would finally get an outing and a first competitive strike of the season in midweek, against Second Division Clydebank at New Kilbowie, as the Hoops won their League Cup quarter-final first-leg 5-0, then miss out again as Celts made it three wins at Ibrox in 28 days with a 3-2 victory in the League clash, thanks to a last-minute header from – yes, you’ve guessed it – Jimmy Johnstone. As that drama was playing out in Govan, Harry, John Hughes and Willie Wallace were lining up for Celtic’s second-string in a resounding 4-1 win over Rangers, Yogi with the opening goal for the Mini Hoops.
Harry returned to League action for the home clash with Morton, a surreal experience to see John Clark and Stevie Chalmers in the blue-and-white version of the Hoops, whilst Celts wore a strange combo consisting of green shirts, white shorts and yellow socks. It was not a happy homecoming for either Lion. Poor Stevie was injured within five minutes whilst John had the misfortune to score Celtic’s second goal, his cruel deflection from a Lou Macari shot beating Evan Williams, the keeper restored after Gordon Marshall had played his second and final game for the Bhoys in the shock midweek European Cup defeat by Boldklubben 1903 in Copenhagen.
By contrast, Harry was having a field day, missing the target by inches before having a goal disallowed after Lou Macari strayed into an offside position. Harry then added a sensational late third goal for Celtic, a flick and volley past Erik Sorensen described as “the best goal you will see all season” by Allan Herron in The Sunday Mail, within a minute of Morton pulling one back through Borge Thorup, as the match ended in a 3-1 win.
“It has always been our ambition to represent all that is best in this great game .”
Celtic Chairman Robert Kelly (1967) 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀https://t.co/Be82VvGhzW pic.twitter.com/Fsd35t0xaY— JoeBloggsCity (@joebloggscity) September 22, 2021
Celtic Park was in mourning three days later, Tuesday, 21 September 1971, when Bob Kelly lost his battle with illness at the age of 68. The son of James, Celtic’s first captain and superstar, he had served on the Board since the death of his father in 1932 and had been club chairman between 1947 and the spring of 1971. Kelly was a divisive character in many ways – a hero to supporters during the 1952 Tricolour ‘flag crisis’ and the man credited with the introduction of the youth policy dubbed ‘The Kelly Kids,’ which would come to such fabulous fruition in Lisbon but frequently accused of interfering with team selections to the detriment of results. He was, nevertheless, in my opinion, a man with Celtic in his blood. I’ll leave the final word on Bob Kelly to the man he brought back in March 1965, Jock Stein.
“No man has done more for the club in every way than Sir Robert Kelly,” Jock Stein
Jock introduced the latest from his conveyor belt of young prodigies 24 hours later, for the return leg with Clydebank in the last eight of the League Cup. I remember being excited at the prospect of seeing 16-year-old Brian McLaughlin making his debut, and he certainly did not let himself down, however, Harry was the star of the night, his latest hat-trick consisting of a goal within three minutes then one at the end of each half, his second another thing of real beauty.
On this day…1971
Harry scores the third of his five Celtic hat-tricks in the 6-2 victory over Clydebank in the second leg of the League Cup quarter-final.
A match I remember well as the debut of 16-year-old Brian McLaughlin. pic.twitter.com/UNMqBDhc9g
— Harry Hood: Twice as good (@HarryHoodBook) September 22, 2021
A Lou Macari double and Denis Ruddy own goal completed the scoring as Celts added to their 5-0 first-leg lead with a 6-2 win on the night, to march through to the semi-final for an eighth consecutive season.
Matt Corr
Harry Hood: Twice as Good. The official biography by Matt Corr will be published by Celtic Star Books next month. You will be able to pre-order a copy signed by the author shortly.
Keep up to date on Twitter @HarryHoodBook
