With the pre-season tours to the USA, Germany and the Netherlands complete, the Celtic team were primed for their attempt to land a third successive title. It had been eight long years since the day at Brockville when King Kenny’s goal gave us THE nine-in-a-row, with the evergreen McGrain the last remaining playing link to the glory days under Jock Stein.
In the interim, Jock had delivered one final title, in 1977, his namesake Wallace had won three at Ibrox and Billy McNeill three since his return to Paradise, a clean sweep prevented by losing out on the final day to Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1980.
Before that campaign could commence, there was the small matter of the League Cup to be addressed. The newest component of the domestic treble had proved elusive to Celtic over the years, with memorable triumphs such as Hampden in the Sun and the 6-2 victory over Hibernian in 1969 countered by a succession of lost finals, including the infamous 4-1 defeat by Thistle in 1971 and the surreal lunchtime game against Tommy Gemmell’s Dundee two years later.
It had last been won by Celtic just a few months after that game at Brockville, when Dixie Deans hit his second hat-trick in seven days against Hibernian in a game which ended 6-3, Joe Harper creating the unenviable record of scoring three goals in a final but still finishing on the losing side.
Dixie had achieved the same 3-goal feat against the same side in the Scottish Cup Final of 1972 and remains the only player in history to score a hat-trick in both of Scottish football’s Hampden showpieces. His final goal on this day was both brilliant and hilarious, as Jinky’s intended volley for goal was prevented from landing in the North Enclosure by the diving head of Deans, which diverted it fiercely into the net. This would be Jinky’s final purple patch in the Hoops and he was immense on the day.
Fabulous memories.
The group stage section for 82/83 saw Celts face lower-tier opposition in the shape of Dunfermline, Alloa and Arbroath and, as expected, it provided a goalfest for the Champions, who scored 29 goals for the loss of just 3 across the six games. Highlight was a 7-1 trouncing of the Pars at East End Park, with Charlie Nicholas returning from his broken leg ordeal of the previous January to score four.
The two-legged Quarter-final tie against local rivals Partick Thistle was equally comfortable, Celtic’s frightening array of attacking talent filling their boots as we recorded a 4-0 victory at Parkhead and a 3-0 win at Firhill, a game where recent signing from Dumbarton, Graeme Sinclair, made his debut.
The ante was raised for the Semi-final though, with Jim McLean’s excellent Dundee United side providing the opposition. The Arabs came to Celtic Park for the first leg defending an unbeaten 19-match run and secure in the knowledge that they had been victorious in both previous League Cup last-four ties between the sides. However, on the night it was Celtic who seized the initiative, first-half strikes from Nicholas – his 22nd of the season – and McGarvey providing a two-goal cushion for the visit to Tannadice.
Two weeks later, the packed Tayside ground witnessed a classic cup-tie. The wonderful Paul Sturrock had levelled the scores just after the hour with a typical double, the first bouncing in cruelly off Roy Aitken, and we feared the worst as they piled on relentlessly towards Packie Bonner’s goal.
However, with extra-time looking inevitable, there was one final, dramatic twist in the dying minutes which settled the issue, as Burns’ exquisite pass left Nicholas one-on-one with McAlpine and there would be only one outcome, the ball nestling behind him and the Celts were in the Final.
With Rangers overcoming Hearts in the other tie, there would be a chance for Celts to exact revenge for the three previous League Cup Final defeats by their Glasgow rivals. In 1970, the 16-year-old Derek Johnstone had jumped between Jim Craig and Cesar to head the only goal of the game and kick off a run of seven defeats in eight finals for the Hoops.
The season after Dixie’s heroics against Hibs, Alex MacDonald’s header had removed the trophy from our grasp and in Jock’s final Hampden appearance, in May 1978, a Johannes ‘Shuggy’ Edvaldsson double had only delayed the inevitable, as Latchford’s extra-time fumble meant that ‘Smith must score’, and sadly on this occasion he did. Fourteen successive finals since 1964 had provided only six wins.
So it was with a certain trepidation that we made our way to Hampden on the first Saturday in December 1982, my dad’s birthday, for the latest episode in the Celtic League Cup Final saga.
It was a horrendous afternoon, with the fans in the uncovered East Terracing soaked to the skin as we kicked off. The dark sky and the empty North Enclosure, still undergoing renovation, added to the slightly weird setting as we made our way down the stairs to seek some relative shelter in the packed terrace.
We had no sooner took our spot when Charlie danced in from the South Stand wing to fire a glorious shot behind Jim Stewart and give Celtic the lead, his 29th goal in what was becoming a triumphant return to the first team.
And the celebrations were still in full swing when Murdo MacLeod delivered the coup de grace, with a blistering drive following a cleared corner, which exploded off the underside of the bar into the net, for a fabulous cup-winning goal.
It was all Celtic, with Davie Provan unplayable on the right flank, however, the third goal was not forthcoming and Bett briefly gave the Ibrox side some hope with an excellently-taken free-kick early in the second half.
But this was to be our day, as Celts successfully played out the remainder of the game and the immortal Danny McGrain finally lifted the elusive trophy as Celtic captain to the delight of the drenched green-and-white hordes, singing in the rain, within the 55,000 crowd.
It was a bedraggled, wet but happy Cairn bus which arrived back at the Celtic Northern Area Social Club in Springburn that night. The place was bouncing as Jackie Stewart belted out the Willie Maley song, the lyrics now changed from Jimmy McStay to honour his great-nephew Paul. It was a magical time to be a Celt.
With the ‘bogey’ trophy already in the bag, there was a real feeling that this could be a very special season, for a young attacking side playing football the Glasgow Celtic way. Match highlights can be viewed below.
Matt Corr
For Part 1, This could be Rotterdam or anywhere…Celtic’s 1982/83 season -see HERE.
Also on The Celtic Star today…
Astroturf pitches? “The Celtic guys came with a bit of tightness,” Scotland boss…See HERE.
Jim Craig – Six goals for Dixie Deans as Jimmy McGrory watched…See HERE.
If you would like to write for The Celtic Star get in touch, we’d love to hear from you! Drop an email to editor@thecelticstar.co.uk and we will get right back to you. HH.
