On the Road Again – Bobby Moore Testimonial on this day in 1970, West Ham 3 Celtic 3

On board we met up with more Celtic Supporters and West Ham fans. Some noisy singing from both sets but no trouble. At the ground we discovered out tickets were for the end opposite from where the bulk of the Celtic fans were. In those days the only game that had segregation was the Old Firm encounter so we were not unduly worried about being surrounded by home fans. The police were though.

They insisted we move. Accordingly, they escorted us around the track past the main stand and into the terracing behind the other goal. We opened out a tricolour and displayed it on our walk around the ground, getting a few grunts from the natives and a cheer from the Celtic fans as we clambered into the away section.

Someone started up the Bobby Moore song. The one about his incident with the bracelet in Bogota. This was a popular song in Scotland at the time. Jimmy Higgins, always the diplomat, turned round and said “Cmon lads – no need for that tonight – a bit of respect”.

I thought he had a point. Bobby Moore might be the English captain but there was no doubting his ability and leadership skills – and he had invited us in a sense (although we were paying a handsome price for the tickets). Others must have thought so too, and for the rest of the night the songs were from the more traditional Celtic repertoire.

There was plenty to sing about too. A really great game. Celtic led 3 times but had to settle for a draw. We should have won; we had the chances and I recall wee Bobby missing a great opportunity just before the end. Some felt it was to ensure Bobby Moore didn’t end his testimonial game with a defeat but I was sure it was just one of those things. Both teams had genuinely wanted to win the game.

Continued on the next page…