“I conclude this series with what many will regard as the best of them all!, David Potter on his series on The Celtic Star over the past few weeks titled ‘Putting Them Out of the Scottish Cup’…
Rarely had Glasgow been in such a ferment as it was in the weeks leading up to this Scottish Cup Final. Celtic had won the Scottish League on the Tuesday night and the Scottish League Cup earlier in the month, but had, to the intense disappointment of their fans, gone out of Europe to AC Milan in March after a bad mistake by Billy McNeill at Celtic Park.
Yet they had won the tournament two years earlier, and that was the thing that hurt Rangers most of all. Rangers for their part had won nothing in Scotland since 1966, but were still in Europe and due to play Newcastle United in the Fairs Cities Cup semi-final. Every Old Firm fixture means a lot to both sides, but this one more than most. A Celtic win meant a treble and a barren season for Rangers; a Rangers win mean that they were back among the honours.
It was difficult not to contrast this year with 1963. Then, it was Celtic who were intimidated by Rangers and approached the Scottish Cup Final like a man going to the dentist’s, expecting defeat and duly getting it in the replay after a respectable performance in the first game, but now Jock Stein dominated the scene, having the intellectual capacity to win the all-important psychological battle, the tactical awareness to win football matches and the physical bulk to make it appear that he meant what he said. As against that, Rangers had some good players, but a manager called David White who had done well with Clyde and would do likewise with Dundee, but was simply out of his depth in this harsh and unforgiving environment.
Side plots abounded. Both teams had now won the Scottish Cup 19 times, and this would be the decider, as it were. Rangers had a Stein of their own, Colin but he was suspended. A ridiculous attempt was made to break the suspension and allow Stein to play in the Scottish Cup Final on the grounds that it was a “showpiece occasion”. A Director of Greenock Morton was behind this idea, The Scottish Daily Express saw a way of boosting sagging circulation figures among their more gullible readers, and Rangers themselves went along with it for a while before it collapsed in deserved ridicule. Meanwhile Jimmy Johnstone of Celtic was similarly suspended. A dignified, but eloquent silence emanated from Celtic Park.
And then Rangers made a vainglorious public pronouncement about a victory parade at Ibrox on the Saturday night a few hours after the Cup final. It was an attempt to boost their support and to give the impression that this was “der Tag”, the day that it was all going to turn. Once again, Celtic failed to rise to it all, and quietly continued their preparations, as the 134,000 tickets all vanished to eager punters.
In addition to the suspension of Jimmy Johnstone, Celtic would be without John Hughes, his ankle injury that had bothered him for some time failing to heal up in time. But three weeks before the Scottish Cup final, Celtic had beaten Hibs 6-2 in the League Cup final in an absolutely devastating display of football, and it was difficult to imagine any team on earth living with Celtic on that form.
But AC Milan had, and Rangers fans held on to that ray of hope. But Rangers were not AC Milan, even though their fans on the trains going to Mount Florida station sang songs about the Italian champions! These ditties sat ill with the other songs with their perverted interpretation of Irish history! Not to mention the gentleman whom they did not seem to like – but who lived in – er – Italy!
Celtic’s tactics were simple. The two makeshift wingers Connelly and Auld (both of whom were a great deal better in other positions) were told not to stray more than ten yards from the touchline. This would have the effect of keeping the Rangers full backs on the wings and leave more room for the speedy Lennox, Wallace and Chalmers to run through the ponderous Greig and McKinnon in the middle.
In addition, both sides were very aware that Rangers had won the Scottish Cup in 1966 through a Kaj Johansen strike. It was, of course, a fluke, but Johansen was never likely to be able to resist the pressure from his team mates and the Mount Florida end to try it again. Celtic were encouraged to give him a little space and as it were, to “encourage” him to have another go, leaving some space at the back. This tactic had worked in the past, and it was likely to work again.
Rangers on the other hand were told to “watch McNeill” at corner kicks. Billy too had won games by heading in corners – the Scottish Cup final of 1965, the Vojvodina European Cup tie of 1967 and the World Club Championship against Racing Club of Argentina sprang to mind – and he would certainly try it. Alex Ferguson, in the team for the suspended Colin Stein, was detailed to mark McNeill because he was quite good with his elbow, and the two full backs were detailed as per normal practice, to take a post each.
Unaccountably, Rangers failed to take these two elementary precautions. Such derelictions of duty can, one supposes, be put down to “nerves”. Rangers fans were less charitable. Celtic having won the toss decided to attack the end where their own fans were. Billy McNeill rose like a bird in splendid isolation to head home a Bobby Lennox corner kick in the second minute.
Ferguson did nothing to stop him, and Johansen was nowhere in sight at the post, (perhaps he had taken his instructions to stay on the wing too literally!) and Celtic were one-up with the psychological battle already well won. Ferguson would have many better days in football than this one – he allowed himself to become involved in some of the subsequent rough stuff, as well – and Johansen never again regained his heroic status of 1966.
The game now turned rather nasty as Rangers, stung by the early reverse and already aware that they had been suckered, poured everything forward in an unstructured, disorganised and aggressive way with several challenges on goalkeeper Fallon looking even to the neutral press and radio commentators to be rather brutal.
Fortunately, John, ever courageous in the cause of his beloved Celtic, had the protection of men like Gemmell and Murdoch to look after him, and these two were not easily shoved about. Jim Brogan was the only man of the 22 to be booked. In that respect, Jim was very unlucky for many others might have joined him. Indeed, this was well before the days of red cards, but some players might well, justifiably, have been invited to take the “long walk”.
It was however a spectacle devoid of any great football, and the approach of half-time looked welcome for both sides, Celtic glad to be on top and Rangers relieved to be only one behind … as they thought. But then, the two minutes before half-time altered the picture. Orjan Persson, who had been a good player for Dundee United frankly looked out of place in a Scottish Cup final, lost a ball to George Connelly who found Lennox.
Lennox simply charged in and scored, slipping the ball wide of Norrie Martin in the Rangers goal. That was good enough, but then to the further consternation of the boys in blue at the far end, John Greig, still reeling from the last blow, was slow on a goal kick from Martin and in nipped George Connelly from reserve team football and the mines of Fife to score a third. Some Celtic fans were even hoping for a fourth before half-time, but 3-0 it was.
Jock Stein’s job now was to calm them down. Three weeks ago in the League Cup final against Hibs, the score had been 3-0 at half time. “Aye, it’ll no’ be 3-0 at half time today” said those who claimed to know their football! Glory be, it was! The second half saw Celtic keeping control, refusing to rise to provocation, and simply playing sensible football. Anything can happen in football, of course, we all know that, but about half way through the second half, as arrests were happening on a regular basis at the Mount Florida End, Steve Chalmers picked up a ball half way inside the Rangers half, ran on and scored.
This triggered a pitch invasion with the mentally challenged trying to get the game abandoned or maybe just wanting home, but the Glasgow Police simply pushed them back onto their terracing and, sadistically, made them watch the rest of the game.
Full time came with Celtic well on top and the final score was Celtic 4 Rangers 0. Rangers did try, but simply did not have it. Alex Ferguson did not play for Rangers again, and it was maybe round about now that he began to wonder whether he might not be a better manager than a player. But for Celtic, it was their second ever treble, and there were those who felt that the football played in 1969 was even better than that played in 1967.
So Celtic’s hegemony continued, and how we enjoyed that summer of 1969.
David Potter
Scottish Cup Final, Hampden Park – 25, April 1969
Celtic: Fallon, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Connelly, Chalmers, Wallace, Lennox and Auld.
Rangers: Martin, Johansen, Mathieson, Greig, McKinnon, Smith, Henderson, Penman, Ferguson, Johnston and Persson
Referee: Mr J Callaghan, Glasgow.
Attendance: 132,870
For this who want to watch the entire match…
READ THIS…“Walfrid was the key man, more than deserving of his statue outside Celtic Park”
- Read more on Celtic’s founding fathers, early stars and first ever season in The Celtic Star’s best-seller Walfrid & The Bould Bhoys. We have very few copies of this book remaining – already into our last box – so if you want to order a copy just click on the image below. Liam Kelly writes the section on the Founding Fathers, David Potter cover the Early Celtic Stars while Matt Corr takes us though that crucial first season in the life of Celtic Football Club.
