Ian was back in front of the camera again on Thursday, 28 August 1954, for the formal opening of junior outfit Petershill’s impressive new covered enclosure at their Springburn base, Celtic meeting Rangers just as they had done when the stadium itself had been opened back in 1935. The Celtic team lined up as follows for the photocall, although it’s not certain what the formation was for the game itself, which Celts won 2-1.
Andy Bell; Willie Gillies & Ian Reid; Jimmy Walsh, John Jack & Jimmy Rowan;
Peter Goldie, Alec Boden, Vincent Ryan, Eddie Mulvey & Eric Smith.
As understudy to the virtually ever-present Bobby Evans, Ian would have to wait patiently for his first-team opportunity, turning out each week for the reserves in Scottish League Division C (North/East). When he finally received his chance on Saturday, 2 April 1955, it was to replace Jimmy Walsh at inside-right, and the stakes could scarcely have been higher. With four games remaining, Celts trailed League leaders Aberdeen by three points, the Dons hosting third-place Rangers at Pittodrie that afternoon whilst fifth-placed Hibernian travelled through to meet Celtic. The Hoops lined up as follows in front of 31,000 spectators.
John Bonnar; Mike Haughney & Frank Meechan; Bobby Evans, Jock Stein & Bertie Peacock;
Bobby Collins, Ian Reid, John McPhail, Neil Mochan & Charlie Tully.
Hibernian fielded three of their revered Famous Five forward-line – the two others on duty for Scotland at Wembley the same day – and it was one of those, Gordon Smith, who opened the scoring midway through the first half to give Hibernian the lead. Ian was involved in much of Celtic’s attacking play, three times testing keeper Tommy Younger with decent efforts before Charlie Tully headed Celts level five minutes from the break.
With Aberdeen a goal to the good at Pittodrie, Celts knew that a win was vital to keep them in with any hope of the title, Ian coming agonisingly close to giving them the lead with a shot which crashed back off Younger’s crossbar.
But the decisive goal of the match went to the visitors with 20 minutes remaining, John Fraser taking advantage of some hesitation between Mike Haughney and John Bonnar to clinch the points, with Smith and Eddie Turnbull both hitting the woodwork in the closing stages. That would end Celtic’s proud unbeaten home record which stretched back two years to a 3-1 defeat by – ironically – Aberdeen. Up at Pittodrie, Paddy Buckley helped himself to a hat-trick as Aberdeen shrugged off the loss of their Scottish international keeper Fred Martin to thrash Rangers 4-0 and virtually seal their first-ever League title, the Dons now five points clear with just three games remaining.
Poor Fred probably wishes he had stayed at home to play there, as a Scotland team unusually featuring no players from either Celtic or Rangers went down heavily by 7-2 to a Stanley Matthews-inspired England at Wembley.
Ian would lose out to a fit-again Willie Fernie for the inside-right berth for the Scottish Cup semi-final replay against Division B outfit Airdrieonians at Hampden 48 hours later, a second-half double from the recently returned John McPhail taking holders Celts through to a second successive final.
There they would meet east-end neighbours Clyde, who shocked Aberdeen at Easter Road to prevent a rematch of the previous season’s Scottish Cup final, thanks to a penalty from future manager Archie Robertson. How that name would come back to haunt Celtic a few weeks later.
There were three changes to the Celtic team which travelled to Dens Park to face Dundee five days later, Saturday, 9 April 1955. Jock Stein, Bobby Collins and Willie Fernie were all deemed unfit, Mike Conroy, Jimmy Walsh and Ian Reid coming back in. At right-half for the Dark Blues was Tommy Gallacher, son of Celtic legend Patsy.
This would prove to be a very special afternoon for Ian, as he scored his only goal for the first team. It arrived just before the half-hour, Ian’s lob catching Dundee keeper Bill Brown unawares for the only goal of the game. It would be a red-letter day also for Aberdeen, who gained revenge for their recent Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Clyde by beating the Bully Wee 1-0 at Shawfield. Archie Glen’s 12th-minute spot kick winner saw the Scottish League championship head to the Granite City for the first time in the Dons’ 52-year history.
The new Scottish champions would travel south to meet Celtic the following Saturday in the penultimate League match, Ian retaining his place in the continued absence of Willie Fernie with Jock Stein and Bobby Collins returning to the fold as 40,000 spectators gave the Dons a warm ovation before kick-off.
The entire Clyde team were in the stand assessing their opponents in the following week’s Scottish Cup final and they would have left impressed after Celtic’s 2-1 win. John McPhail scored either side of the break to establish a two-goal lead with Graham Leggat snatching a late consolation goal for Aberdeen four minutes from the end.
There would be heartbreak for Ian seven days later as he missed out on a Scottish Cup final place due to Willie Fernie’s return from injury. Jimmy Walsh for Neil Mochan was the other change in the Celtic line-up, and it was Walsh who gave cup-holders Celts one hand on the trophy in front of 106,000 spectators when he took a Fernie pass to score seven minutes from half-time.
As the clock ticked towards the 90-minute mark and Celts well on top, fate took a hand, the famous Hampden swirling wind carrying Archie Robertson’s corner kick under the crossbar with John Bonnar unable to prevent it crossing the line. A Tommy Ring goal in the midweek replay would take the cup to Shawfield for the second time, after some strange tinkering in the selection of the Celtic attack handed the advantage to Clyde.
Continued on next page…
