The transition continued through the summer with Charlie Tully heading back to Ireland on the expiry of his contract in July and fellow League Cup-winner Dick Beattie agreeing a move to Portsmouth. Nevertheless, Celts would commence the new season in optimistic mood with a very winnable-looking League Cup section which included Raith Rovers, Partick Thistle and Airdrieonians.
Of course, Celtic being Celtic that wouldn’t go quite with script, the Hoops proceeding to lose their first three matches. The opening game at Starks Park, Kirkcaldy on Saturday, 8 August 1959 featured a debut for former Johnstone Burgh winger Tommy Mackle – in for John Divers, whilst regular left-winger Bertie Auld remained in the naughty corner following his ordering off playing for Scotland in Amsterdam three months earlier. That situation prompted a transfer request from the player. The only other change to the Charity Cup-winning team was Billy McNeill for John Donnelly at right-back, that line-up captured for posterity in a team photograph before kick-off. That would be the highlight of a day where Raith were two goals clear by half-time before debutant Mackle pulled one back on the hour.
Tommy Mackle scoring for Celtic in the League Cup
( the report misspelt his name)
Matt McVittie lost his place for the midweek visit of Partick Thistle to another debutant winger, Bobby Carroll. A Neil Mochan spot kick early in the second half set Celtic up for a win before Thistle replied with two of their own to snatch the points. Tommy Mackle dropped out as McVittie returned at Broomfield three days later, things looking promising after Bobby Carroll’s first goal for the club and a gift from Airdrieonians defender Doug Baillie had the Hoops 2-0 up within 13 minutes. But that would prove unlucky as former Celt Jim Sharkey and fellow Diamonds striker Jim Storrie – a schoolboy friend of future Lisbon Lion Willie Wallace – terrorised the Celtic defence, Storrie netting a hat-trick as the hosts won 4-2 to effectively end Parkhead interest in the League Cup for another year.
Matt again dropped to the sidelines as Celtic played two home games that week with mixed results, a 2-1 defeat to Rangers in the Glasgow Cup followed by a 2-0 win over a Kilmarnock side featuring Joe McBride 48 hours later. He returned on the Saturday in place of the injured Bobby Carroll for the fourth League Cup tie, Raith Rovers the third visitors that week to Parkhead. Dan O’Hara had made his Hoops debut against Kilmarnock and he was joined by another new Bhoy in Charlie Gallagher and the prodigal son Bertie Auld, his transfer request now withdrawn, and Jim Conway in an exciting young Celtic attack.
How the game ended in a 1-0 win for the Hoops will forever remain a mystery as shot after shot rained down on Raith keeper Charlie Drummond. Ironically, the only effort which did beat him was from his own left-back Willie MacFarlane 10 minutes before the break. In the other match in the section that day, Partick Thistle manager Davie Meiklejohn, the former Rangers captain, collapsed and died in the directors’ box at Broomfield as his side went down 4-0 to Airdrieonians.
Celtic arrived at Firhill four days later, the players of both sides wearing black armbands as a show of respect for Thistle’s late manager. Matt’s shot was deflected into the net by Mike Jackson in the 10th minute, the same player completing his double in the final seconds as Celts moved past the Maryhill club into third spot. Raith Rovers won the group that night with a 3-0 win over Airdrieonians, the fixtures duly completed at the weekend as Celtic shared four goals with the Diamonds at Parkhead, John Divers on target twice for the Hoops.
The opening Saturday of September saw Celtic head across the city to face Rangers at Ibrox in the second League match of the season. The Govan club had featured prominently in Matt McVittie’s Celtic career and they would do so again, as this game marked his final competitive appearance for the club. The Celtic team lined up as follows in front of 65,000 spectators.
Frank Haffey; Billy McNeill & Jim Kennedy; Dunky MacKay, Bobby Evans & Bertie Peacock;
Matt McVittie, Mike Jackson, Jim Conway, John Divers & Bertie Auld.
Rangers were leading through an early Davie Wilson header when Matt twice came close to helping Celtic onto level terms, his first-time volley beating George Niven but finding the side net then his corner kick heading to the top corner via Bertie Auld’s head only for the Ibrox keeper to make a miraculous save. But with 20 minutes remaining, Alex Scott nodded the hosts into a 2-0 lead, Mike Jackson – having survived a cut head and a dreadful challenge from Harold Davis – shooting home from 20 yards to give Celts hope two minutes later.
Sadly, the final goal would come at the other end almost immediately, Jimmy Millar getting the better of Bobby Evans to end the scoring at 3-1. Matt would then find himself in the reserves as Tommy Mackle returned to the side for the trip to Tynecastle seven days later.
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