The return League fixture on 4 March 1967 would see another magnificent display from Denis in the Saints goal, the big man standing between the hosts and complete humiliation as Celtic recovered from a European Cup defeat in Novi Sad three days earlier to turn on the style with a 5-0 win. Denis would actually be at Celtic Park as a spectator in midweek as the Hoops beat Vojvodina with a last-gasp Billy McNeill header, and then again the following month as they took a major step towards immortality with a 3-1 home win over Dukla Prague in the semi-final.
Sadly, Saints would face relegation in the summer, by which time Denis was plying his trade in the USA. Former Love Street manager Doug Millward tempted him with an offer to join him at NPSL outfit Baltimore Bay, where one of his teammates was former Manchester United and England striker Dennis Viollet. It was whilst in the States that Denis celebrated Celtic’s Lisbon triumph.
Despite topping the Eastern Division of the NPSL, Millward was replaced by Gordon Jago in October, and by the spring of 1968 Denis was back in Scotland and re-joining St Mirren, as the Paisley club won the Second Division to take their place once again in the top-flight.
Denis was between the sticks as Saints opened their League Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Montrose at Links Park on Saturday, 10 August 1968, as a Willie Wallace double was giving Celtic victory at Ibrox, a day I remember well. Hamilton Academical would pip the Buddies by a single point to win that section then probably wish they hadn’t bothered, as Celts then beat them 10-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final clash at Parkhead, Stevie Chalmers and Bobby Lennox scoring five apiece that evening, surely a unique feat. The second leg at Douglas Park would see the half-time introduction of a young Celtic hopeful by the name of Kenny Dalglish.
It would be early December before Denis came up against Celtic again. The newly promoted Saints had recently beaten Rangers at Love Street, another day I remember vividly, and sat ahead of them in third place in the table. At half-time, the huge Celtic Park crowd was frustrated, the game still goalless thanks to yet another wonderful goalkeeping display by Denis against his boyhood and former club. The Evening Times reported that…
Goalkeeper Connaghan was a hero in the Saints’ goal. Time and again he foiled the eager Celtic forwards with brilliant saves.
But Stein’s Celtic of that era was an exceptional side, described in the same newspaper as ‘better than the team which won in Lisbon last year.’ Five goals in 30 devastating second-half minutes saw the two points remain in Glasgow.
The return League match between the clubs that season was also significant, as Denis’ former Holyrood teammate Harry Hood made his Celtic debut at Love Street, on Saturday, 29 March 1969. Sadly, injury prevented a school reunion, Jim Thorburn wearing the gloves that day as Harry celebrated his own big day with Celtic’s third goal in a 3-0 victory.
There was another Celtic debutant alongside Harry when Denis and St Mirren travelled to Glasgow on the opening night of December 1969, the game having been cancelled at the last minute nine days earlier due to flooding on the Parkhead pitch. Evan Williams replaced John Fallon to make his first League appearance for the club. Yet again it was Denis who captured the headlines, ‘defiant Connaghan giving a one-man show as he stood up alone to the Celtic attack.’ Two Lou Macari strikes in the minutes either side of the interval separated the teams.
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