The first of many trophies as Celtic captain for Cesar in Harry Hood’s first Cup Final

The first of many trophies as Celtic captain for Cesar in Harry’s first Cup Final…

With Clyde requiring just eight points from their final six League games to join Morton in the top-flight for season 1964/65, Saturday, 21 March 1964 was a pivotal day in the campaign. The Bully Wee fought back from a goal down to beat Cowdenbeath 2-1 at Shawfield, Harry heading home the equaliser after half-an-hour, whilst their three nearest challengers all slipped up.

That would see Clyde in fine fettle ahead of their next match, the midweek Glasgow Cup final with Celtic at Parkhead, certainly more so than the hosts, who had been on the end of a 4-0 hiding from title-chasing Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

The choice of venue had actually been suggested by Clyde, perhaps a decision based on the likelihood of a higher attendance there than the other neutral options, given chairman Willie Dunn’s previous comments around the lack of income at the club. It would be the most important game to date in the fledgling senior career of Harry Hood, the 33-goal teenager featured and identified by Gair Henderson of The Evening Times as a possible transfer target for Celtic in the pre-match build-up.

“Celtic fans, disgruntled and disappointed at that 4-0 Kilmarnock defeat, should not stay by the fireside tomorrow night when Clyde visit Celtic Park for the final of the Glasgow Cup. The supporters should turn out for three good reasons.

1) They will be on more than an even-money chance of seeing the team win their first silverware this season (there is still a very good chance of another and bigger trophy to come – the European Cup-Winners’ Cup).

2) They will definitely see a Clyde team playing all out to win from the first whistle and…

3) They MAY see a possible new Celtic star.

The man who may swap his white Clyde jersey for the famous green-and-white very soon is Harry Hood, mainstay of the Shawfield attack all season. Hood is good, so good that Jimmy McGrory watched him on Saturday, and at 19 is one of the brightest prospects to arrive on the Scottish football season for years.

Young Harry has the height and build PLUS the football needed to make a star inside-forward, but tomorrow night he may be playing at centre-forward again for Graham Macfarlane is still on his honeymoon and will miss the final.”

Harry would indeed be leading the Clyde attack in his first cup final in senior football, the teams lining up as follows at Celtic Park on Wednesday, 25 March 1964.

Celtic: John Fallon; Ian Young & Tommy Gemmell; John Clark, Billy McNeill & Jim Kennedy;Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch, Steve Chalmers, John Divers & John Hughes.

Clyde:Tommy McCulloch; Eddie Mulheron & Alec Blain; Harry Glasgow, Jim Fraser & Davie White;Jim McLean, Sammy Reid, Harry Hood, Jimmy Morrison & Jimmy Copeland.

Hoops fans of a certain vintage may feel a song coming on when they read through that home team.

Celts would win the Glasgow Cup for the second time in three seasons, thanks to two goals in a five-minute spell early in the second half from former Brunswick Bhoy Stevie Chalmers and the underrated but prolific John Divers, before 13,500 spectators.  That would be a first trophy success for new captain, Billy McNeill, and a timely boost ahead of the imminent European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final against MTK Budapest.

Harry had played up front in direct opposition to the man known as Cesar that night, Gair Henderson following up his earlier article with this review of his performance.

“The game was a stern, maybe alarming test, for centre-forward Harry Hood. There he was, playing out of position against the club which may shortly be handing him his wage packet, and he was also being asked to shine against one of the best pivots in Europe.

“Hood had the idea that industry might bring success, and for 15 minutes he tried to put on a Denis Law show – roaming, chasing and even defending. But McNeill stood there and waited, unworried. As long as the centre-forward kept away from the middle of the field there was no hint of danger, and when Harry did come in, Billy showed him that 19-year-olds still have a deal to learn.

“Nevertheless, I thought Harry showed quite a lot of promise, and he will doubtless be a vastly different player in one of the inside-forward positions. I doubt if Celtic will now write him off on the evidence of one game, playing in just about the most difficult circumstances.”

Celtic most certainly did not write him off, and there would be much more on that story to follow.

Matt Corr

An extract from Twice As Good, the official biography of Harry Hood written by Matt Corr and available from  celticstarbooks.com

About Author

Having retired from his day job Matt Corr can usually be found working as a Tour Guide at Celtic Park, or if there is a Marathon on anywhere in the world from as far away as Tokyo or New York, Matt will be running for the Celtic Foundation. On a European away-day, he's there writing his Diary for The Celtic Star and he's currently completing his first Celtic book with another two planned.

Comments are closed.