This is Part 4 of Matt Corr’s feature on Celtic’s season 1982/83. The links to the first three instalments are available at the end of this article which is unique and original content on The Celtic Star…
The fresh young Princes of Parkhead make their mark, as a Celtic legend bows out – Celtic’s season 1982/83 (Part 4)
With the League Cup section safely navigated, Celtic thoughts turned to the quest for three-in-a-row. It seems incredible now but there were only 19,000 supporters in the ground on the first Saturday in September to watch Lady Kelly, widow of Sir Robert, unfurl the 1981/82 Championship flag above the Jungle, ahead of the opening fixture with Dundee. When the main feature got underway, Davie Provan continued his sparkling run of form, scoring the opener on the half hour then setting up the second for Roy Aitken, just before the break.
There were almost as many at Love Street the following weekend to witness a much tighter fixture, Celts trailing for the best part of an hour to a tremendous Richardson strike, before a late penalty double from Nicholas secured the points. This was a Saint’s side full of characters, featuring future Centenary Bhoys Stark and McAvennie in their line-up, together with that scourge of Celtic, Frank McDougall and current Kilmarnock manager, Steve Clarke.
On the Saturday after the epic home clash with Ajax, the Hoops produced one of the best displays of Billy’s first tenure, against Motherwell at Fir Park. The game was finished as a contest by half-time, by which point goals from McGarvey, MacLeod and Nicholas had Celtic three up. However, for me it is the second half that lives long in the memory, as Celtic ran riot, playing down towards us in the ‘high end’, now the visitors’ South Stand. Roy Aitken, revelling in a midfield role, rampaged through the middle to score an identikit double, whilst Nicholas completed his own hat-trick, his final goal a thing of rare beauty, as he toyed with the Well defence before blasting the ball past Sproat for 7-0.
It was a reality check for the new Motherwell boss, former Ibrox manager Jock Wallace, who had replaced David Hay in the Fir Park dugout. He was taunted mercilessly, with shouts of ‘Wallace for Rangers’ intensifying as the goal tally climbed higher.
The Celtic fans would get their wish, albeit not until the following year, when he replaced John Greig to commence a second stint there, the Ibrox board having failed to entice both Alex Ferguson and Jim McLean with job offers. There was more sympathy for two members of Jock Stein’s last double-winning team, Johannes Edvaldsson and Alfie Conn, who could only watch on helplessly as their former colleagues romped to victory. The home side also featured a young teenage midfielder called Brian McClair, but more of him later.
The month was closed off with maximum points, following a 2-0 home victory over stuffy Hibernian, goals in either half from midfielders MacLeod and McStay securing the win, with the second, a fabulous strike from outside the box by the emerging Maestro, being the highlight of a dull game.
October began with a mouthwatering fixture, as Celts visited Tannadice, both sides on a major high following memorable midweek victories in Holland, against Dutch giants Ajax and PSV Eindhoven. Over 20,000 were crammed into the ground, with many more locked out, the 50/50 crowd split creating a very special atmosphere. And they were rewarded with a match worthy of such an occasion, young McStay setting the tone with yet another glorious strike on twenty minutes, the ball flying high into the net to our right, past the despairing McAlpine.
In the early minutes of the second half, Aitken again went on the rampage, finishing off an excellent team move by sliding the ball home and Celts were in control. However, not for the first or last time did a two-goal lead evaporate at Tannadice late on.
The prolific Dodds gave the Arabs hope with fifteen minutes to play with a typical poacher’s finish and the unlikely comeback was complete with just five minutes left, United’s lightning-fast winger, the late Ralph Milne, scoring an excellent goal for 2-2. A tremendous game and the highlights are just below.
The atmosphere was drastically different the following Saturday, as Aberdeen came to town. 30,000 rolled up to Paradise for the clash between Scotland’s top sides and they witnessed a tough midfield battle with neither side giving an inch. The breakthrough finally came early in the second half, when a needless hand ball by Mark Reid gave Strachan his chance from the spot, an offer he gratefully accepted. And with Celtic still regrouping from this loss, McGhee set up Simpson for an easy second.
Nicholas pulled one back from a corner with twenty minutes remaining but the game changed on two decisions from the dreadful Andrew Waddell. First he sent off McGrain for a robust tackle on Weir, the inspirational defender’s only red card in a 600+-game career, then he allowed the clearly-offside McGhee to run through to net a third and clinching goal for the Dons.
The crowd were incensed, as was manager McNeill, who unfortunately took his protests too far. We then had the distasteful scene of Cesar and Waddell going ‘head-to-head’ on the pitch, with Billy then dispatched to the stand to watch the closing minutes play out. A sad end to a really disappointing day.
There was a sense of hangover in the air as Kilmarnock visited Celtic Park the next week, only 11,000 hardy souls braving a horrendous afternoon. Celtic, minus the suspended McGrain and the injured Burns, toiled throughout and Clarke’s second-half header looked like inflicting a second successive home defeat on the Champions. Cometh the hour, cometh the young prince, as once again Nicholas came to the rescue with a late double, both following corners, in the last ten minutes.
In the midweek, the focus returned to Europe. Following the glory of Amsterdam, Celts had been handed another tough draw, this time in the shape of Real Sociedad, champions of Spain for the past two seasons. Nevertheless, hopes were high of another positive result and with fifteen minutes to play in San Sebastián, things were looking good. The crowd packed into the old Atocha ground had been silenced and the game remained goalless. Then the roof caved in, two wicked deflections leaving Bonner helpless and Celtic’s European hopes hanging by a thread, 2-0 down to the Basques.
There was further gloom following the game, when it was revealed that the incomparable Jimmy McGrory, Celtic’s greatest-ever goalscorer, had passed away earlier that day, aged 78. Jimmy had served Celtic with distinction for most of his life, the Garngad-born Bhoy following a glorious 15-year playing career, where he broke or set every top-flight scoring record in the UK, with a 20-year stint in the manager’s office, in the dugout for the 1953 Coronation Cup Final triumph, the following year’s League and Cup Double – a first in 40 years – and of course, Hampden in the Sun, in 1957. On Jock Stein’s appointment in March ‘65, he picked up a role in the PR side of the club, a role he served faithfully until retirement. We will never see the like of McGrory of the Celtic again. God bless him.
There was a game in every port that week, as Celtic moved from San Sebastián to Greenock for the league fixture with Morton. Despite the European disappointment and sadness at the passing of a legend, Celts started the game well, McGarvey’s marvellous opener the latest in a long line of goal-of-the-season contenders by Celtic’s young stars. When Nicholas then netted a second from the spot just before half-time, it looked all over. However, a combination of spirited Morton fight back and increasing Hoops’ tiredness brought about a nervous ending, happily Rooney’s 70th minute effort being the only concession as the points were narrowly saved.
There would be one final challenge in October, a home match with Rangers in front of the UK’s biggest crowd that season, more than 60,000. In difficult underfoot conditions, Rangers started brighter and struck first when a Prytz corner deceived Bonner at his near post and crept into the net.
Back came Celtic, forcing an equaliser within three minutes, McStay continuing his rite of passage with his first goal in this fixture, following an excellent break by MacLeod. Just before half-time, the game took another twist, Cooper heading home at the far post for 2-1.
The match probably turned early in the second-half, when a long-range effort from the Swede Prytz beat Pat Bonner but rebounded to safety off the crossbar. As often happens in football, the next goal then went to the opposition, the wonderful McStay setting up McGarvey, whose aim was true, 2-2. As legs tired on the sodden turf, there was one final moment of drama remaining, and thankfully it went the way of the Bhoys. A fast counter-attack saw the ball transferred quickly through Nicholas to MacLeod, bearing through in the inside-left position on the Jungle side. Summoning on his last reserves of strength, the prolific midfielder remained composed to fire the ball past Stewart with his left foot, securing a much-needed and memorable victory for Celtic. A wonderful day for the Hoops.
Extended and nostalgic Scotsport highlights are below, and if you watch tremendous praise is due to Davie Provan for his role in the winning goal.
Later that night, I met up with some of the Bishopbriggs Bhoys from the Cairn bus for a pint. In the era of, by today’s standards, early closing times, the Torrance Inn held an ace card, an extra hour’s licence on a Saturday night. And so we piled in, trying hard to keep the smug smiles from our faces in what was very much a mixed bar. We then had the surreal sight of Gregor Stevens, the ‘hard as nails’ Rangers centre-half from earlier that day, standing, pint of lager in hand, watching these highlights of the game on a TV above the bar. I can only imagine his thoughts as he watched Murdo’s late winner find the net. But for us there was only joy and for that night anyway, the quiet village of Torrance was most certainly green and white.
Matt Corr
As promised above, here are the links to the first three parts of Matt’s look back at Celtic in season 1982-83…
PART 1…This could be Rotterdam or anywhere…Celtic’s 1982/83 season (Part 1)…see HERE.
PART 2…Oh Hampden in the rain…the end of an eight-year hoodoo – Celtic’s season 1982/83 (Part 2)…see HERE.
PART 3…A night of glory in Amsterdam – Celtic’s season 1982/83 (Part 3)…see HERE.
Also on The Celtic Star today…
Why Boyata’s ‘bad day at the office’ for Belgium is good news for Celtic…See HERE.
Jim Craig – Fightback! Celtic’s 5-4 victory continues the charge for the title…See HERE.
