Thirty Years ago today – St Patrick’s Day Massacre, Celtic 2 Rangers 0

On this day thirty years ago Celtic beat Rangers 2-0 at Celtic Park in the Quarter Final of the Scottish Cup – but that is only half the story for three Rangers players are sent off – Terry Hurlock, Mark Walters and Mark Hateley as Celtic ruthlessly exposed the ugly side of Rangers. At least their manager Graeme Souness, who almost signed for Celtic twenty years earlier, has the grace to apologise at the end.

Celtic’s goals are scored by Dariusz Wdowczyk and Gerry Creaney. Peter Grant was also sent off, but for the less than totally heinous crime of breaking from a wall too early at a free kick!

Here’s what happened…

Other good St Patrick’s Days for Celtic were 1954 when a hat-trick from Neil Mochan and a goal each from Sean Fallon, John Higgins and Willie Fernie beat Airdrie 6-0 at Broomfield, 1926 when goals from Paddy Connolly and Willie Malloy are enough to beat Dundee 2-1 at Dens Park and 1934 when Jimmy McGrory and Hugh O’Donnell score the goals that beat Hibs 2-1 at Easter Road.

A BAD 17 March was in 1962 when the young Celtic team which had shown promise in recent weeks went down 0-1 to Airdrie at Broomfield.

30 years ago today, Celtic 2:0 Rangers.

Creaney and Wdowczyk.

‘The St Patrick’s Day Massacre🍀’ pic.twitter.com/DihPA3X1ss

— Li’l Ze (@LilZe_7) March 17, 2021

St Patrick’s day 1991 saw Celtic beat Rangers 2-0. The red cards were flying and Rangers finished with 8 men on the field. pic.twitter.com/wyKNjPmWBc

— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) March 17, 2021

30 years ago today, Celtic 2:0 Rangers.

Creaney and Wdowczyk.

‘The St Patrick’s Day Massacre🍀’ pic.twitter.com/DihPA3X1ss

— Li’l Ze (@LilZe_7) March 17, 2021

St Patrick’s Day 1991 is forever remembered as the St Patrick’s Day massacre, due to the events that unfolded at Celtic Park in the Scottish Cup quarter final that afternoon.

Graeme Souness, then Rangers manager, publicly apologised for the indiscipline of his team after three of his men were sent off. Celtic also had a man dismissed as Peter Grant was dismissed first for charging down a free kick, an incident he later laughed at in an interview with the Daily Record.

“It was my only Old Firm red card and I’d rather have been sent off for punching someone,” Grant said. “When you tell people it was for charging down a free-kick you become a bit of a laughing stock. I remember thinking if we lost the game I would get it but moments later I heard a set of studs coming down the tunnel and then another and it was the Rangers boys who were in bother. It was funny as that day Hurlock and I had been in the Sunday Mail bold as brass trying to show our caring, family side then we both got sent off!”

Rangers, who hadn’t won the Scottish Cup for a decade at the time, were outplayed before the mayhem began. They may have come from behind to win the ordering-off contest, but never looked likely to level the scoreline after Creaney and Wdowczyk’s first-half goals.

It took Celtic just six minutes to take the lead with a superb goal from Creaney, who ran on to a header from Coyne and sent a fierce volley past Woods. Wdowczyk’s ferocious 35-yard free-kick was deflected into the roof of Woods’s net amid suggestions of an own goal, half an hour later.

As mentioned, Peter Grant was the first to be dismissed for charging down a free-kick in the 54th minute, but Rangers came back strongly with Hurlock, Walters and Hateley receiving red cards for violent conduct. Hurlock lasted ten minutes longer before being dismissed for punching Coyne. Walters later had two swipes at Coyne with his foot before finally landing an elbow on him with the ball elsewhere, as the Celtic man came in for harsh treatment. Hateley, who had already been cautioned for a foul on Creaney, was later dismissed for a tackle on Rogan, who was booked for pushing the Rangers striker away.

The match finished Celtic 2-0 Rangers, and the supporters who sang ‘Happy Birthday Saint Patrick’ throughout, went home happy.

Liam Kelly