This week in 1970: Harry Hood breaking Hearts and sinking the ‘Well…
Harry was on target again four nights later, scoring the late winner as Celts immediately bounced back from that Hampden defeat. Jock Stein’s men showed the courage of champions, recovering from two goals down against Hearts at Parkhead with just 25 minutes remaining to win 3-2.
Donald Ford’s brace for the Gorgie side was matched by Willie Wallace against his old team, Bobby Murdoch – Celtic’s outstanding player on the evening – setting up Harry to smash the ball home with 13 minutes to play.
But he saved his best for the last day of the month. On a pitch covered in muddy puddles which would have had Peppa Pig declaring a huff, Harry ran riot at Fir Park, scoring a hat-trick – his second in six weeks – as Celts hammered Motherwell 5-0 to end October two points clear of Aberdeen at the top of the table.
Harry’s first goal was a powerful left-foot shot which left Keith MacRae helpless after 20 minutes, the second arriving just before the interval as he headed home a Bobby Lennox cross. George Connelly added a third before Harry completed his treble from the spot on the hour, after MacRae had dragged Jimmy Johnstone down in the box. The winger then completed the rout in the closing stages, a few minutes after Harry had left the mudbath for a well-earned rest, Lou Macari coming on.
Monday’s Evening Times match report led with the memorable headline “HMS Hood sinks the ‘Well.”
“Ridiculous!” we sages up in the Press seats decided. “You can’t ask players to splash about in this.” Then Harry Hood got the first goal. He killed a pass, veered to the left and without too much fuss steered the ball home. The ball went in against the tide, as it were. Hood’s whole attitude appeared to be – “Now you’ve seen how it’s done, let’s do it again.”
And Celtic did it. From a team that had been slipping and slithering they began to walk upon the water and take the ball with them too. Wee Jimmy Johnstone was jinking…Bobby Murdoch sailing over puddles with all the majesty of a Spanish galleon under full sail…and there was HMS Hood blasting at the opposition whenever half a chance came up. ‘Appy ‘Arry showed how it could be done twice more before being taken off after his hat-trick and replaced by Macari, who, immediately, had the impertinence to attempt to score.”
Matt Corr
* An extract from Harry Hood – Twice as Good which we are very excited to say is published this week by Celtic Star Books. To receive a copy signed by both Matt and former Celtic star Tommy Callaghan simply order using the link below….
