Even supporters of Manchester United will enjoy watching this pretty remarkable video of a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park on 6 August 1966. A crowd of 60,000 turned up and were rewarded by both teams putting on a show with the likes of (former Celt) Pat Crerand, Nobby Stiles, George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law all playing for the visitors.
For Celtic Jock Stein sent out the following side – Simpson; Gemmell, O’Neill; Murdoch, McNeill, Clark; Johnstone, McBride, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox – nine of whom would start in the European Cup Final in Lisbon the following May. Jim Craig would replace Willie O’Neill at right back and as Joe McBride was injured at Christmas ruling him out for the rest of the season, Willie Wallace, a December 1966 signing from Hearts, was the other change. Celtic outplayed Inter Milan in what was probably the most one sided European Cup/ Champions League Final of all time. The final score – Celtic 2 Inter Milan 1 flatters the Italians immensely.
The trophy would remain on this island the next season as Manchester United beat Benfica 4-1 AET in the 1968 European Cup Final at Wembley. Starters from that game against Celtic (when it was United on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline) who played in the 1968 European Cup Final were Shay Brennan, Pat Crerand (the former Celtic star), Bill Foulkes, Nobby Stiles, George Best, the captain Bobby Charlton and David Sadler, who incidentally scored the Man Utd goal in this 4-1 defeat to Celtic.
The Celtic goalscorers were Bobby Lennox, Bobby Murdoch (perhaps the best player mentioned in this article) and Joe McBride (maybe the best goalscorer). The fourth Celtic goal was actually an own goal from English centre half Bill Foulkes.
Two of the top teams of the era in action at the start of 1966-67 season, who would have guessed then we were watching the next two European Champions? Celtic won 4-1 pic.twitter.com/iefC9CtwYQ
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) February 4, 2021
