The fallout from the events following Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final victory in May 1980 made for a long, difficult close-season. Everyone who wasn’t anyone had their say on the root cause of the problem and legislation was hurriedly introduced, banning alcohol from the terracings and stands. So it was with some relief that we headed to Parkhead for the first competitive fixture of the new term, a Drybrough Cup Quarter-final tie against second-tier Ayr United.
The pre-season tournament, ironically sponsored by a brewing company, involved the highest-scoring teams from the previous League campaign in the top two divisions and had been resurrected in 1979, following a five-year absence.
In Celtic’s very first Drybrough Cup game, at home to Dumbarton in July 1971, I was privileged to watch the coming-of-age of a certain Kenny Dalglish, who banged in four goals in a 5-2 win, after former-Celt Charlie Gallagher had put the Sons ahead in the opening minutes. In the closing stages of the season just ended, the youngster had scored six at Rugby Park, in Frank Beattie’s benefit match, making it increasingly difficult for Jock to ignore such a precocious talent.
His phenomenal scoring run would continue in midweek at a packed Firhill, in the Semi-final against Willie Ormond’s strong St Johnstone side. Again wearing the iconic number seven shorts, Kenny hit a hat-trick, as Celts came back from a two-goal deficit to win 4-2 and clinch a place in the Pittodrie final.
Strange the things you remember about such games. There was Celtic playing in a home kit but with away socks, green with two white bands at the top. There was a rare appearance for Gordon Marshall senior, father of the 90’s keeper, badly at fault for the first goal and, therefore, becoming even rarer after this match.
We wondered where Jock had been hiding Kenny, who I first saw play at right-half against Raith Rovers in Bobby Murdoch’s slot a couple of years earlier, being memorably described in the sports papers of the day as ‘Dalgleish’.
Nine years on from the initial tournament, the Ayr game was the first real opportunity for another special talent, striker Charlie Nicholas. I had been following Charlie’s goal-laden career since his days with Celtic Boys Club, then more recently in the reserves.
Just as Jock had the dilemma with Kenny, so Billy McNeill now had to find a spot in his team for Nicholas. We in the Cairn CSC had an additional vested interest, I was best pals with his cousin John, so it was genuinely a case of hoping to see one of your own making the grade in ‘our team’. As it turned out, Charlie played well on the day, however, a late goal from Eric Morris proved the decisive moment in the game and Celtic were out. For the only time in the six seasons of the competition, the Bhoys would not take part in the Drybrough Cup Final.
The following week saw one of the great Celtic occasions, as the legend Danny McGrain was honoured for his fabulous service to the club. A testimonial game with Manchester United, in front of 45,000 adoring supporters, was Danny’s reward.
Former Quality Street team-mate Lou Macari was captain for the night against his old friend and club, later joking that it had been the first time in his career where he would have been happy losing the match! The game finished goalless, with United then winning on penalties, however, it was also significant for another player who would join the ‘600 club’ with Danny and Celtic, young goalkeeper Pat Bonner stepping in for the injured Latchford, soon to make the position his own for pretty much the next decade.
League action got underway with victories over Morton and Kilmarnock, Nicholas making his League debut as a second-half substitute at Rugby Park. He was again on the bench but this time unused for the third and final Premier Division match in August, against Rangers at Celtic Park, as the McAdam brothers squared up for the first time.
Having dominated the first-half, Celts took the lead within two minutes of the restart, Tommy Burns blasting home from close-range after a Jardine error. New signing Bett brought the Ibrox side level before the turning point of the game, as a perfectly-good Murdo MacLeod goal was first given then cancelled after a conversation between referee and linesman.
The knife was fully twisted with just thirty seconds remaining, as journeyman full-back Alex Miller received a short throw in front of the Jungle, then hit a shot any respectable Brazilian superstar would have been proud of, the ball looping over Bonner and the two points which had been in our grasp were lost.
This was Rangers’ first victory at Parkhead for six years, since my own first experience of the fixture, standing at the back of the old Celtic End with my brother. That day, back in September ’74 in front of 60,000, began well, with a classic Dalglish strike off the underside of the bar, but ended badly, thanks to Jim Brogan’s red card and second-half goals from McDougall and Jackson.
There were further ramifications for Celtic as the week progressed, George Connelly’s curious absence from the team then explained, as he walked away from senior football for the last time, followed by a disappointing midweek home draw against our only previous Greek opponents, Olympiakos Piraeus, in what would be Billy McNeill’s final European tie. Our instincts that the good times under Jock were on the wane proved correct, as for the first time in my Celtic-supporting life, the title was surrendered in the spring.
But in August 1980, there was another title to be regained and we would have taken great comfort had we known then that it would be the best part of a decade before a third home derby defeat would have to be endured. A few days earlier, the latest European campaign had commenced at Celtic Park, a sensational second-half goal blitz destroying the Hungarian Cup winners Diosgyor VTK Miskolc, a McGarvey hat-trick the highlight in a 6-0 win.
DVTK included Besiktas, Rapid Vienna and our own Dundee United within their recent conquests, so the margin of victory was something of a surprise. Two weeks later, 18-year-old Nicholas put Celts seven clear in the tie, with his first European strike. However, despite being outplayed for most of the match, a Gorgei double either side of half-time, his first appearing to go in via the side-netting, gave the Hungarians an unlikely 2-1 victory on the night.
In between those games, there was a League Cup scare from First Division Stirling Albion, managed by a young Alex Smith. Celts lost the first leg at the old Annfield to a solitary Lloyd Irvine goal and twelve minutes into the second-leg, three days later, we all feared the worst as McPhee doubled the lead. Despite a fantastic strike from Dom Sullivan, Celtic were heading out of the Cup as the clock ticked by.
Then with just three minutes remaining, Tommy Burns came to the rescue with a fine second, and so to extra-time we went. There would be no second-chance for Albion, as McNeill introduced Nicholas and Charlie did not disappoint with a double, his first senior goals, two of four in the additional period as Celtic ran out eventual 6-1 winners on the day.
Back on League business, there were comfortable wins against Partick Thistle and Hearts before the next European tie, as Nicholas continued his fine scoring run.
The Romanian side Politehnica Timisoara were our next Cup-Winners’ Cup visitors, Charlie again on the mark with a first-half brace as Celts totally dominated proceedings. However, Celtic’s failure to convert any one of a dozen further chances proved costly, as a late Romanian counter set things up for a difficult second leg.
And so it proved a fortnight later in Timisoara, with a ridiculous performance from the Greek official taking centre stage. The writing was on the wall from the outset, as having won the toss, Danny McGrain looked on helplessly as the Romanians elected to play with the strong wind and kicked off.
Things went from bad to worse, MacDonald sent off within twenty minutes having been pushed to the ground, a goal awarded to the hosts in the closing stages despite a blatant foul on Latchford, then McGarvey sent packing for reacting to the umpteenth assault on him, as Celtic finished with nine men and out of Europe.
Even Assistant Manager John Clark got involved, the most mild-mannered of men provoked by the official into an argument and subsequent UEFA ban, as the tie ended in farce. Some of our Cairn members were among the small number of Celts in the 50,000 crowd.
However, when the red mist cleared, the fact remained that the return leg should have been a formality, given Celtic’s dominance at Parkhead. A sore lesson indeed.
September had ended with a whimper, with disappointing draws against Airdrie and Aberdeen. It took a late Nicholas penalty, his first for the club, to rescue a point against the newly-promoted Diamonds, in John Weir’s debut. At Pittodrie, another Charlie spot-kick, his ninth consecutive scoring appearance, then an excellent Burns header put Celts in control against the defending champions. However, a late collapse saw the Dons hit two goals in two minutes and a valuable opportunity to strike a title blow had been passed up.
There was progress in the League Cup, with a double-header against Hamilton Accies played within 48 hours due to Celtic’s European commitments. On the Monday night at Douglas Park, Johnny Doyle opened the scoring in a 3-1 win, knocking home the rebound after Ferguson had saved an Aitken shot.
None of us in the ground that evening would be aware we had just witnessed the last top-flight goal for a true Celt, the final chapter in that sad story being for another day. Two nights later, the job was completed at Celtic Park with a routine 4-1 victory, Nicholas and Burns again on target before a late brace from substitute McGarvey rounded things off.
By contrast, October was an excellent month domestically, Celts bouncing back from their European disappointment to record four straight League victories, with Dundee United, St Mirren, Morton and Kilmarnock the victims. Charlie, for once, failed to score at Love Street, although thankfully the Buddies chipped in with two own goals to gift the Hoops the points, in a game where their former star, McGarvey, was sent packing for the second time in ten days. There were also home and away wins over Partick Thistle in the League Cup Quarter-final, although extra-time was again required at Celtic Park before Burns and MacDonald finally settled the tie.
The see-saw season continued in November, with back-to-back defeats at Ibrox and at home to Aberdeen. Our first visit to the Free Broomloan was a miserable experience, the late Colin McAdam bullying his younger brother Tom to score twice in a 3-0 victory.
In midweek there was a glimmer of hope, a late Nicholas equaliser at Tannadice putting Celtic in pole position in the first leg of the League Cup Semi-final, as young left-back Mark Reid made his debut. However, the holders showed their mettle in the return game, scoring early on through Pettigrew before killing the tie with two second-half goals to set up a Dick Donnelly Dreary Dreich Dens Park Dundee Derby December final, which United would win easily.
There was a touch of ‘deja-vu’ about our next match, at home to St Mirren, as full-back Alex Beckett decided he would out do his Rangers rival Miller, with an even more outrageous last-minute strike to consign Celtic to a fourth defeat in six games. So it was a subdued Cairn CSC group who gathered for our first ever trip out of Scotland at dawn the following Tuesday, en route to London for Sammy Nelson’s Testimonial.
The game itself was not the story here, an instantly forgettable 0-0 draw on a freezing, cold night overshadowed by an incredible show of support from the 10,000 Celtic fans in the Clock End, making up around half of the Highbury crowd paying tribute to the Irish defender.
There was a bizarre moment the following morning, in that well-known Hoops haunt the Blochairn Inn, better known as the Budgie, in Garngad’s Fruit Market. Having travelled back to Glasgow overnight, the Wolfe Tones were given a brief break whilst the Troops descended on the Budgie for a breakfast pint. Whilst waiting to be served, I was asked by the barmaid to remove the Arsenal scarf I was still wearing, presumably to avoid upsetting any Spurs fans in the pub at that time. I guess there are football colours and football colours, however, it gave us all a laugh at the time.
The feel good factor from Highbury continued over the coming weeks, a strong second-half showing at Tannadice producing an excellent 3-0 win, John Weir scoring his only first-team goal whilst next-door neighbours Nicholas and Duffy shared the substitutes’ bench, as a degree of revenge for the League Cup reverse was taken.
Narrow victories at Firhill and at home to Hearts and Airdrie followed, attendances at all three games being worryingly in the 12-14,000 category, despite Celts clawing back to within a point of Aberdeen at the top of the table.
The final match of 1980 featured the top two at Pittodrie, a sell-out festive crowd of 24,000 watching as the defending champions blew Celtic away with an attacking performance which produced three goals without reply by the early moments of the second half.
That man Strachan then inflicted his own personal dose of pain, earning then converting a penalty for 4-0, before Nicholas gave the noisy and faithful Celtic support something to cheer at least on the day, with a consolation goal. It was not a happy bus on the long journey home, as we contemplated Celtic’s position at the end of a long, dark day. Now three points behind having played a game more, it seemed a forlorn hope that the flag would be flying above the Jungle come the summer.
However, as the old song goes, night is darkest just before the dawn…
For the first time in five years, there was a Celtic fixture on New Year’s Day to kill or cure the Hogmanay hangover. The previous occasion had not been a memorable one for me, my first visit to Ibrox ending in defeat thanks to a first-half Derek Johnstone header, as that great Celt Sean Fallon struggled to steady the ship in the absence of a recovering Jock, despite the presence of world-class stars McGrain and Dalglish.
As Stein convalesced, following a serious road crash the previous summer, Jock Wallace’s Rangers would go on to win the first-ever Premier League as part of a domestic treble. Thankfully, with the Big Man back at the helm, Celtic stormed back to win the double the following season, as natural order was restored for those of a Hoops persuasion.
In 1981, the holiday fixture was at Rugby Park and a packed, pale-faced Cairn bus headed down to Ayrshire to watch the Bhoys come back from a goal down in the opening minutes to win with a McGarvey double. Frank was again on the mark twice just two days later, in a 3-0 home victory over Morton, then scoring the winner against Dundee United at Parkhead the following Saturday, as Celts put the heavy Pittodrie defeat behind them with a perfect start to the New Year.
Next up was a first-ever trip over the border to play Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park in the Scottish Cup. The pre-match media hype was all around the possibility of a second giant-killing act from the Wee Rangers, following their victory over the Ibrox side at the same stage in the holy year of 1967. On that occasion, a certain Jock Wallace was in the home goal as player-manager, setting an unique record having played in both the Welsh and English FA Cups earlier that season for Hereford United.
Fourteen years on, it was an ex-Celtic goalkeeper in the Berwick dugout, as mild-mannered Frank Connor sought to put one over on his old club. It was not to be, as goals in each half from Nicholas and Burns edged Celtic into the draw for the Fourth Round.
Momentum was now very much with the Hoops, who progressed in the Scottish Cup with comfortable home victories over Stirling Albion and East Stirling. Between those ties, we witnessed Charlie Nicholas coming of age against Rangers, scoring twice as Celts stormed from behind to win 3-1, thus avenging the two earlier defeats to leave the old rivals a distant eight points in our wake.
My abiding memory of that match is of Roy Aitken, charging up the Main Stand side in the closing minutes to play a 1-2 with Colin Jackson before thumping the ball behind McCloy for Celtic’s third, then going on his own personal lap of honour behind the goal, his right fist raised high in triumph.
There was yet another brace for striker McGarvey the following week at Cappielow, Burns and Provan on fire in a 3-0 win as Celtic turned the pressure up on the defending champions Aberdeen, who lost at home to St Mirren.
Celts then made it ten straight victories in 1981 with a spectacular display against the Saints in mid-March. McGarvey was unplayable against his old team, hitting a hat-trick in a stunning 7-0 win. His second strike was perhaps the finest goal of his career, as he cut in from the Jungle wing, dribbled past defenders, somehow managing to stay upright despite being fouled, then unleashed the most glorious shot from 25 yards which flew past Billy Thomson into the roof of the net.
Parkhead was in raptures at this incredible moment, the referee appropriately blowing for half-time to allow the standing ovation to continue. This was the day we really started believing that the flag was coming home, Aberdeen losing to relegation-threatened Kilmarnock to fall four points behind the Bhoys. It had been an incredible turnaround since the teams had faced off at the end of December.
That goal defined for me the incredible striker which was Frank McGarvey.
The joke among the support at the time was that defenders would have no idea what Frank would do next, as usually Frank himself would still be considering his options at that time. He was a natural talent, slightly-built but brave in the face of atrocious physical abuse from defenders and capable of moments of genius.
His last act for Celtic was another case in point. In the 100th Cup Final at Hampden, in May 1985, Frank launched himself at a Roy Aitken cross to beat Hamish McAlpine with an impossible diving header in the closing minutes, to win the cup for Celtic and cement his place in our hearts and history forever.
I was genuinely sad to hear that he was being released that close-season, in the face of competition from McClair and Johnston, who manager Hay had settled on as his main strike partnership for 85-86.
However, back in March ’81, Frank still had business to settle. He followed up his St Mirren hat-trick with the final goal in a 4-1 midweek romp over Partick Thistle at Celtic Park, substitute Murdo MacLeod marking only his second appearance in an injury-ravaged five-month period with a couple of specials past Alan Rough.
Earlier, Dom Sullivan had notched up Celtic’s 100th competitive goal of the season, with another fantastic strike. This was a Celtic side in full flow, eyes focused fully on the League title, closing out March with a 2-1 win at Broomfield before Aberdeen came to Parkhead for the final time.
There were 35,000 plus in the ground to witness the last-chance saloon for Ferguson’s champions. The Dons took the lead through Andy Harrow early on and things looked bleak when Leighton saved Macleod’s penalty kick with just fifteen minutes remaining.
Nevertheless, eight points clear with just six games remaining, this was now Celtic’s title to lose.
There was an April Fool’s Day roasting for Hearts as Celts piled on the agony with six of the best in a record win, doubles for McCluskey and MacLeod supplemented by strikes from McGarvey and Provan.
Incredibly, for a Celtic side closing in on the title, only 13,000 supporters bothered to turn out on the night. There were actually 4,000 more at Firhill on Grand National weekend, to watch Tom McAdam head a last-gasp winner, after McCluskey had seen his late spot kick saved by the goalkeeper. With four games to go, Celts had amassed 51 points, with Aberdeen now only capable of a maximum of 53.
Before the next League game, Rangers at Ibrox, there was the small matter of the Scottish Cup Semi-final at Hampden against Dundee United, in a repeat of the League Cup last-four tie. For once the Celtic strike force came up short, United the better team against a Hoops side missing the suspended McGrain and McGarvey but having to settle for a replay, after a goalless draw in front of 40,000.
The midweek rematch had goals, three of them in the first ten minutes, in a game which see-sawed from start to finish. Nicholas gave Celts the lead from the spot after five minutes, only to watch as first Bannon then Hegarty stole in at the far post to push the Arabs ahead. Charlie then equalised for the Hoops on the stroke of half-time, with both teams then going for a winner in an exciting second period. It did arrive on 75 minutes and sadly for Celts it was at the wrong end of Hampden,
Mike Conroy getting a touch on Hegarty’s drive and looking on despairingly as it flew past Pat Bonner. A first defeat in 1981 meant there would be no retention of ‘our Cup’ for proud holders Celtic.
As football so often does, there was an early opportunity provided for Billy to lift his troops, with a visit to Ibrox just three days later. A victory would enable Celtic to match the potential points total for our only challengers, Aberdeen, with the Bhoys’ superior goal difference of thirteen meaning that the title could effectively be clinched that weekend.
This was something which had not happened since May 1967, when Jinky cut in from the wing to blast his second goal of the day in off the crossbar, the ball then sticking in the mud in one of those iconic Celtic moments, in front of the watching Herrera.
So it was with great excitement that we left the Celtic club in Springburn and boarded the Cairn bus for Govan, to watch the Celts do the business. There were 36,000 packed into the three-sided stadium, on our left the old Centenary Stand steadily being replaced by a new structure.
It was party time in the Free Broomloan, as early in the second half, the best move of the game, involving Provan, Nicholas and McGarvey, ended with Charlie burying the ball behind Jim Stewart for the winning goal. As the players took a well-earned bow at the end in front of the delirious support, manager McNeill correctly maintained his position that a further point was required before he would accept the title as won.
Again, the peculiarities of the fixture list dictated that recent Cup conquerors Dundee United would provide the opposition for the official title clinching-game. A huge travelling support headed to Tayside on the Wednesday night and they were rewarded early, as MacLeod headed the champions-elect in front after three minutes.
On the half-hour there was a setback, as poacher-supreme Willie Pettigrew snatched an equaliser. Back came Celtic, with that man McGarvey restoring the lead just five minutes later from a Provan corner and Celts went down the tunnel at the interval with the job half-done. The title-winning moment most of us remember came on the hour mark. We watched from high up on the old uncovered terracing, facing the main stand, as Tommy Burns lived up to his name, twisting and turning away from defenders to smash a beautiful left-foot shot past McAlpine and the title was ours.
The scenes at the end will live with me forever, a sea of green and white scarves around the ground as ‘Walk On’ echoed into the night air. The Celtic players joined in, scarves held aloft in triumph, before raising first Danny McGrain then Billy McNeill shoulder-high, in a flashback to another era. After the bitter taste of a final-day title loss the previous season, this particular championship felt very special, earned the Celtic way with an incredible winning run from Ne-erday, which blew the opposition away.
We funnelled out onto Tannadice Street on Cloud Nine, to the strains of a well-known BA advert of the time, the words amended to reflect the achievement of Cesar’s young lions…
…“We’ve won the League again, fly the flag, fly the flag”.
Matt Corr
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