Billy McNeill and Co were unstoppable as they blitzed the opposition home and abroad to win EVERY tournament in which they competed.
The domestic treble was won in swashbuckling style before Big Jock’s juggernaut brought down the curtain on a glorious crusade with the historic European Cup triumph in Lisbon on May 25 1967.
The Hoops even threw in the Glasgow Cup for good measure!
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE, author Alex Gordon rolls back the years with an extract from his best-selling tribute book, ‘That Season in Paradise‘, which was published by CQN in 2016.
Please enjoy Part Four of your walk down memory lane!
It was played in suffocating temperatures of 85 degrees and Celtic weren’t extended as they eased to a 6-1 win.There had been an agreement between the clubs that substitutes could be used at any stage.
Joe McBride and Stevie Chalmers both scored in the opening two minutes and that was the signal for the home coach to begin putting on replacements. He utilised his entire squad of 18 throughout the 90 minutes.
Nevertheless, McBride added another and, inevitably, Bobby Lennox, Bertie Auld and John Hughes brought the total to six.
Lennox remembered: “San Francisco was next and again Spurs were the opposition. They were determined to get revenge for losing in Toronto, but we triumphed again, this time 2-1 and I got the winner.
“Actually, I was beginning to feel a wee bit sorry for the Spurs lads by this time. Whenever we were in town the Scottish and Irish exiles would abandon the London team and start following us everywhere.”
REF RUMPUS…Jimmy Johnstone was involved in a remarkable bust-up against Spurs.
Bertie Auld thumped Celtic into the lead in the 25th minute in the Kezar Stadium, but the opposition were awarded a penalty-kick within 60 seconds. Dave Mackay, the club’s rugged Scottish midfielder, blasted the ball goalwards and was stunned to see Ronnie Simpson dive full-length to push his effort away.
Unfortunately, Mackay reacted quicker than the defenders and he managed to squeeze the rebound over the goal-line. Lennox lashed in the clincher just before the hour mark.
There was a worry, though, for Jock Stein when Auld was carried off with an ankle injury. By this stage of the tour, John Cushley and Frank Carron were also sidelined with similar knocks.
Jimmy Johnstone and Ian Young were now in a position where the club might have requested they gave serious thought to cancelling their nuptials!
Stein was swiftly running out of fit players. Johnstone, though, was still available for selection for the next game on June 4 and Spurs were given a third opportunity to prevent a Celtic victory.
This time they managed a 1-1 draw, but Johnstone was involved in an incredible melee with only five minutes to go following the London side’s equaliser.
READ ALL ABOUT IT…Alex Gordon’s best-selling Celtic tribute book.
Bobby Lennox had zipped his 18th goal behind Northern Ireland keeper Pat Jennings in the 19th minute before his best pal Jinky saw red at the opposition’s equaliser. Terry Venables appeared to push Bobby Murdoch in the back as he took possession before belting the ball past Ronnie Simpson.
The wee winger was raging and delivered a stream of verbals at local referee John Webber. Obviously, some of Jinky’s observations hit a raw nerve and the match official immediately pointed to the dressing room.
The Celtic star continued to remonstrate with the American and Dave Mackay, Johnstone’s international team-mate, intervened on his behalf. Jock Stein, too, appeared on the scene.
After much gesticulating and arm-waving, Webber backed down and, remarkably, Jinky remained on the pitch until full-time.
Afterwards, he took his leave and flew home to an altogether more convivial situation by marrying fiancée Agnes the following Saturday.
*TOMORROW: Don’t miss the fifth EXCLUSIVE instalment of The Great American Dream 66 – only in your champion CQN.
