TOMMY GEMMELL accepted the goalscoring responsibility yet again when he showed his forwards how it was done with the Celtic title winner on the evening of April 21 1969 at Rugby Park.
Jock Stein’s side had toiled against a Kilmarnock team who were determined not to be bit-part players in another Parkhead surge for the championship.
However, Gemmell and Co were not about to be denied and, years later talking to his friend and author Alex Gordon, reflected: “We had drawn 2-2 with Airdrie at Parkhead on Saturday.”I scored with a penalty-kick and Wee Bobby Lennox got the other. It hadn’t been our most memorable performance of the season.
“At that stage, we were so close to clinching our fourth successive title and possibly we were a wee bit complacent. That wasn’t like us, I must admit.
“However, we knew we could make certain of the championship when we played Kilmarnock at their place a few days later. We needed a point and I’m glad to report I got the goal that gave us a 2-2 draw and our fourth consecutive crown.
“We were 2-0 down at one stage and just couldn’t make a dent on the Killie defence. And then Frank Beattie deflected a Bobby Murdoch cross had into his own net to give us our opener, but the Ayrshire lads, as they always did against us, fought like their lives depended upon it.
“I joined the attack once again and I remember the ball sitting up nicely and begging to be hit. I wasn’t going to disappoint it. I connected and it zipped past their keeper Sandy McLaughlin low into the net.
JUST CHAMPION…Tommy Gemmell races away in triumph after his title-winning strike against Killie.
“Job done, but we would have to put the champagne on ice with the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers due on the Saturday.”
That Old Firm encounter saw Celtic thrash their old foes 4-0 at the national stadium with goals from Billy McNeill, Bobby Lennox, George Connelly and Stevie Chalmers.
That completed only the second treble in the club’s history following the 6-2 victory over Hibs in the League Cup Final earlier in the season.
* READ the full inside story of Celtic’s extraordinary 1968/69 championship triumph – and FIFTY other title successes – in ‘CELTIC: 50 Flags Plus One’ on sale now in CQN’s special Christmas sale. Just click below.
