BILLY McNEILL’S mantra in his debut season as Celtic manager was simple and straightforward.
The Lisbon Lion, who had taken over from legendary boss Jock Stein in the summer of 1978, had led the team to a title-challenging position, but never varied from is his views as the games ticked down.
McNeill repeatedly maintained: “I didn’t expect us to be in this challenging position and I still say if we make it to Europe next season we will have done very well all things considered.”
That was for public consumption, inside the dressing room was a different matter. Murdo MacLeod insisted: “He wanted that title, you can be sure of that. All season he had driven us towards it.”
Rangers, under new management in McNeill’s old onfield adversary John Greig, had been relentless in their pursuit of the championship.
READ ALL ABOUT IT…how the leagues were won.
On the evening of May 21 1978 at Parkhead, the situation for Celtic was clear-cut; a triumph would see them crowned champions.
A win or a draw would suit the Ibrox club who still had two more games to play against Partick Thistle and Hibs.
As kick-off time approached, Celtic Park throbbed and pulsated, the old ground’s foundations heaving and rocking, as a capacity 52,000 frenzied fans, engulfed in wild emotion, prepared to watch a spectacle that would unfold in the most dramatic of circumstances.
It was a night for the strong of heart.
In the ninth minute, a deadly hush swept over the Celtic end when Alex MacDonald netted past Peter Latchford and the scoreline remained unaltered all the way to the interval.
On an evening of rousing passions and electric passions, McNeill saw his heroes stage an almighty fightback against all the odds.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS…Billy McNeill (extreme right) leads the celebrations as the final whistle sounds at the end of the epic title triumph in season 1978/79.
Ten minutes after the turnaround, Johnny Doyle was sent off after a scuffle with MacDonald, but, breathtakingly, Celtic drew level midway through the half as Roy Aitken surged forward to belt one past Peter McCloy.
In the 74th minute the roar that went up from the east end of Glasgow must have registered on the Richter Scale; Celtic were ahead.
George McCluskey, wily and skilful, got through on the blindside to thump the ball low into the net. Two minutes later, it was 2-2 with Bobby Russell scrambling one past Latchford.
Six minutes were left when McCluskey fired in a dangerous low angled effort. McCloy got down to parry the ball up and away where it struck the inrushing Colin Jackson. The defender could only look on in horror as the clearance bounced off him into the net.
Cue bedlam on the terracings. Parkhead became a rhapsody in green and white. Could there possibly be anything left to witness in this no-holds barred, shuddering conflict?
Yes, was the answer. Murdo MacLeod thundered an unstoppable long-range drive into the roof of the net with almost the last kick of the ball.
‘The boys deserved it,” stated McNeill. “It was simply fantastic. My players would climb a mountain and then find there was another waiting for them.
“Our ten men did extraordinary things.”
* READ the full inside story of Celtic’s extraordinary 1978/79 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.
