The Ankle After the great result against Hearts in the quarter-final replay of the Scottish Cup on the Wednesday evening, 9th March, I should have been ‘over the moon’. Unfortunately, though, having taken that challenge from my future teammate Willie Wallace – no malice intended, it was just a clash between competitors – I was …
Read more “March 12th 1966: Celtic v St Johnstone – Part One”
Out! Another injury, another match on the sidelines. To be perfectly honest, by this time, after two injuries in quick succession, especially to the same part of my body, I was beginning to think that I was destined to be one of those players whose career was going to be blighted by injury. That sounds …
Read more “March 12th 1966: Celtic v St Johnstone – Part Two”
Full Week to Recover Having sat out the match against St Johnstone, I was keen to get myself fit again and had a full week to do so. I took full advantage of the opportunity, nicking up to Parkhead at lunchtimes most days for some treatment, and training with the rest of the part-timers on …
Read more “19th March 1966: Hamilton Academical v Celtic – Part One”
OK As I made my way up to Celtic Park on the Saturday, I was feeling, well, OK would be about right. To be honest, I was in two minds about playing. The ankle was unbelievably tight, not bad enough to make me limp or anything like that but definitely not 100%. However, when you …
Read more “19th March 1966: Hamilton Academical v Celtic – Part Two”
Reaction I could not believe it! Due to my physical endeavors on the Saturday, the tough fitness test then the match, I did not go out on the Saturday evening. Indeed, I went to bed early, hit the pillow and that was it! But when I woke up on the Sunday morning I felt …
Read more “21st March 1966: Partick Thistle v Celtic – Part One”
Worry I was getting worried on several fronts at that time. In the first place, I was taking too much time off my studies. Unlike other courses, where you have only to attend lectures, as a student dentist I had to see quite a number of patients and, as I have mentioned before, the collective …
Read more “21st March 1966: Partick Thistle v Celtic – Part Two”
Feelings I had resigned myself to the fact that I might be out for a few weeks. Frankly, in spite of all the treatment I was receiving, the pain in my ankle just refused to go away and I was still feeling it quite stiff when I attempted to run.
Press Comment Both semi-finals being held that day – Celtic v Dunfermline at Ibrox and Aberdeen v Rangers at Hampden – received a lot of attention in the morning press. Not surprisingly, the position in which Celtic found themselves was the centre of attention ;- ‘Will Celtic take a step nearer the treble of …
Read more “26th March 1966: Scottish Cup Semi-Final Celtic v Dunfermline – Part Two”
Opponents Next up for Celtic was Kilmarnock, in a league match down at Rugby Park. The teams had already met during the season in that same competition, on 27th November 1965, at Parkhead, when Celtic won 2-1. However, the Ayrshire club had made sure it won a fair percentage of its matches against other clubs …
Read more “29th March 1966 Kilmarnock v Celtic League – Part One”
Two Big Games For Celtic fans, there might have been only one big match on the calendar on that evening of the 29th March 1966 but for Scottish football in general, there were, in actual fact, two matches to consider, as this correspondent in one of the dailies pointed out ;-