1965-10-23: Celtic 2-1 Rangers, League Cup

Match Pictures \| Matches: 1965 – 1966 \| 1965-66 Pictures

Match Pictures | Matches: 1965 – 1966 | 1965-66 Pictures

Trivia

Celtic win the League Cup after a narrow victory over Rangers.
John Hughes coolly scores two penalties.
Celtic in determined mood and this win shows they now have the mental strength to win under Jock Stein.
Five players were booked in the game; Young, Murdoch and Johnstone for Celtic and Johnston and McKinnon for Rangers.
Rangers fans invade the park at the end and try to attack Celtic players. Celtic fans show restraint by not retaliating.
SFA ban laps of honour at Hampden for next 10 years.

Crowd trouble 1965 LCF

In international affairs, Ian Smith declared independense in Southern Rhodesia prompting an international crisis, sanctions and a civil war which would go on for years before the foundation of Zimbabwe; and in domestic news an extensive search was undertaken of Saddleworth Moor in Yorkshire after the discovery of a number of childrens bodies were found which would eventually lead to the trial and convoiction of child killers Ian Brady and Moira Hindley.

Review

You wait for ages then two buses come along at once! Same happened to Celtic. After the long exodus from 1957-1965 of no trophies, Celtic finally won the Scottish Cup beating the more favoured Dunfermline side. The trophy drought ended and the appetite was wetted for more, and only six months later, Jock Stein led the side to another trophy victory (the League Cup) that showed our earlier success was no flash in the pan.

John Hughes went on to score two penalties to win us the game, and a late conceded own goal didn’t dent the players resolve, with the players holding on for the win. Incredible, two penalties awarded to Celtic in a Cup Final v Rangers!

Celtic had shown a steely determination in this game which many had thought they did not possess and their tough tackling on the day seemed to take Rangers by surprise. The Celts now showed that under Jock Stein even when they did not play to form they could see things through to the end.

Thousands of Rangers fans in anger stormed onto the pitch to create havoc at the end, and they attempted to attack the players. Thankfully no serious injuries to any Celtic players, although Neil Mochan (trainer) and Ian Young were assaulted. You only have to think back to Belfast Celtic in the 1950s and what happened to their players after a match v Linfield.

It was to be the beginning of a glorious season, stunted only by the ludicrous decisions in the European Cup Winners Cup matches v Liverpool, but that is for another time.