| Match Pictures | Matches: 1955 – 1956 | 1955-56 pictures |
Trivia
- A completely rejigged team following the loss to Rangers and Jock Stein's injury.
- This was Dick Beattie's debut game in goal with Bonnar out injured. Frank Meechan was restored to left back as Sean Fallon was also injured; with Jock Stein also out Bobby Evans moved to centre half and Eric Smith came in at right half. Willie Fernie was fit again but John McPhail dropped out and Jimmy Docherty came in for his debut game.
- This was an all ticket game with a limit set of 23,000 for the crowd. In the absence of both Jock Stein and Sean Fallon, Mike Haughney captained the side.
Review
There was fighting on the terraces and a real rammy of a game with Rae of Falkirk being sent off. Morrison scored for Falkirk and this was the cue for two minutes of fights on the terracing behind he Falkirk goal. When the game resumed and celtic attacked, Hamilton went down in the goal mouth having been hit between the shoulder blades by a bottle. The police were called onto the pitch as well as the trainer and after a few minutes the game was resumed. Almost immediately Rae went in on Tully who went down writhing in agony. Rae was ordered off. Then just before half time Morrison had to leave the field after a Celtic tackle.
Falkirk started the second half with 9 men. Morrison joined later but he only managed a quarter of an hour before having to leave the field. Before the end McIntosh was hit by a thrown bottle and the game was halted once more.
Eventually the referee blew for full time in a very troubled game.
Rae would be called before the Referees Committee on the 19th September and receive a week's suspension. Falkirk further alleged that Charlie Tully was guilty of feigning an injury to get Rae sent off. Tully was asked to appear before the committee despite the unwritten rule within the SFA that a player could only face charges based on a referee's report and not on an allegation from another player or club. This Committee meeting also looked into the incidents at the game. (see the link to Disorderly Conduct below)
The media went to town on the Celtic supporters and blamed hooliganism masquerading as Celtic fans and also attacked the club for not doing enough to crack down. The Glasgow Herald football correspondent laid in without even having been at the game! The club waited to see if the SFA would take action. But what did happen was that representatives of the CSA went around the ground after the game and far from the 'masses' of thrown bottles they found four, one of which was in front of the Falkirk supporters stand. In the light of the media reaction and what they felt was unfair targetting of the Celtic fans, the CSA called for a boycott of the next League game against Falkirk.
With Rangers winning 6-0 at Palmerston they topped the group and went on to the quarter finals to face Hamilton Accies.
| Team | P | W | L | D | F | A | Pts |
| Rangers | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 10 |
| Celtic | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 9 |
| Falkirk | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 5 |
| Queen of the South | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 0 |
Teams
Falkirk:
Hamilton; Parker, Rae; Fletcher, Colville, McIntosh; Sinclair, Morrison, Wright, McCrae, O'hara.
Scorers: Morrison (20)
Celtic:
Beattie; Haughney, Meechan; Smith, Evans, Peacock; Collins, Fernie, Docherty, Tully, Mochan.
Scorers: Mochan (68)
Referee: D McKerchar (Stanley)
Attendance: 17,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
- Disorderly Conduct? – The Falkirk – Celtic League Cup game, September 1955.
- Link to Evening Times match report (as below) – Page 7 of the Pink One
