| Match Pictures | Matches:1961 – 1962 | 1961-1962 Pictures |
Trivia
- With good form in the League and the forwards scoring well, the pundits had the Neerday game won by Celtic already. The more rash amongst them also saw The Bhoys as final League winners. The winning team was unchanged again.
- Fog affected most of central Scotland this week but did not affect this game.
- Is this the first game that The Celtic Song became a regular terracing favourite? See notes below from David Potter
Review
Celtic started tentatively for the first half hour on a pitch that was decidedly slippery in places. During this period McNeill and Haffey were called on to keep the score goalless, Haffey pulling off a wonder save from White. celtic got the first from Chalmers shortly before the half hour from a good move involving most of the forwards. Carroll scored another just before half time and the good passing from Price and Crerand allowed Divers to notch up two further goals in the second half.
At the end of 1961 Celtic stood at second in the League table. Dundee had produced a superb start to the season and were playing attractive football and were deservedly top.
| Team | P | W | L | D | F | A | Pts |
| Dundee | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 25 | 28 |
| Celtic | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 44 | 19 | 22 |
| Rangers | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 19 | 21 |
| Partick Thistle | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 37 | 32 | 21 |
| Dunfermiline | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 37 | 22 | 20 |
on
Teams
Raith Rovers:
Thorburn; Wilson, Mochan; Clinton, Forsyth, Leigh; Adamson, Fox, White, Benvie, Malcolm.
Scoprers:
Celtic:
Haffey; MacKay, Kennedy; Crerand, McNeill, Price; Chalmers, Jackson, Hughes, Divers, Carroll.
Scorers: Chalmers (28), Carroll (41), Divers 2 (57, 59)
Referee: J Holburn (Edinburgh)
Attendance: 14,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
source: https://thecelticstar.com/mystery-solved-exactly-60-years-after-the-celtic-song-is-first-played-at-paradise/
The first time that I remember Celtic supporters singing this song with gusto (and knowing the words!) was at Raith Rovers on December 23 1961. Clearly the record had sold a lot for Xmas! Some of the lyrics were quite crass “We don’t care if they win, lose or draw” – Oh, no? Well, I do and whether they “win, lose or draw” has usually defined my weekend these past 60 years or so! And “Darn the hair we care” is just rubbish. What does it even mean? These lines were quickly changed by the supporters. But you would have to say that it has been a very successful song.
Season 1961/62 was one of the better of the lean years, if you see what I mean. Crerand and McNeill were superb and the forwards were capable of some great days. Sadly, however, there was a tendency to blow up away from home against Falkirk, Stirling Albion and Airdrie, and then the spectacularly awful semi-final against St Mirren. Yet the feeling was that they were not far away.