| Match Pictures | Matches: 1962 – 1963 | 1962-63 Pictures |
Trivia
- At the start of the month Celtic were linked with a bid for another inside forward, George McLean of St Mirren who had been put on the transfer list. McLean eventually signed for Rangers for £27,000.
- And in an about-turn St Mirren made a cash bid for Bobby Carroll who had last played for the first team in early November. Celtic wanted between 5 – £6000 for him.
- With snow and freezing conditions – the Big Freeze – affecting the whole of the country games were severely affected. This game was due to be played on the 12th but there was no chance of that. An attempt to play the game as a night game on the following Wednesday was doomed to failure too. as temperatures continued to drop. No play was possible on the 21st
- Players meanwhile had to train wherever the club sent them too. Thus they found themselves pounding the roads and sand at Seamills and then ensconced in the Inverclyde Youth Hostel in Largs for a period whilst the sides tried to get the tie on.
- In the meantime the Celtic – Raith Rovers game due to be played on 19th December was also called off with a record of 54 games called off that weekend. The thaw only started to be seen from around 25th January – but not enough to get the games on the 26th. But with the thaw really setting in on the 27th the game was set for the 28th with only fog as likely to call it off. All in all there were seven postponements of this game.
- Pat Crerand, Scotland internationalist and mainstay right half with the pinpoint accuracy passing sat this one out. He had been dropped for McNamee in the previous game against Aberdeen but that had been over three weeks before. The rumour was that Crerand had asked for a transfer south to an English club. Manchester Utd had already asked to be kept informed of his availability and were known to have first option on his services.
Review
McNamee, Price and Billy McNeill played extremely well. The management persisted with the young side that had been tested immediately before the cold spell, at Aberdeen, leaving out the tried full back pairing (actually Duncan MacKay was out injured recovering from surgery on an abscess on his thigh) as well as internationalist Pat Crerand. John Hughes goal came when he latched onto a pass back that was short and poached the goal. Falkirk then withstood the Celtic pressure right to the end. In the last minute Gallacher picked the ball up and went through alone to fire a great shot past Whigham.
Teams
Falkirk:
Whigham; Rae, Hunter; Pierson, Thomson, Fulton; lambie, Redpath, bain, maxwell, Henderson.
Scorers|:
Celtic:
Haffey; Young, Gemmell; McNamee, McNeill, Price; Gallacher, Craig, Hughes, Divers, Chalmers.
Scorers:Hughes (15), Gallacher (89)
Referee: J P Barclay (Kirkcaldy)
Attendance: 13,500
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
