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European Cup Winners Cup Semi-final: First leg
- Agg: Celtic 1-2 Liverpool
- Link to second leg: Liverpool 2-0 Celtic
- On the previous night Celtic defeated Falkirk 6-1 in a Reserve League match at Brockville. The Celtic team was Martin, Halpin, O'Neill, Henderson, McCarron, Brogan, Connelly, Cattanach, H. Quinn, Sweeney, Taylor. The Celtic scorers were H. Quinn 2, Brogan 2 pens, Halpin and Cattanach.
Trivia 
- Liverpool had had Celtic watched 5 times by assistant manager Reuben Bennett.
- Thousands of fans queued for hours for tickets in anticipation of the big game. A massive 76,446 crowd turns out at Celtic Park on the night although 80,000 tickets were said to have been sold. Concern before the game over forged tickets which were said to be 'poor imitations'.
- Celtic's second ECWC semi final in three seasons. Great friends Jock Stein and Bill Shankly pit their wits against each other. Both men showed the same deep concern about the game and showed a tactical nous rarely seen before.
- Liverpool team based in Largs.
- Five Liverpool fans broke into Celtic Park the day before the game and were found playing football on the pitch. Police were called and they were ejected.
- Betting was 4-6 Celtic and 5-2 Liverpool on the day.
- All the squad were said to be fit but in the end Hughes was left out and Bertie Auld played at outside left. Bobby Murdoch came back in at wing half and Bobby Lennox returned at inside left. For Liverpool England international Roger Hunt failed to make the game recovering from an ankle injury.
- Five fans were injured when a barrier collapsed during the game.
Review
Celtic were deserved winners and although Liverpool were splendidly organised the Scottish press thought they were a disappointment.
Hughes failed a fitness test for Celtic which was a severe blow to Jock Stein and although Smith wore the number 10 shirt for Liverpool he was deployed as a sweeper.
The weather was said to be unseasonably cold and a strong wind spoiled the game as a spectacle.
In 4 minutes Celtic had the first chance when Auld's pass was beautifully dummied by Lennox to allow McBride a shot at goal which Lawrence saved.
Ian St John was booked for a foul on Johnstone as Liverpool settled and the large crowd became quieter.
Celtic then had a series of chances that could have killed the tie. From a Murdoch lob McNeill headed down and Lennox volleyed over from 6 yards.
Chalmers then saw a shot deflected just past by Smith before Lennox screwed a shot wide when clean through. Shortly after Smith was lucky to avoid a penalty when he fouled Lennox in the area.
In 50 minutes with the wind at their backs Celtic got the deserved breakthrough. Murdoch back heeled a Chalmers cross on the bye line and Lennox poked a low shot into the net.
Liverpool then came out a bit more and Simpson made an agile save from St John. In 80 minutes Liverpool were reduced to 10 men when Gerry Byrne was taken off with a dislocated elbow. Late on Smith was booked for a foul on Chalmers.
Shankly (ever the optimist and spin master) was happier with the result than Stein and said he was confident of overturning Celtic's lead at Anfield.
Teams
Celtic:
Simpson; Young, Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill, Clark; Johnstone, McBride, Chalmers, Lennox, Auld
Celtic scorer: Lennox (52)
Liverpool:
Lawrence, Lawler, Byrne, Milne, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Chisnall, St. John, Smith, Thompson
Scorers:
Referee: Rudolf Glöckner (East Germany)
Att: 76,446
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Articles
Evening Times 15th April 1966
