| Match Pictures | Matches:1966 – 1967 | 1966-67 Pictures |
Trivia
- Lennox and Gallacher were both fit – Lennox recovered from a cold and Gallacher from a leg strain picked up in the last match. Flu put pay to Billy McNeill's involvement and this saw Gemmell go to centre half and Jim Craig come in at right back. Lennox came back in on the left wing. For St Mirren, in goal was future (and ex – he had been on the Celtic books earlier) Bhoy, Denis Connachan. This was his first full game for the Buddies having not long transferred to them from Renfrew Juniors.
- St Mirren were in a bit of a state this season, managerless and with only one win in eight games so far.
- Bobby Murdoch was sent off.
- On the same day Celtic Reserves defeated St Mirren Reserves 2-1 in a Reserve League match at Love Street. The Celtic scorers were Taylor and Quinn. The Celtic team was Kennedy, Young, McCarron, Cattanach, Halpin, Hay, Connelly, Henderson, Quinn, Taylor, Macari. Sub Gorman (Macari).
Review
Celtic dropped their first points of the season against a fighting St Mirren having had to make changes to the side which had so far performed so well in all competitions. With McNeill out with 'flu Tommy Gemmell went to pivot. In the first half Celtic laid seige to the St Mirren goal but Connaghan in his first game for the club played well and kept everything out. After the interval Gemmell put Celtic ahead with one of his trademark piledrivers from 30 yards. But St Mirren were far from overwhelmed and came back up the pitch to score with a long ball that Treacy latched onto and prodded past Simpson. Pinkerton for St Mirren had already been booked in the first half for dissent. Clamers was then booked for retaliation in the second half. But worse came when. At a throw in the linesman called the referee over who booked Murdoch and then sent him off. Murdoch had already picked up two bookings this season so a ban looked on the cards.
Teams
Celtic
Simpson, Craig, O'Neill, Murdoch, Gemmell, Clark, Johnstone, McBride, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox. Sub: Brogan
Scorer Gemmell (47)
St Mirren
Connaghan, Murray, Gemmell, Clark, Kiernan, Pinkerton, Hutton, Hamilton, Taylor, McLaughlin, Treacy Sub: Clunie
Scorer Treacy (54)
Referee: R.D. Henderson (Dundee)
Attendance: 24,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Memories of the game
(by ProddyBhoy of the KDS forum)
Saturday, November 5th 1966 was my first visit to Paradise, I was 7 at the time and had decided Celtic were my team and all because I saw a painting of Ronnie Simpson but that's another story.
It may be over 40 years ago but I still have so many memories of that day.
Firstly crawling into the back of an old van at Renfrew Cross with my dad and his pals, the smell of beer was overpowering.
When the van stopped everyone got out and a youngster about my age was given sixpence by the driver, I would later learn the importance of that.
Next stop was a pub were I had to stand at the front door, it may have been raining but a bottle of ginger and a packet of crisps helped.
Then the real excitment began, the men emptied out the pub and we walked up London Road and then I saw Paradise for the first time, it may not have had the nicest fascade of any building but it'd do for me.
Walked behind the Celtic end and the old railway line until we finally stoped at a turnstile and next thing I knew was I was being lifted over and into the ground.
At the time I thought I was in a massive tunnel and was dying to get out of it and see the pitch but first things first a toilet visit.
A snorkel and flippers may have been an idea but over the years you just got used to that.
Finally we stopped in the concourse at exit/gate 3 and we walked up until finally I saw the green green grass of home (OK I'm waffling but that's not unusal!).
On a cold drech November afternoon, I felt like I was stepping out of a black & white movie into glorious techicolour! Under the floodlights everything seemed so vivid,a memory that I'll never forget.
I was taking halfway down the terracing and lifted up and planked on a barrier while my father and his mates placed the carry out on the terracing under me.
As for the game, not the best. A 1-1 draw against St Mirren, with Tommy Gemmell hammering a penalty against one of my first hero's, Denis Connachan (who'd played shortly before this for Renfrew Juniors). Bobby Murdoch got sent off, apart from that the game itself was pretty forgettable.
Down through the year I have stood at various places, Celtic End, Rangers End, Jungle Main Stand and more recently JS Upper and I have seen some great times ( Benfica with Eusibo, 10 men winning the league, the stopping of the 10 and numerous other highlights.
Celtic Park, Parkhead or whatever it maybe called in the future will always be Paradise to me.
Hail Hail!!
