| Match Pictures | Matches: 1967 – 1968 | 1967-68 Pictures |
Trivia
- Played at Dalymount Park in Dublin. The Celtic party left for Dublin on the Sunday after the Falkirk game. The furore with the Scottish League's decision that no player in the gtame against English League should play in this game had subsided in the face of Robert Kelly's insistence that all the first team travelled for the game. There were 5 Celtic players listed – Gemmell, Johnstone, Murdoch, Lennox, Hughes – as well as two travelling reserves – Simpson and McNeill. Fallon, Connelly, Hay and Quinn also travelled with the party to Ireland
- The match was attended by the 85 y.o. Irish premier Eamonn de Valera. During the Monday Kelly, Stein and Mcneill had taken the European Cup to show de Valera at the presidential residence.
- Celtic were presented with a Waterford cut crystal chalice by the League of Ireland.
- It was reported that Charlie Gallacher was bidding to make an Irish international slot and that this was a chance to impress selectors.
- News was given of a planned short tour to the USA, Canada and Mexico at the end of the season.
- Police take 3 minutes to clear the pitch after Shamrock's late equaliser after hundreds of fans invade the field in celebration. The referee added on 9 minutes at the end.
- The centre half for Shamrock Rovers was Jackie Clarke, who impressed Celtic so much that at the end of the season Celtic sent Sean Fallon to Ireland to try to sign him in competition with West Bromwich Albion. Celtic won and he joined the Reserves in 1968-69.
Review
Celtic took it easy and paid the price after they lost a late equaliser. Jock Stein and Robert Kelly lambasted the players afterwards.
Jock Stein – "We are most disappointed with the result and at the display of our team. Hundreds of spectators had travelled long distances from far off points in both Ireland and Scotland to see the game. They came expecting to see European Cup type football. What they got was far from that."
Robert Kelly – "The Shamrock Rovers team which held us to a draw were not nearly so good as the Shamrock Rovers side we beat 7-0 in Dublin in 1965. I am most disappointed."
Teams
Shamrock Rovers: Smyth, Gregg, Courtney, Keerin, Clarke, Fullam, O'Neill, Lawlar, Gilbert, Richardson, Kinsells NU Sub: Hayes
Scorers: Gilbert (22), Kinsella (82)
Celtic: Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan, Johnstone (Lennox, 45), Wallace, Chalmers (McBride, 45), Gallacher, Hughes
Scorer: Wallace 2 (6, 35)
Referee: T. Doyle (Dublin)
Attendance: 35,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
