Celtic Games – European Cup 1970
Celtic v Leeds…..a truly historic occasion it was.
My Dad and I used to sell match programs at a few big gemmes for some boss called McAllister, which was great because you earned a few bob and got a pass for the big gate which meant you didn’t need a ticket.
At the Leeds game we had two big bundles to sell instead of the usual single wan, I think there were 200 in each. The auld man knew all the patter, he’d been selling these things for years and he stood there bawling and shouting “get yer offishul program” and stuff like that.
I, on the other hand, was a shy 14 year old schoolboy and I was more than a little embarassed. We decided to set up two pitches at the Mount Florida end, near to the train station and my Dad was quickly into his stride. He was selling them like hotcakes, each program was 50p, a lot of dosh for a program back then.
He glowered across at me, as I hadn’t even cut the string round the bundle. ” C’moan tae f***, we’ll be here aw night…get yer finger oot!”
To be honest, I was worried I’d be mugged. I’d seen this type of thing happen before at Fir Park, Motherwell and I was horrified. An oldish guy simply got pushed to the ground, and all his programs looted by the crowd…horrendous.
Anyhoo, a train must have arrived, and there was a mass of people heading towards us. Most of them were actually Leeds fans and one of them (a huge guy, well over 6 ft and built like a brick oot-hoose) looked across at my Dad, then ignored him when he saw me standing (nervously) with this big bundle beside me.
“How much are they?” They’re 50p each, I replied. I took out this small pocket knife and went to cut the string.
“No need to do that” he says….I’ll take the lot!
Turns out he was a dealer of fitba’ memoribilia and he already had a buyer for these back home in Yorkshire. He handed me a roll of fivers
wrapped in an elastic band and lifted the bundle, string and all.
Meanwhile my Dad thinks I’ve been robbed, but he can’t run across the road and leave his wares unattended. “Ur ye aw right?” he bellowed. “Aye, ah’ve selt the bliddy lot!” I triumphantly announced.
I went over to him, and the look on his face was priceless. A mixture of shock and disbelief. I’d never seen this much money before, and I handed the wad over to him.
He’s never let me forget that night, it didn’t take long to sell his bundle at such a huge event like at Euro semi-final. I think we made about 25 bob commision each, and got in through the big gate at the Rangers end. The match had already started and we had a helluva job trying to push into the crowd. Let me tell you, there were thousands got in withoot tickets that night…the official attendance was 136,000 but the actual figure was much greater.
We were back at Hampden the following week for the Scotland v England game, and another huge crowd, well in excess of 100,000. Great memories…
(by Jojax64 of the KStreet forum, Source: http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=40995&view=findpost&p=8668277)