1972-04-29: Heart of Midlothian 4-1 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 19711972 | 1971-1972 Pictures

Trivia

  • Just over ten thousand watch game due to a "spectacularly effective" boycott by Celtic fans because of ticket price increase by Hearts. However one of the main reasons for the boycott by Celtic fans was in protest at the extremely poor stewarding and arrangements at the Scottish Cup quarter final game when poor arrangements outside the ground and tensions inside meant that many of the travelling Celtic support missed the start and frustrations resulted with fighting on the terraces and police intervention.
  • Back in came Harry Hood and Davie Hay now off the injured list. Also in for the game was Lou Macari who had been on international duty during the week. Out went Jimmy Johnstone and Tommy Callaghan with Bobby Lennox dropping to the bench.
  • Jock Stein is in London to watch the England v West Germany European Championship semi final.
  • Ex-Celt Betie Auld scores winner for Hibs at Ibrox to give Capital teams an Old-Firm win-double.
  • Hearts players sportingly applaud 7-time champions onto the field, then give them a going-over!
  • On the previous night Celtic defeated Dunfermline 3-0 in a Reserve League match at Celtic Park. The Celtic team was Connaghan, J. Davidson, Watt, McNamara, Lapinski, McCluskey, McLaughlin, Franchetti, Wilson, White, O'Hara. Sub Hancock. The Celtic scorers were McLaughlin 2 and Wilson.
  • On the same day Celtic lost 5-1 to Hearts in a Reserve League match at Celtic Park. The Celtic team was Newman (Gryzka), Davidson, Watt, McNamara, Lapinski, McCluskey, McLaughlin, Hancock, Wilson, White, O'Hara. Sub Mitchell. The Celtic scorer was McLaughlin.

Review

The penultimate league game of the season and Celtic found themselves out-thought and more concerningly out-fought at Tynecastle in a game in which the supporters showed their power by NOT turning up.
Bobby Murdoch got the opener for Celtic from the penalty spot when Dalglish was felled in the box. Murray equalised for Hearts when he lobbed the keeper. They went ahead when Ford headed a corner home soon after the half hour and just after that missed a penalty awarded when McNeill tripped Ford in the box. Murray sent it wide. 2-1 at half time should have seen Celtic fighting back hard in the second half. But with no Jock Stein at the ground they were casual and conceded another goal on 54 minutes. And they added a further insult with a fouth before the end.
The League had already been won and Jock Stein was away but Celtic lost their unbeaten away record and a chance to equal their highest points total.

Teams

Hearts:
Garland, Sneddon, Clunie, Thomson, Anderson, Wood, Murray, Brown, Ford, Renton, Lynch. Substitute : Carruthers.
Scorers
: Murray (22), Ford (34), Renton (54), Brown (77).

Celtic:
Williams; Craig, Brogan, Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly, Hood, Hay, Deans, Macari, Dalglish. Substitute: Lennox.
Scorers: Murdoch (pen 10)

Referee: J. W. Paterson.
Attendance:
10,124

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

Sunday Mail, April 30, 1972

CELTS CAN’T TAKE HEART!

HEARTS …………… 4 CELTIC ……….. 1

(H.T. 2-1)

Scorers: Hearts—Murray 22 mins). Ford (34). Renton (54). Brown (76). Celtic-Murdoch (9 mins, pen.).

HEARTS produced their best form of the season. It was the day when everything went right for them and little went right for Celtic.

It was the Parkhead side's biggest defeat of the season—a game that ended their fine record of not having lost one away match this campaign.

Yet Hearts might have won even more convincingly. They missed a penalty, had a goal knocked off for a marginal offside decision and missed a few good chances.

The amazing thing is that Celts scored first Bobby Murdoch did the trick from the penalty spot Dalglish had been brought down.

But that was the signal for the Hearts onslaught

In 22 minutes Tommy Murray levelled the scores when he cutely chipped the ball over Williams head

Twelve minutes later—Ford put them into the lead with a headier from a Murray corner

Murray and Brown were now taking control in midfield, and although Murray missed a 36-minute penalty after McNeill had fouled Ford. Hearts were beginning to get right on top

Powerful

In 54 minutes Derek Renton shot powerfully into the net from 12 yards and with just 14 minutes left Jimmy Brown scored the goal he deserved with another great shot

Before the finish Brown had the ball in the net again only to be given offside.

HEARTS— Garland; Sneddon, Clunie; Thomson, Anderson, Wood; Murray, Brown, Ford, Renton, Lynch. Sub—Carruthers, not used.

CELTIC — Williams; Craig, Brogan; Murdoch, McNeiII, Connelly; Hood, Hay, Deans, Macari, Dalglish. Sub-Lennox, not used.

Referee—J. W . Paterson, Bothwell.

Attendance 10,500

The Scotsman, Monday, May 1, 1972

Hibs can do the same to Celtic—Thomson

“If Hibs believe in them­selves there is no reason why they cannot beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden on Saturday," said Hearts cap­tain Eddie Thomson after his team had outclassed the cham­pions with a 4-1 win at Tynecastle. “I fancied Hibs against Rangers and they should do the same against Celtic," he added.

These were generous com­ments. For if Hibs should win the cup for the first time in 70 years the pressure will be all that more severe on Hearts, unless they pull themselves out of their recent “middle-class " rut.

"It was not so much the beating of Celtic which was significant,"said Thomson, "but the way in which we achieved it". We came out in the second half with a great belief in ourselves. We decided to swing the bill about, but to cut out the very long passes. In this way we gained control.

HAZARDS

In assessing the worth of this victory by Hearts it must be remembered Celtic had little to play for. They had already won the League for the seventh year in a row. The stay-away plea by the Celtic Supporters' Associa­tion was spectacularly effective, and Jock Stein had an engage­ment with the BBC in London.

But Celtic are the most pro­fessional team in Scotland, and such hazards should not upset them.

Hearts' took control in mid-field, where Jim Brown had a wonderful game. Bobby Murdoch was eventually over­run and with Billy McNeill looking a bit jaded the way was opened for Hearts to score four after having lost the open­ing goal to a Murdoch penalty.

POWERFUL

The Tynecastle goals were masterly in execution.

Tommy Murray's chip shot over the advancing Williams could not have been bettered. Donald Ford's header from a Murray corner was superb. Derek Renton’s left-footed shot from a Ford cross was his third- goal against Celtic this season; and Brown hooked the ball skilfully home after Ford had made the opening on the right. It could well have been about seven.

Meanwhile at Ibrox, Hibs, with a 2-1 victory, were con­firming that they need no-one's advice on how to win. It could also have been a bigger margin. Perhaps they are saving the goals for Hampden?

DUNDEE TASK

Dundee, who must score five goals tonight against Celtic to win a Dryborough Cup place, have listed 14 players for the game. And there could he changes after the 3-1 defeat by St Johnstone. Dundee need the goals to foil Hibs for the last place in this sponsored event which goes on at the start of the new season.

The top scoring teams in each division at the moment: —Division 1 — Celtic 95 goals, Aberdeen 80, Rangers 67, Hibs 62.

Hearts v Celtic 1972 Boycott game

1972 Hearts 4-1 Celtic