| Match Pictures | Matches: 1972 – 1973 | 1972-1973 Pictures |
Trivia
- First game of the 1972-73 season. The offside rule was changed for the the Drybrough Cup this season. Players could only be offside in the 18 yard box.
- End of previous season Jock Stein announced that there would be no frees from Celtic.
- The Celtic players reported back to Celtic Park for Pre-Season training on the 15th July after a rather short time off.
- Lou Macari had played 3 games for Scotland in the mini tournament in Brazil in the closed season
- In pre-season Celtic had a few guests training with them. One was Mordechai Spiegler an Israeli World Cup player who Morton were trying to sign
- Jock Stein’s protégé Donald Watt makes a good impression for 63 minutes before going off injured.
- Jock Stein slams the experimental offside law – limiting this offence to the 18-yard box – a flop.
- Davie Hay was out with a thigh strain; Bobby Lennox was out with a virus infection; For some reason Jimmy Johnstone, though fit, did not play.
- Keeper fumbles ball and presents McNeill with a gift for the winner.
- No gifts given by Celtic keeper Evan Williams as he returns to the town of his school-days.
| First outing for the new style Celtic strip |
Review
A decent performance from newly promoted Dumbarton who had ex-Celts John Cushley and Charlie Gallacher in the side.
Other First Round scores:
Aberdeen 1-0 St Mirren
Hibernian 4-0 Montrose 0
Rangers 3-1 Stirling Albion
Teams
Celtic:
Williams; Brogan, Watt (Wilson 63), Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly, Davidson, Deans, Macari, Dalglish, Callaghan.
Goals: Callaghan (3), McNeill (52).
Dumbarton:
Whigham, Jenkins, Wilkinson; Cushley, Bolton, Graham, Coleman, Gallagher (Menzies), McCormack, K. Wilson, D. Wilson.
Goals: K. Wilson (34)
Referee: E. H. Pringle (Edinburgh)
Attendance: 28,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
Evening Times, Saturday, July 29, 1972
BILLY STEADIES THE CELTS
By MALCOLM MUNRO
Celtic introduced at left back Donald Watt as one of their many substitutes – a player manager Jock Stein thinks is a great prospect.
In the third minute Celtic, before a crowd of 40,000, went into the lead.
The scorer was Callaghan, who had Bobby Murdoch doing his “points policeman” pinpoint the move which culminated in the tall, lanky, former Dunfermline player hammering the ball home off the crossbar.
If the Drybrough Cup was to be the showcase for goal-scoring as befits the top eight scoring teams in the First and Second divisions, then Celtic had got off to a fine start.
Early on Macari showed up as a most dangerous forward but Dumbarton always kept in touch.
Watt hurt
Watt was injured early on and had to receive treatment from trainer Neilly Mochan but was able to resume.
After 22 minutes Deans, after a brilliant piece of play by Bobby Murdoch, slashed the ball wide of goal.
This started off a determined attack by Dumbarton who forced a corner, then hit the top of the bar from the corner.
Former Celtic stalwart John Cushley was coming in for a certain amount of “stick” from his old team-mates, but on their performance at this stage Dumbarton will be nobody’s pushovers in the First Division.
Dumbarton equalised in 33 minutes, Kenny Wilson won the ball on the left and crossed for ROY McCORMACK to head home neatly past Williams.
No chance
It was at this stage a very level encounter. Williams who had gone to school in Dumbarton, had no chance with the perfectly placed header.
Dumbarton were certainly more than holding their own.
With only minutes to the interval Dumbarton were threatening to cause a major upset.
But Celts were always there with that “killer” urge. Then unaccountably Dixie Deans, who had scored so many goals in half a season at Parkhead, missed another certainty from close in.
By the interval this new-look Dumbarton side were turning on the style and poor wee Davy Wilson was getting “stick” almost every time he went for the ball.
Almost on the half-time whistle Johnny Graham drove in a shot which glanced off the far post – a great effort.
Half-time – CELTIC 1, DUMBARTON 1 Est. attend. – 35,000.
SECOND HALF
Dumbarton were on top immediately after the interval, and only timely intervention by Connelly stopped Kenny Wilson from scoring. Then Williams had to look slippy to save from the same player.
McNeill, hero in so many games for Celtic was having his hands full countering the moves of Kenny Wilson, who last season was the top scorer in Scotland.
However in 53 minutes Celtic regained the lead when McNEILL went down for a corner closely covered by big Roy McCormack, missed the first drop of the ball, but caught the semi-clearance and nodded home.
It is just these half chances which make Celtic very much a team to be feared.
For all their lead the most ardent Celtic supporter would agree that the former Second Division team were giving as good as they got.
In 63 minutes young Donald Watt was taken off and replaced by Paul Wilson.
But little flaxen-haired Davy Wilson was still proving a thorn in the flesh of the Scottish champions.
THE TEAMS
CELTIC – Williams, Brogan, Watt, Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly, Davidson, Deans, Macari, Dalglish, Callaghan. Substitute – Wilson.
DUMBARTON – Wigham, Jenkins, Wilkinson, Cushley, Bolton, Graham, Coleman, Gallagher, K. Wilson, McCormack, D. Wilson. Substitute – Menzies.
Referee – E. H. Pringle (Edinburgh).
Sunday Mail, July 30, 1972
Super Sons give Celts a fright
By ALLAN HERRON
CELTIC………………..2 DUMBARTON ………………..1
Scorers: Celtic—Callaghan (3 mins), McNeill (52). Dumbarton – K. Wilson (34).
It didn’t take the 28,000 crowd long to realise that Dumbarton just hadn’t turned up for the beer money. The Boghead side really stretched Celtic all the way in this Drybrough Cup tie.
The Second Division champions were worth every penny of their £1000 guarantee in a see-saw match which saw the European giants get through on experience.
Though Tommy Callaghan put Celtic ahead in just three minutes with a tremendous 22-yard shot which exploded behind Whigham from the cross-bar, Billy McNeill and his men were never the masters.
Skilfully prompted by Johnny Graham and inside-right Charlie Gallagher, Dumbarton showed they had nothing to learn about possession football or use of the open space.
They gave Celtic a hard time of it and with a bit of luck might even have forced extra time.
It was a far from impressive start by Celtic who got best service from Bobby Murdoch, George Connelly, Jim Brogan and Tommy Callaghan.
Though Dixie Deans had hard luck with a vicious shot from long range which rebounded from the post in 30 minutes, he wasn’t sharp enough in his finishing, while Macari, Dalglish and Davidson—though hungry for the ball – couldn’t get themselves clear of defence long enough to cause trouble.
It was a typical burst of man-to-man football from Dumbarton which brought the equaliser in 34 minutes and spelled out a warning that Celtic had a real game on their hands.
A short corner from Davy Wilson was pumped across the Celtic area by left-back Billy Wilkinson. McCormack beat McNeill in the air to nod the ball back across goal and there was Kenny Wilson to head it hard into the net from six yards.
Unlucky
Dumbarton were unlucky not to take the lead three minutes after the break. A corner kick from Davy Wilson was headed on to the post by Kenny Wilson – but the rebound landed in the arms of Williams.
JUST FOUR MINUTES LATER CELTIC GOT THE KIND OF WINNER WHICH NOBODY IS PROUD OF.
A corner from Tommy Callaghan was met by McNeill in the air, keeper Willie Whigham fumbled the ball, and McNeill followed through to push it over the line.
A minute later Celtic brought on Paul Wilson for the injured Don Watt. Watt introduced at right-back had a most impressive first half.
Dumbarton substituted Menzies for Gallagher in 68 minutes and six minutes later Kenny Wilson missed a glorious chance of the equaliser.
With the Celtic defence in trouble Wilson and McCormack gave themselves the choice of who should finish the attacking move. Wilson decided to try his luck from 18 yards and sent the ball inches wide of the post with Williams out of his goal.
Celtic buzzed in the final five minutes.
But it was a hard work-out for them and an entertaining show from talented Dumbarton.
CELTIC—Williams, Brogan, Watt; Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly; Davidson, Deans, Macari, Dalglish, Callaghan, Sub.—Wilson for Watt in 53 minutes.
DUMBARTON – Whigham; Jenkins, Wilkinson; Cushley, Bolton, Graham; Coleman, Gallagher, McCormack, K. Wilson, D. Wilson. Sub.—Menzies for Gallagher in 68 minutes.
Referee—E. H. Pringle (Edinburgh).
Attendance – 28,000 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sunday Mail, August 6, 1972. (Back page headline)
CELTS CALL IN BIG GUNS
and Stein slams the offside law
By ALLAN HERRON
Celtic manager Jock Stein has put his full European squad on stand-by for the Drybrough Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Parkhead on Wednesday.
Jimmy Johnstone, Davie Hay, Harry Hood and Bobby Lennox, left out of the first round match against Dumbarton yesterday, could all be back in business.
Said Stein: “All of them will be considered for a team place. They could have played against Dumbarton, but were left out with the semi-final in mind.”
Celtic were far from impressive in beating a highly-entertaining Dumbarton side 2-1, but Stein was not despondent. He shrugged it off saying: “I’m not worried about form at this time of the season. It’s too early yet. We’ve been training for only two weeks. Games will sharpen us up.”
Stein then took a swipe at the experimental law which limited offside to the 18 yards box by saying: “I think it is all a bit of a flop. The goals a lot of people expected didn’t materialise.”
The four ties produced only 12 goals – none of which came from an “offside” position – and the First Division sides had it much harder than expected against the qualifiers from last year’s Second Division.
Aberdeen got the only goal of the game against St. Mirren at Pittodrie from Joe Harper in the first-half.
Rangers with two-goal Colin Stein and Billy Johnston in terrific form, beat Stirling Albion 3-1 at Ibrox to qualify for the semi-final against Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday.
Hibs are making the stand all ticket, with the seats £1 and 75p. They had little difficulty in eliminating Montrose 4-0.
Problems
Derek Johnstone who went AWOL and missed Rangers’ trip to Sweden will NOT play in the Drybrough Cup.
He expects to meet general manager Willie Waddell at Ibrox tomorrow to talk about his personal problems.
But he hasn’t done any training for two weeks. Rangers will be in no hurry to give him a team place.
