1972-10-28: Aberdeen 2-3 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 1972 – 1973 | 1972-73 Pictures

Trivia

• After the exceptional European Cup game in midweek Celtic headed to Aberdeen to continue with the League.
• Bobby Murdoch and Jim Brogan were still injured. Out went Jimmy Johnstone – used for his shock value against Ujpest – and Hood, and in came McCluskey and Lennox.
• 'One of these days Tommy Docherty, Scotland's manager must take a look at this fellow Callaghan' – Daily Record
• The great Zoltan Varga scores two exquisite goals for Aberdeen.
• On the same day Celtic defeated 3-1 in a Reserve League match at Celtic Park. The Celtic team was Connaghan, J. Davidson, Brogan, McNamara, McDonald, Lapinski, McLaughlin, V. Davidson, Franchetti, Hancock, White. Sub O'Hara. The Celtic scorers were Franchetti, White and McLaughlin.

Report

Deans got the first goal from a rebound and four minutes later Celtic were 2 up when Bobby Clark, who had just sealed a transfer to Stoke, let slip and Macari was there. Both teams played fast attacking football and it was a decent game. At 2-0 down Aberdeen appeared to be far from out of it and they hit back with a good goal from there Hungarian international Varga. Joe Harper started to play for Aber5deen after being quiet in the first half. But Dalglish put Celtic further ahead with a fine diving header to bury a George Connelly cross. Back came Aberdeen and Varga scored his second with 8 minutes left and Celtic clung on at the end.

At the end of October the League table looked like this.

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Celtic	9	7	1	1	23	8	15
Dundee Utd	9	7	0	2	19	11	14
Hibernian	9	6	1	2	19	10	13
Aberdeen	9	4	3	2	18	12	11
Rangers	9	5	1	3	16	11	11
Hearts	9	5	1	3	13	9	11
Dundee		4	3	2	12	11	11

Teams

Celtic:
Wiliams, McGrain, McCluskey, Hay, McNeill, Connelly, Dalglish, Macari, Deans, Callaghan, Lennox. Substitute: Johnstone
Goals: Deans (13), Macari (17), Dalglish (66).

Aberdeen:
Clark, Willougby, Hermiston, Murray, Young (Graham), Taylor, Varga, Robb, Harper, Jarvie, Mitchell Substitute: Graham
Goals:- Varga 2 (25,82)

Referee: E H Pringle (Edinburgh)
Attendance: 36,000 capacity.

Articles

• Match Report (see below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Articles

Glasgow Herald Monday October 30 1972

Celtic cast all caution aside
By Ian Archer
Aberdeen 2, Celtic 3

The day of any big match starts early. Queen Street was full long before break­fast and Celtic players were signing autographs almost before their eyes were fully opened writes Ian Archer.
It was a special day even for Jock Stein, who toyed restlessly with the rather pleasant plate of sole that British Rail provided for us as the burns and bunkers of Carnoustie slipped by lit by a piercing sun.
"This is what it should be all about," he said. "Big matches, big occasions. Sometimes I go home after we have beaten a club by a big score and ask myself what precisely we have achieved. Up here a draw would be a good result, but even if we get beaten I won't be depressed. I'll think that we have given something to the game."
The talk turned to smaller leagues, a better format for the Scottish football scene. It was at Pittodrie three hours later that the vast possibili­ties that the game so often squanders became so obvious.
The gates were shut before the match even started, leav­ing the 36,000 who had come early short of breathing space but full of expectancy for a game that every season now lives up to its billing as a moving High Noon situa­tion.

Celtic's victory does not, of course, ensure them of their eighth successive championship and Eddie Turnbull at Easter Road will have a significant say in the outcome of the title. But the win once more shows the rest of Scottish football that Stein's team create their own standards of excellence.
Three days before they had thrown themselves at Ujpest Dosza with such utter disregard for their legs and lungs that they could have been excused asking for a day of rest instead of a visit to Pittodrie. Yet once again, they were prepared to risk physical exhaustion in pursuit of a mere two points.
The pattern was set early and showed that Stein had spotted a basic alteration in Aberdeen's style this season. In the last two years, these sides have slogged away in midfield, looking for the half chance that can be turned into a huge reward.
This time, sensing that Aberdeen have defensive problems, Celtic forgot their caution and Alex Willoughby was soon facing Callaghan and Lennox bearing down on him intent on proving that it is not always possible to play a winger disguised as a full back.
Lennox baffled him with speed to set up the first goal for Deans and Callaghan crossed for the second, taken well by Macari. Both times Clark got his fingers to the ball when he really had no right to do so.
On the reasonable assumption that no side in Europe can give Celtic two goals of a start Aberdeen will have been forgiven for making their excuses and asking the referee to put his watch forward eight hours in front of schedule. They remained loose in defence and Willie Young's injury after half an hour gave them even less cause for hope.
But they have bought a priceless footballer in Zoltan Varga, that itinerant Hungarian who is still not match fit but who still has time to live up to his reputation as the finest midfield player reared in Europe during the sixties.

INSPIRED
He brought Aberdeen level and inspired a good spell after half-time in which his side, although not completely integrated still managed to worry the Celtic defence. It was only killed by yet another of the inspired moves that Celtic youngsters make from time to time.
Deans's pass to Connelly was good. Connelly’s cross to Dalglish was precise, and Dalglish's header, taken during a graceful mid-air flight, was compelling and exact. A goal worthy of winning the entire championship, but in fact it could not even end Aberdeen's brave effort to snatch a point from this match.
Varga scored again, chas­ing a long pass and then lobbing the ball over the head of Williams, who was so comprehensively beaten by this piece of pure skill. He managed to earn his money before the end when he dived low and fast to stop a Murray header that might conceivably have given this game a false result.
There was still time for McCluskey and Graham to scuffle briefly and furiously before having their names taken by referee Pringle, a good official who seemed reluctant to spoil this fine match by sending off both players.

ABERDEEN—Clark; Willoughby and Hermiston; Murray, Young and Taylor; Varga and Robb; Harper, Jarvie and Mitchell. Substitute—Graham.
CELTIC—Williams; McGrain and McCluskey; Hay, McNeill and Connelly; Dalglish and Macari; Deans; Callaghan and Lennox. Substitute—Johnstone.
Referee—E. H. Pringle (Edinburgh).