| Match Pictures | Matches: 1975 – 1976 | 1975-1976 Pictures |
Trivia
- Celtic flew into Iceland and trained on the Monday. Sean Fallon was uncommitted on the team for the game but took Pat McCluskey back into the fold having served his purdah in the Reserves after the 'Copenhagen affair' of the previous week..
- Scotsman and ex Clyde player Joe Gilroy is Valur manager.Valur had a good reputation in international football at home – for which the lumpy and commonly waterlogged pitch may have had something to do with – having played out draws against Benfica and Standard Liege.
- Edvaldsson and McNamara both passed pre-match fitness tests and McCluskey was preferred to Connelly in the sweepers role. The front line was reshuffled somewhat with Lennos barred from playing with Harry Hood out on the right and Wilson on the left.
- New signing Shuggie Edvaldsson is made captain on the night and gets to play against young brother Atli Edvaldsson.
- Sean Fallon's first Euro game as manager.
- Johannes Edvaldsson missed a twice taken penalty.
- Bobby Lennox travelled with the team even though he was suspended after being sent off in Athens a year previously.
- Celtic not allowed to train on the pitch beforehand as it was in poor condition.
- Played on a Tuesday evening, this was the first of two games that were played for the Polar Bear Trophy
Review
The conditions were not ideal and the weather was cold with the pitch bumpy. Celtic settled well and scored in 7 minutes after Dagsson failed to cut out a Dalglish cut back and allowed Wilson to score easily.
Before half time Dalglish and Wilson missed fine chances to double Celtic's lead.
In the second half the impressive Roddy MacDonald scored with a powerful header from a Hood corner and the second leg is now irrelevant.
Big Shuggie's penalty miss came on 70 minutes after Wilson had been cut down in the area. His first effort was blasted high over the bar and when the kick was ordered to be retaken for the goalkeeper moving, his second attempt was saved by the keeper.
On a rough and hummocky ground this was a case of 'get the job done safely' rather than an exercise in silky football but Celtic had had chances to put more goals away in the first half, and at two goals up they played out the last 20 minutes safely covering.
Teams
Valur:
Dagsson, Alfonsson, Samundsen, Kjartanson, D Gudmundsson, Berg, Porbjornsson, Hilmarsson, Gunnarsson, Albertsson, A Edvaldsson
Celtic:
Latchford, McGrain, Lynch, P McCluskey, MacDonald, Edvaldsson, Hood (Glavin 80), McNamara, Dalglish, Callaghan, Wilson.Subs: Hunter, Connelly, Casey, Ritchie
Goals: Wilson (7), MacDonald (74)
Referee: M Wright (N. Ireland)
Attendance: 8,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
Evening Times 17th September 1975
