1978-03-18: Celtic 1-2 Rangers, League Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 1977 – 1978 | 1977-78 Pictures

Trivia

• Celtic appear in their 14th consecutive League Cup final and they have now lost eight of them.
• Game kicked off at 1pm to avoid crowd trouble.
• Jock Stein's last major final as Celtic manager.
• Only 5 of Celtic's starting eleven remained from the Scottish Cup victory over Rangers nine months previously.
• Both Doyle and Lynch had fitness tests before the game.
• Rangers reeling from the tragic death of their winger Bobby McKean only three days previously. Both teams wore black armbands in his honour. May he rest in peace.
• Stein fined £200 after telling referee Syme at full time 'Your father would have been proud of you'. Note: the referee for this match and his father (David Syme & Willie Syme) are the grandson & son respectively of David Syme who briefly played for Celtic.

Review

Celtic were missing Stanton, McGrain, Craig and Conn through injury and Filippi and McAdam were cup tied. Rangers were missing the influence of on form midfielder Bobby Russell.

Celtic had the better of the first half and Kennedy saved well from Aitken, Glavin and McCluskey. Disaster struck before half time when Glavin erred when trying to guide the ball out for a goal kick on the touch line. He allowed Smith to hook the ball back for Davie Cooper to fire home a powerful shot.

The game looked over but Celtic equalised with minutes remaining when Edvaldsson, fielded in attack for the day, headed in a fine Sneddon cross. Before time up only a great save by Latchford from a McLean free kick prevented defeat during normal time. Celtic captain Andy Lynch was taken off with injury and a young Tommy Burns went to left back to cover.

In 118 minutes Rangers scored in controversial fashion when Latchford dropped an Alex Miller cross and appeared to have been impeded by Alex MacDonald. The ball fell to Gordon Smith who scored easily.

The general feeling was that Celtic had at least deserved a replay.

Teams

Celtic:
Latchford, Sneddon, Lynch (Wilson), Munro, MacDonald, Dowie, Glavin (Doyle), Edvaldsson, G McCluskey, Aitken, Burns.
Goal: Edvaldsson 84

Rangers:
Kennedy Jardine Greig Forsyth Jackson MacDonald McLean Hamilton (Miller) Johnstone Smith Cooper (Parlane)
Goals: Cooper 38 Smith 117

Referee: D Syme
Attendance: 60,168

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Articles