Match Pictures | Matches: 1977 – 1978 | 1977-78 Pictures
Trivia
- Roy Aitken was back from suspension. Also in was Peter Mackie after he had come on as sub in the previous game. Missing were Joe Craig who dropped to the bench to join Robert Ward. Johnny Doyle was out
- Jock Stein’s last competitive match as Celtic manager and the last competitive game of the season.
- Celtic fail to qualify for Europe for first time in 16 seasons.
- Youngster Robert Ward was a non playing substitute.
- Celtic announce after the game that Frank Munro, Johnny Gibson, Roy Kay, Willie Temperley and John Clifford have all been given free transfers.
- Newspapers cast doubt on the futures of Paul Wilson, Alfie Conn and Johnny Doyle.
- Rangers win the league by beating Motherwell 2-0 at Ibrox.
- This loss saw Celtic end up 5th in the League table. They had not been so low since 1964/65.
Review
This game was (in retrospect) a notable match – Jock Stein’s last competitive match as Celtic manager.
Celtic needed to win to be assured a place in the UEFA cup but went down meekly to Alex Ferguson’s Saints. This defeat saw Hibs take the European place instead and to add to the misery Rangers beat Motherwell 2-0 at Ibrox to take the title at the expense of Billy McNeill’s Aberdeen.
At the final whistle the Celtic fans were glad that the nightmare season they had endured was now at an end. Only five of the double winning team from May 1977 started in this game – Latchford, Lynch, MacDonald, Aitken and Glavin – an indication of the horrendous injuries the club had suffered. To make matters worse the team had gone down tamely after having taken an early lead.
Ronnie Glavin had the privilege of scoring the last Celtic goal whilst Stein was manager.
Rumours abound that Stein will make way in the summer and Celtic mad Saints duo Fitzpatrick and McGarvey are now the most sought after players in Scotland, valued in the £200,000 plus bracket each.
Teams
St Mirren:
McCulloch, Beckett, Munro, Fitzpatrick, Dunlop, Copland, Stark, McGettrick, Bone, Richardson (Bell), McGarvey. Sub: Torrance
Goals: Fitzpatrick (36), McGarvey (65), Bell (86)
Celtic:
Latchford, Sneddon, Lynch (Craig), Aitken, MacDonald, Edvaldsson, Mackie, Conroy, McAdam, Glavin, G McCluskey, Sub: Ward
Goal: Glavin (pen 31)
Referee: W J Mullen (Dalkeith)
Attendance: 13,026
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
