| Match Pictures | Matches: 1978 – 1979 | 1978-79 Pictures |
Trivia
- A match against Hearts at Tynecastle had been arranged for Wednesday 21st but with the pitch snow covered and frozen the game was called off. Similarly the game on the 24th was meant to be against Rangers at Hampden (Ibrox was undergoing renovation) but that was called off through snow. Celtic put in an official protest at the decision as they felt the match was playable. With so many call offs due to weather the fixture list was becoming a shambles and it looked like Celtic would need to play twice a week to get through the number of games before the end of the season.
- Ex-Celt Andy Ritchie scored a brilliant goal for Morton (scored one of the finest long range efforts of his career), but this was chopped off. Many say wrongly: It wasn’t ‘mysterious’ to some. There was a Morton player out near the corner flag. Think it may have been John McNeill. Was nowhere near interfering with play but that wasn’t a rule in those days. Very harsh tho. The Jungle booed en masse at that decision. Andy Ritchie went on to win the PFA player of the season in Scotland this season.
- During the week Celtic officials met with a representative of the Chinese football authorities to play a Friendly. An arrangement was made to play the game in August.
- Murdo MacLeod was out injured; in came Ronnie Glavin and Peter Latchford was restored between the posts; Joe Filippi played at left back with Andy Lynch out.
- Celtic play in change strip of green shirts, white shorts and green socks.
- Tommy Burns scored direct from a corner.
- Roddy MacDonald broke his ankle.
- Billy McNeill confirms that Celtic have made a bid 'in excess of £100,000' for Willie Pettigrew of Motherwell.
Review
Celtic are now coming back to something like their early season form and this is a fine win. Provan and Burns provide the flair.
Burns is on top form at the minute and Lennox has added life to a failing attack. At the back Roy Aitken was ordering the defense allowing Edvaldsson to advance.
Morton played well in the first half and were unlucky when Andy Ritchie scored on 13 minutes with an awesome shot from 40 yards at 1-0 but the Jungle linesman flagged for a mysterious infringement. Even the Celtic fans booed as this would have been a goal remembered for years to come had it stood.
Celtic had taken the lead through a Davie Provan goal from a free kick which squirmed through ex-Celt Baines' fingers and went further ahead just before the interval when Tommy Burns scored direct from a corner. George McCluskey came on for injured Roddy MacDonald at half time.
Glavin scored with a shot which was parried but allowed him to head home the save.
Teams
Celtic:
Latchford, McGrain, Filippi, Aitken, MacDonald,(G McCluskey), Edvaldsson, Provan, Glavin, Lennox, Burns, Doyle. Sub not used: McAdam
Scorers: Provan (6), Burns (43), Glavin (80)
Morton:
Baines, Hayes, Holmes, Anderson, Orr, Thomson, McNeil, Miller, Hutchison, Tolmie, Ritchie. Subs: Scott, McLaren.
Referee: A J McFaull
Attendance: 16,000
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Articles
