Match Pictures | Matches: 1984 – 1985 | 1984-1985 Pictures
Trivia
- Celtic visit Northern Ireland for the first time since the 1950’s.
- Game played to celebrate Cliftonville’s centenary.
- Match abandoned after 79 minutes after a riot breaks out.
- Fans climb on roof and hurl missiles at police.
- Police respond with baton charges on fans. They then fire rubber bullets and a policeman has his gun taken from him.
- Celtic fans shout ‘SS RUC !’ at police.
- 25 people taken to hospital and 47 RUC men were said to have been injured.
- Celtic directors complain at actions of police but they are criticised for their lack of judgement in travelling to a trouble spot to play this game.
- The highly melodramatic Celtic chairman, Desmond White, later said manager David Hay ‘took his life in his hands’ when he went on the park to plea with the police and fans to stop. Didn’t help things, and complete nonsense.
Review
“What a shaker” screamed the overdone headline! Hyperbole overdrive.
Anyhow, an easy friendly match cementing the long camaraderie between Celtic & N Irish fans.
As this was during the troubles, the atmosphere was crazy and there was trouble.
The match was abandoned after 79mins, when Celtic were already 4-0 up, but the situation off the pitch was more important. Sadly the police were as ever overly heavy handed in their handling of the the supporters (actually here a united support), although in fairness there will have been some eejits in the support who wouldn’t have helped matters either.
The Celtic directors complained at the actions of the police, however maybe it wasn’t prudent in travelling to a trouble spot for this match. It’s a shame that a proud club like Cliftonville had to see a day of celebration turn a little sour. The atmosphere had been quite spectacular with fans all over the place just to get a glimpse of the the game (fans on terracing roofs, fences & everywhere possible).
Celtic deserve some respect for taking up the honour of playing Cliftonville and despite some of the events on the day, a lot of good friendships were forged between Celtic & the local support that day. Long may it continue.
Teams
Celtic:
Bonner McGrain Reid Aitken McGugan W McStay Colquhoun Grant McGarvey MacLeod McClair
Subs: Sinclair McAdam Melrose
Scorers: Colquhoun 2 McGarvey 25 Sinclair 75, 77
Cliftonville
Carlisle, Mills, Largey, Brown, Muldoon, Tully, McCall, McKieran, McDonald, McAlinden, Higgins,
Subs: Hughes, Loughran, Dunlop, Coulter
Referee: P Donnelly, Antrim
Attendance: 8,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
