| Match Pictures | Matches: 1958 – 1959 | 1958-59 Pictures |
Trivia
- A much awaited game. Celtic had faired moderately in the League but there was no chance of challenging for the title. The League Cup had gone so the SScottish Cup was the last chance of honours and silverware this season.
- Haffey returned in goal and the only other change was part-timer Mike Jackson came in at inside right – so the team was exactly the one that had comprehensively beaten Stirling Albion in the quarter final. A somewhat mystifying choice especially leaving Colrain out.
- Tommy Bryceland who scored St Mirren's fourth goal could have been a Celtic player. Celtic pursued him as a 16 year old with Gourock Juniors and as his brother Hugh was already on the books at Celtic Park it was assumed to be a formality. The young Tommy thought otherwise and when Celtic wanted him to stay at Junior level for another year and St Mirren offered him a contract, he took the contract with the Buddies.
- The St Mirren goalkeeper Dave Walker, outside right Jim Rodger and Ally Miller on nthe left wing were all free transfers picked up by the St Mirren manager Willie Reid. Walker was ex-Airdrie, Rodger ex-Rangers and Miller ex-Third Lanark.
- Elsewhere in the world, the 23 year old Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet to India after an unsuccessful anti-communist uprising in Tibet was fiercely put down by the Chinese authorities.
Review
Three first half goals killed any idea that Celtic would waltz into the final. Despite being against the wind in the first half St Mirren played the Bhoys right out of the game. before St Mirren scored Divers had the ball in the net but the 'goal' was ruled out for offside. St Mirren's outside left, Miller, opened the scoring with a brilliant goal. He also got their second goal. And Baker made it three whilst Bobby Evans appealed in vain for offside. Bobby Evans was frequently being oput in the position of having two guys running at him with the ball and he probably had his worst game ever in a Celtic shirt.Not only were the Celtic half backs second to the St Mirren opposites but the Celtic forwards all had a day when nothing could go right and they were easily handled by the St Mirren defenders. They passed when they should have shot.
The second half was somewhat quieter and as the minutes wore on and it was clear that Celtic did not have the wherewithall to get back into the game then gradually did the Celtic supporters disappear from the terraces. Bryceland scored a fourth for the Buddies just before the final whistle.
Teams
St Mirren:
Walker; Lapsley, Wilson; Neilson, McGuigan, Leishman; Rodger, Bryceland, Baker, Gemmell, Miller.
Scorers: Miller 2 (16, 33), Baker (38), Bryceland (89)
Celtic:
Haffey; MacKay, Mochan; Smith, Evans, Peacock; McVittie, Jackson, Lochhead, Wilson, Divers.
Scorers:
Referee: R H Davidson (Airdrie)
Attendance: 73,885
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
