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Trivia
- Jinky Johnstone played many good games for Celtic, but debates usually come down to a short list of three as possibly his finest performance. The one most will remember is the November 1968 tour-de-force which saw Celtic beat a very good Red Star Belgrade side 5-1. Another is the 1967 Alfredo DiStefano testimonial in which he paraded his skills to the world. The third was this game.
- Celtic were going into this one point behind leaders Hibernian, so a win would put them top exactly half way through the season.
- Stein selected the same team that beat St Johnstone 4-1 in Perth a few days earlier, with young David Hay continuing at right back and Jim Craig on the bench.
- Ex Rangers player Davie Wilson waited at the pitch side at time up to shake Jinky’s hand. A wonderful gesture considering Wilson was given a hard time from the Celtic fans for being an ex Ranger.
Review
An important game for the Bhoys, as a victory would give them league leadership and a psychological advantage over the chasing pack.
The 26,000 crowd were privileged to have witnessed Jimmy Johnstone at his magnificent best with a devastating display of ball control and close dribbling.
The Evening Times reported that in one run Jinky dribbled past six United defenders plus Willie Wallace into the bargain.
‘He (Johnstone) flitted past opponents to the inside and outside; over and under; sometimes it seemed he went right through them.’ – Glasgow Herald 18/12/69.
The only thing Johnstone failed to do was score but he did hit the post with a shot said to be from 50 yards out.
At time up the Celtic fans deservedly gave him a rapturous ovation and objective observers agree that he is currently one of the greatest players in world football.
Teams
Celtic:
Fallon, Hay, Gemmell,Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan,Johnstone, Hood, Wallace, Auld (Craig, 52), Hughes. Sub: Craig.
Goals: Auld (2), Hood (16), Gemmell (42, pen), Hughes (44), Wallace (46, 52), Murdoch (75).
Dundee United:
McKay, Rolland, I Cameron, Gillespie, Smith, Henry (K Cameron, 46), Wilson, Reid, Gordon, Mitchell, Scott. Sub: K Cameron.
Goals: Mitchell (25, pen), Gordon (65).
Att: 26,000
Referee: WJ Mullan (Dalkeith)
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
His greatest game (Jimmy Johnstone) article: http://celticunderground.net/jimmy-johnstones-greatest-game/
Match Report
DEVASTATING CELTIC STRIDE TO THE TOP
William Hunter, Glasgow Herald, Dec 18, 1969.
With a perfectly timed leap, Celtic strode to the top of the table with a devastating win against Dundee United at Parkhead last night. Together, every member of the team struck the peak of his form: each, so to say, had put on his seven-league boots.
Magnificent goals, all seven of them, came from Auld, Hood, Gemmell (a penalty), Hughes, Wallace (twice) and Murdoch. Even in that exalted roll-call the greatest name is missing.
Little Jimmy Johnstone stood tallest. Impossibly he beat three men, four, five. Then, in case anybody had not believed it the first time, he did it again. He flitted past opponents to the inside and outside; over and under; sometimes it seemed he went through them.
Dundee United were unlucky in the sense that it was their poor fortune to be present on such a night. Their role was a sacrificial one. Even so, they played their part gamely and sometimes in a disturbingly lively way. Rolland and Wilson in particular refused to admit defeat.
Twice United struck – once, challengingly, to make it 2-1, then much later – and almost impertinently, it seemed – to 6-2.
Mitchell scored their first from a penalty after a neat Gordon header from a Wilson cross had been handled over the line by Hay. Their second was a plain affair, coming as it did in 65 minutes when Celtic had begun to indulge their superior skills with elaborate circus football. Again, Gordon connected with his head to a Wilson cross but this time it counted.
McNeill commanding
Otherwise, Celtic’s defence always looked sound with McNeill at his most commanding in the middle. But all attention was forward. Here is the catalogue.
1 – Johnstone took a short corner to Hughes on the left. An immediate cross found Auld, 12 yards out from goal, who scored with his head. Time: two minutes.
2 – Wallace, in the penalty area, cut back to Hood on his right. Hood drove directly between Mackay and the near post: Sixteen minutes.
3 – Hughes brought down as he rushed in on goal: penalty. Gemmell’s shot rebounded from the crossbar – it was either that or shatter it utterly – and into the back of the net: 42 minutes.
Simple shot
4 – A short simple shot by Hughes from a Gemmell pas. Easy: 44 minutes.
5 – Johnstone jinked along the wing and crossed to Wallace: 46 minutes.
6 – Wallace made space 30 yards from goal to latch on to a through pass and confidently push the ball past Mackay: 52 minutes. (Auld injured and replaced by Craig).
7. Hughes turned the ball back to Murdoch charging in from midfield, and so it was seven in 75 minutes.
Celtic might have gone on to make it two more, or perhaps three. Johnstone, by then thoroughly in his “daft” period, shot from 50 yards and watched thoughtfully while the ball rebounded from a post square across the goal line.
Seven-two might as well have been 10-2, but nobody in the small, ecstatically silent crowd of 26,000 seemed to be counting.
GREEN MACHINE
– that was the table-topping Celts
Jim Blair, Evening Times, Dec 18, 1969.
Nine goals in 90 minutes – seven for Celtic and two for Dundee United, but the man who stole the limelight didn’t have his name on the scoresheet! He was Jimmy Johnstone. The “wee man” thrilled the 26,000 crowd at Parkhead last night with a devastating display of ball control and close dribbling, and his performance more than helped put Celtic back on top if the First Division.
Jocj Stein’s “green machine” got into gear from the kick-off and within two minutes midfield maestro Bertie Auld put them one up with a header.
The home side, completely dominating proceedings, were moving ever so sweetly, and each player was making his team-mate’s job easier by intelligent running off the ball.
Another goal was inevitable – it came in 16 minutes, centre forward Willie Wallace doing well to fend off a tackle from behind before passing to Harry Hood for the inside man to shoot past Mackay at the near post.
It was still very much one-way traffic, Hood and Wallace almost adding to the total. However, after 25 minutes, United, who were by no means playing badly (they just hadn’t been allowed to play at all), were awarded a penalty after a Gordon header was “saved” by young David Hay. Inside left Mitchell duly sent Fallon the wrong way and brought the Tannadice side back into the game.
With five minutes left of the first half, Celtic had a penalty claim turned down, but less than a minute later Tommy Gemmell was placing the ball on the spot after John Hughes had been brought down in the box. Big Tam made his usual polished job from the kick, smashing the ball into the roof of the net.
This double act made it four almost on half time, when Gemmell haired down the left wing, cut inside, and shot hard across goal, where Hughes made no mistake from close in.
Great stuff!
The teams reappeared for the second half, kicked off, and within 30 seconds the 22 players were lining up again. In between times, Wallace – what a grafter this man is – headed in number five after Johnstone had left four Dundee United players in his wake.
Wee Jimmy, who had a joy night, then began to tease and torment. In one particular run he took on six men, beat them all, then waltzed round Willie Wallace! Superlatives are easily come by these days, but the “wee man” earned every one going last night.
Wallace got his second goal – Celtic’s sixth – in 51 minutes, when he cashed in on a Scott blunder and ran on to shoot past Mackay. Undaunted, Jerry Kerr’s men kept coming forward and their perseverance paid off when Gordon, their best forward, met a Wilson cross from the right and headed past Fallon to make it 6-2.
“Seven! Seven!”
As one might expect, the chant of “Seven! Seven!” went up from the Celtic support, and wing half Bobby Murdoch obliged with a raging left foot shot. Shortly after this Johnstone, who seems to rub noses with opponents before taking the ball past them, crashed in a shot from 20 yards only to see the ball rebound to safety.
This would undoubtedly have been the most popular goal of the night and would have capped one of Johnstone’s greatest displays in a Celtic jersey. It was little wonder, therefore, at the final whistle several Dundee United players hung back and applauded Celtic.
Celtic certainly sounded a warning last night, and Hibs, who watched from the stand, and Rangers can consider themselves fortunate they didn’t meet the Parkhead side in this form.
Dundee United were the unlucky ones. They played as well as they were allowed to play and can take consolation from the fact that they are unlikely to run up against anything quite like this again this season.
They have a great prospect in teenage left half Jim Henry, who went off injured at half time and was replaced by Kenny Cameron,l and I liked Alan Gordon up front.
Celtic also used their substitute, Craig coming on for Auld.
Dundee United outside right Davy Wilson, the ex-Ibrox favourite, was as popular as his Downing Street namesake last night. Every time he touched the ball he got the bird from the Celtic support.
Celtic had no failures, and on this form they have no worries. I think Jock Stein will let everyone else do the worrying.