Details
Title: Quiz Ball
Ref: Football related quiz show which Celtic players & fans participated in.
Celtic Involvement: 1969-71
Quiz Ball (BBC)
A quiz programme screened on BBC1 in its evening schedule featured a team of four representing a football team from either the English or Scottish League and were allowed a guest supporter.
There were four routes to goal:
4 easy questions,
3 medium questions,
2 difficult questions
and 1 hard question.
After winning the opening kick off question the player chose a route to goal and answered the questions. The opposing team had one chance to tackle the player going to goal by pressing a buzzer prior to the player answering their last question. If they got it right they won possession but if it was wrong the challenge was unsuccessful and a goal was scored.
The route 1 question was not subject to tackle.
A group of Celtic fans/players won the tournament in season 1969/1970 (congratulations lads). However, as winners Celtic went on to play ‘England’ in a one off special which they lost 6-7. We believe the result went to a tie break and England got a really easy question to win it!
Celtic then retained the trophy in season 1970/71.
First Round 2nd Match |
|
| Celtic 3 |
Sunderland 0 |
| Cairney 2, Craig |
| Jim Craig player | Len Ashurst player |
| Billy McNeill player | Michael McGiven player |
| Willie Wallace player | Richard Pitt player |
| John Cairney guest supporter | James Bolam guest supporter |
Semi Final 1st Match |
|
| West Bromwich Albion 1 | Celtic 2 |
| Ashman | Craig 2 |
| Alan Ashman manager | Jim Craig player |
| John Osborne player | Billy McNeill player |
| Ray Wilson player | Willie Wallace player |
| Jeff Smith guest supporter | John Cairney guest supporter |
| after extra time |
Final
| Celtic 3 | Heart of Midlothian 1 |
| Cairney, Craig | Brown |
| Jim Craig player | Donald Ford player |
| Billy McNeill player | Jim Cruickshank player |
| Willie Wallace player | Alan Anderson player |
| John Cairney guest supporter | Eric Brown guest supporter |
Source: http://www.btinternet.com/~m.d.pratesi/mp/quizball1969.html
http://londonscrabbleleague.org/londonscrabble/mp/quizballindex.html
Anecdote
Story taken from John Cairney‘s new book on his love of Celtic – ‘The Sevenpenny Gate‘.
Horse racing punters will appreciate Ken Smith’s piece in his diary in The Herald on a tale from Scots actor, John Cairney’s just published book about his lifelong love affair with Celtic FC: The Sevenpenny Gate. Cairney recalls being Celtic’s celebrity team member on BBC sports quiz, Quizball. There were graduates on the Celtic team, but Willie Wallace [former Celtic and Scotland star] had to make up the numbers after someone called off.
Wrote Cairney: “’Wispy’ hadn’t opened his mouth, so we arranged to leave one question to him. It was: ‘Who or what is a Garryowen?’ “We all knew it was a kick in rugby, but looked at Wispy to respond.
“He gulped, pressed his buzzer, and whispered tentatively: ‘The racing correspondent of the Daily Record?’”
Garry Owen, of course, being a tipster on the Record …
