1979-08-08: Celtic 6-1 China, Friendly

Match Pictures | Matches: 19791980 | 1979-80 Pictures

Trivia

  • Chinese national side visit Parkhead as part of their British tour.The match had been arranged the previous season when Chinese officials had contacted the club to set the game up. The Chinese National team were on tour throughout Europe and had also played in the States. Their last game had been a 4-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion.
  • The Chinese team had arrived in Glasgow on the Sunday night and been greeted by officials with a piper. They trained at Barrowfield on the Monday.
  • The stars of the Chinese team were winger Yang Yumin, sweeper Lin Luofeng and striker Li Fubao.
  • Tom McAdam was out with a groin strain picked up against Rangers. In came Mike Conroy. Vic Davidson was preferred to start over Johnny Doyle.
  • Chinese players given a splendid ovation by the Celtic crowd.
  • Murdo MacLeod scores a spectacular hat trick.
  • The newspaper report by Hugh Taylor (posted below) is worth reading as it is cringing in its crude cliched and offensive humour that heavily misses the mark. In fairness, makes a few good notes on our guests from China for this match, but doesn't mask the off-colour comments in the rest of the report.

Review

Celtic fans came to watch curiously as the Chinese national side lined up against Celtic on the last game of their British tour.

This gave the newspapers a chance for corny headlines such as 'Great wall of China', Sweet and sour Celtic' and 'Celtic's Chinese cracker'.
The Chinese scored their only goal on the British leg of their tour.

It was an entertaining evening and Celtic scored fine goals with Murdo MacLeod scoring a hat trick and giving the fans a glimpse of the power shots he would become renowned for in the future.

Teams

Celtic:
Latchford, Sneddon, McGrain, Aitken, MacDonald, MacLeod, Provan, Conroy, McCluskey, Burns, Davidson. Subs:Bonner, Edvaldsson, Doyle, Lennox.
Scorers: Provan (16), McCluskey 2 (21, 82), MacLeod 3 (70, 73, pen 87)

China:
Xe Jainping, Wang Feng, Zhi Cailing, Lin Luofeng, Liu Zhirai, Huang Xiandong, Yang Yumin, Zuo Shusheng, Xu Yonglai, Li Fubao, Chen Xirong.
Scorer: Xu Yonglai (69)

Referee: B McGinlay (Balfron)
Attendance: 18,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see below)

Pictures

Articles

Evening Times 9th August 1979

shug sludden

1979 Celtic 6-1 China report

1979 Celtic 6-1 China report