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Summary

Glasgow Celtic played 16 matches in the Drybrough cup between 1971/72 and 1980/81. A total of nine programmes were issued for all games. Qualification for the Drybrough cup depended on the number of goals scored in the previous season. Eight teams qualified each year. It was created by the Scottish Football League as a curtain raiser to the new season and to promote attacking football - something that Celtic has always done without inducement anyway.

At a time when Football Sponsorship was a heavily debated subject, Drybrough & Co Ltd sponsored the tournament making it the first ever sponsored football tournament exclusively for Scottish clubs. The Drybrough cup also allowed the SFL the opportunity to experiment with any new rules of the game. For example, in 1973/74 they experimented with a NO OFFSIDE rule and in another they introduced substitute boards!

The introduction of the Premier Division in 1974 stopped the Drybrough cup temporarily. In 1979, it was reintroduced with the four highest goal-scoring Clubs in the Premier Division plus the two highest goal-scoring Clubs in the First and Second Divisions qualifying.

Competition Years

1971

First Round - Sat July 31st 1971 - Celtic Park
Celtic 5 Dumbarton 2 (Dalglish 4, Hood)

Williams, Craig, Brogan, Callaghan, Connelly, Hay, Dalglish, Davidson, Macari, Hood (Quinn), Hughes

Other results:
Airdrieonians 2-1 Arbroath
East Fife 0-3 Aberdeen
St Johnstone 2-1 Partick Thistle

Semi-Final - August 4th - Firhill Park
Celtic 4 St Johnstone 2 (Dalglish 2, Macari, Hood)

Williams, Craig, Brogan (Hood), Connelly, McNeill, Hay, Dalglish, Callaghan, Macari, Davidson, Hughes

Other result:
Airdrieonians 1-4 Aberdeen

Final - August 7th - Pittodrie Stadium
Aberdeen 2-1 Celtic (Harper, Robb, Hughes)

Williams, Craig, Hay, Callaghan, McNeill, Connelly, Dalglish, Hood, Macari, Davidson (Johnstone), Hughes

Att: 25,000

1972

Other results:
Aberdeen 1-0 St Mirren
Hibernian 4-0 Montrose
Rangers 3-1 Stirling Albion

The Final was a thrilling affair where Celtic came back from two down at the interval to take the game to extra time before Hibs triumphed 5-3. While the attendance of 49,462 was nowhere near filling Hampden, it was a reasonable attendance for the first week of August.

First Round - July 28th - Celtic Park

Celtic 6 Dunfermline Athletic 1 (Lennox 4 (1 pen), McLaughlin, Dalglish)

Hunter, McGrain, Hay (P.McCluskey), Murray, McNeill, Connelly, McLaughlin, Dalglish, Callaghan (Hood), Lynch

Other results:
Dundee 1-0 Raith Rovers aet
Hibernian 2-1 St Mirren
Rangers 3-0 Montrose

The Four top division sides - all playing at home - won once again, though Raith Rovers came close to an upset by taking Dundee to extra time.

Semi-Final - July 31st - Celtic Park
Celtic 4-0 Dundee (McLaughlin 2, Lennox, Lynch)

Hunter, McGrain, Hay, Murray, McNeill, Connelly, McLaughlin (P.McCluskey), Dalglish (Hood), Lennox, Callaghan, Lynch

Other result:
Hibernian 2-1 Rangers aet

Final - August 4th - Hampden Park
Celtic 0-1 Hibernian AET (Alan Gordon 119mins)

Hunter, McGrain, Hay, Murray, McNeill, Connelly, McLaughlin (Brogan), Dalglish, Lennox, Callaghan, Lynch (Hood)

Att: 49,204

It would have been the first penalty shootout in domestic football, and Celtic's first since Dixie missed v Inter at Parkhead in May 72.



Pic shows Billy McNeill attempting to block a cross from Alan Gordon of Hibs. Gordon was a goal machine around that time; he was a Chartered Accountant by profession (looks like one, doesn't he?) and he'd already played for Hearts in his career. He was a brilliant header of the ball, and one of the best players never to play for Scotland. He was one of the few members of that Hibs team not to win a cap

1974

First Round - July 27th - Broomfield Park
Airdrieonians 2 Celtic 4 (Johnstone, Murray, Lennox (pen), Wilson)
Connaghan, P.McCluskey, Brogan (McGrain), Murray, McNeill, Callaghan, Johnstone, Wilson, Hood, Davidson (McNamara), Lennox
In 1974-75 it was as you were as the four top sides all won

Other results:
Hibernian 2-1 Kilmarnock
Queen of the South 2-3 Dundee aet
Stirling Albion 0-2 Rangers

Semi-Final - July 31st - Dens Park
Dundee 1 Celtic 2 (AET) (Deans, Brogan)
Connaghan, P.McCluskey, Brogan, Murray, McNeill, Callaghan, Quinn, Johnstone, Hood (McLaughlin), Wilson (Deans), Lennox

Other result:
Hibernian 2-3 Rangers

Final - August 3rd - Hampden Park
Celtic 2 Rangers 2 (Celtic win 4-2 on penalties) (Murray, Wilson)

Connaghan, McCluskey, Brogan, Murray, McNeill, Callaghan, Johnstone, Dalglish, Hood (McNamara), Wilson, Lennox.

Att: 57,558

1975

No Comeptition

1976

No Comeptition

1977

No Comeptition

1978

No Comeptition

1979

First Round - July 30th - Celtic Park

Celtic 5 Clydebank 0 (G.McCluskey 2, Aitken, MacDonald, Davidson)

Latchford, Sneddon, McGrain, Aitken, MacDonald, McAdam, Provan (Mackie), Edvaldsson, G.McCluskey, MacLeod, Davidson.

Other results:
Dundee United 3-0 Dunfermline Athletic
Kilmarnock 1-0 Aberdeen
Rangers 1-0 Berwick Rangers

Semi-Final - August 1st - Celtic Park

Celtic 3 Dundee United 2 (AET) (Provan, G.McCluskey, Doyle)

Latchford, Sneddon, McGrain, Aitken, MacDonald (Doyle), McAdam, Provan, Edvaldsson, G.McCluskey, MacLeod, Davidson.

Other result:
Kilmarnock 1-3 Rangers

Final - August 4th - Hampden Park
Celtic 1 Rangers 3 (Lennox)

Latchford, Sneddon, McGrain, Aitken, MacDonald, McAdam, Provan, MacLeod, G.McCluskey (Lennox), Burns, Doyle

1980

First Round - July 27th - Celtic Park

Celtic 0 Ayr United 1

Latchford, Sneddon, McGrain, Aitken, Conroy, MacLeod, Provan, Sullivan (Weir), Nicholas, G.McCluskey (Halpin), McGarvey.

Other results: St Mirren 2-1 Falkirk
Aberdeen 4-1 Airdrieonians
Morton 4-2 Albion Rovers

Semi-Final
St Mirren 2-1 Ayr United
Morton 2-4 Aberdeen (aet)

Final - Hampden Park
Aberdeen 2-1 St Mirren

• Aberdeen won the last ever tournament.