| Match Pictures | Matches: 1970 – 1971 | 1970-71 Pictures |
Trivia
- The Celtic party of 16 players flew to Cork on the morning of the 23rd July for a short two game tour in Ireland.
- During the closed season a lot had happened with relevance to Celtic
- 1/6/71 John Clark who had been released at the end of the season was wanted by East Fife and Partick Thistle. He decided against giving a decision to either and instead signed for Morton.
- David Hay went on tour w Scotland in Denmark and Russia despite being injured.
- The new main stand gradually took shape, costing £750,000.
- Hibernian manager Dave Ewing resigned; he had only been with the club since December 70; Hibernian appointed Eddie Turnbull who had been manager of Aberdeen; Morton were also without both a manager and trainer as well as a first team goalkeeper.
- Celtic were drawn against 1903 Copenhagen in the First Round of the European Cup.
- Players reported back on 12th July; Celtic had signed Billy Mitchell from Raith Rovers for £1000 on the 19th June; on 17th July they signed goalkeeper Gordon Marshall on a free; Marshall had been released by Hibernian at the end of the last season.
- Morton were looking to sign ex-Celt Frank Brogan released by Ipswich at the end of last season.
- Celtic had been planning to play Santos in New York on 1st August but the game needed SFL approval and it was 1 day after the SFL’s Drybrough Cup game. The American sponsors then asked Celtic to play Santos a second time the following day in Toronto and that put an end to the talk straight away.
- 16 players travelled to Ireland : Williams, Craig, Brogan, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Hay, Connelly, Johnstone, Lennox, Wallace, Hood, Macari, Dalglish, Callaghan, Davidson.
- Jim Craig had a leg injury and was the only one of the squad not ready to play.
- Cork were FAI champions in 1971.
- In mid June Upper Clyde Shipbuilders had been declared bankrupt. This provoked the start of what would become the struggle and politicisation of UCS, the workers at the yards declaring that they would fight the government and owners to stave off closure and the loss of their jobs. The Conservative government of Edward Heath waffled and havered whilst the unions at the yard started to organise.
Review
The pitch was soft and greasy. Cork had just received it's first torrential rain for over 3 weeks and the little Flower Lodge Ground where the game was played soaked up the water with the pitch becoming slippery underfoot.
The Cork side put up a strong fight and it took till just before half time before Celtic got the opening goal from a Bobby Lennox headed goal from a Bobby Murdoch free kick. Hibs replaced their goalkeeper at half time and on 69 minutes Marsden levelled the score for the Irish side. Celtic pressed hard for the rest of the half and duly got their reward when Macari hit a Harry Hood pass home.
Teams
Cork Hibs:
Grady (Chapman 45), Bacuzzi, O'Mahon, Connolly, Herrick, Lawson, Sweeney, Brown, Marsden, Dennehy, Wallace.
Goal:- Marsden (69)
Celtic:
Williams, Hay, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly, Johnstone, Hood, Macari, Callaghan, Lennox. Substitutes: Brogan, Wallace, Davidson, Dalglish, Quinn.
Goals: Lennox (44), Macari (84).
Referee: R Duggan (Cork)
Attendance: 10,000
Articles
- Match Report(see below)
