| Match Pictures | Matches: 1972 – 1973 | 1972-73 Pictures |
Trivia
- Callaghan, Deans and Macari were all on the way back to fitness and down to play in a Reserve game midweek against Morton. The team was from a pool of Connaghan, J Davidson, Quinn, Murdoch, Welsh, Watt, V Davidson, Macari, Franchetti, Lennox, Wilson, White, McNamara. They lost 2-1 but the important players Murdoch, Lennox and macari all came through Dixie trained and was declared fit. In the end Macari and Murdoch were both out of the squad for the game.
- Stein believes referee Gordon ruled out legitimate goal.
- Stein says all yellow away strip needed against Hibs as there is "too much green on the park" when wearing hoops.Celtic played in the all-yellow strip.
- Celtic still top.
The shock news of the week was at Manchester Utd. Lying bottom of the English first division they sacked their manager, coach and chief scout and had problems with George Best deciding if he wanted to play football or chase tail. Jock Stein's name was of course linked to the managerial vacancy but it was ex-Celt and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty they went for in the end.
Review
The top-of-the-table clash that everyone had been waiting for especially after Celtic's low key response of late andf their loss to Hibs in the League Cup Final.
The game turned out to be a real cracker from start to finish. Both goalkeepers were busy and neither team could be said to be dominant with both sides having their spells.
Hibs scored first with a header from a free kick. Dalglish equalised in the second half slotting away a cross from Davie Hay who had made a great run up the right hand side. Lennox had come on for Jinky after 25 minutes after the wee man was levelled and had to go off from a joint tackle from Stanton and O'Rourke.
It remained all square at the top at the end of the year.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| Celtic | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 47 | 16 | 28 |
| Hibernian | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 42 | 17 | 24 |
| Rangers | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 31 | 16 | 23 |
| Aberdeen | 17 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 33 | 19 | 22 |
| Hearts | 17 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 16 | 22 |
| Dundee Utd | 17 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 32 | 28 | 22 |
| Dundee | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 30 | 20 | 21 |
Teams
Celtic:
Williams, Hay, Brogan, McCluskey, McNeill, Connelly, Johnstone (Lennox), Deans, Dalglish, Hood, Callaghan.
Goal: Dalglish (78).
Hibernian:
Herriot, Brownlie, Schaedler, Stanton, Black, Blackley, Edwards, O'Rourke, Gordon, Cropley, Duncan. Substitute: Hamilton.
Goal: Gordon (37).
Referee: J. R. P. Gordon (Newport-on-Tay).
Attendance:- 45,000.
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Articles
Glasgow Herald Monday 25 December 1972
Celtic and Hibs in season’s most competitive game
Celtic 1, Hibs 1
Jock Stein retreats every Saturday night into the comfort of his own living room, there, to watch the afternoon's footballing events recaptured on videotape. His attention in front of the television is undivided.
Frequently he finds it a depressing experience, writes lan Archer. The Scottish game played in front of deserted terraces followed by the noisier sounds of an English ground is a weekly reminder of where the balance of power resides in Britain.
This time, however, he delighted in what he saw. That meant that Celtic against Hibernian had been a good game and yesterday he was still enthusing about the contest.
“Watching our game again was like watching the English games most weeks.” Stein said. “It didn’t suffer in comparison. The light, the atmosphere, even the strips made it look good. Parkhead looked like an English ground, the match like an English match.”
REINVIGORATED
He had clearly been reinvigorated by the game that had left Celtic with a four-point margin over their most serious rivals, although he felt that a victory would have been no more than justice.
“We would like more games in which we are in serious danger of losing. That could only be good for Celtic. I felt we did enough to beat Hibs, because we hit a post, and had what I thought was a good goal, turned down. The injury to Johnstone didn’t help us at all, but it forced us to play more like Celtic to make sure that we got some reward from the match.”
These are valid points from a match that kept 45,000 people firmly inside Parkhead until the final whistle watching the most competitive encounter of the current Scottish season. Some say it was dirty. I prefer to say that it was as hard as it had to be.
Celtic might have won this game if Johnstone had not been fouled by O’Rourke and forced out of the game. While he was on the field Hibernian were forced into panic stations. This was the tactical change that Stein had made from the league cup final which he lost and it had Eddie Turnbull worried.
PLAYING HAVOC
The Hibs manager left his seat in the directors' box and stood talking to players on the touchline. Tom McNiven, the trainer, made various attempts to get on to the field to treat injuries and attend to the tactics talks at the same time. Johnstone, until he left the field was playing havoc with the Hibs pattern of play.
His disappearance comforted Hibs, whose first-half goal from Gordon again pin-pointed Celtic's blind spot. They are uncomfortable at any set piece on the edge of their own penalty area, and here, and at Hampden, they paid the price.
But on this day the contenders seemed uneasy. There was less space at Parkhead than Hampden in which to play, especially as the marking escalated from the hard to the positively lethal. Pat Stanton disappeared, eventually to be booked, and Cropley and Edwards could make no continuing impact.
Celtic throughout the long second half attacked with vigour to overcome not only the goal but also their disappointment at having a Hood chance from a Deans header chalked off by the referee. In this period they needed skill, which Dalglish provided, and stamina, which was shared throughout the side.
Their equaliser came, suitably, from Dalglish at a time that it seemed that Herriot's outrageous inspiration was going to carry him through the whole match without conceding a goal. But the good spirits who protect goalkeepers were not working overtime.
By the end, Lenox had hit a post and Celtic were counting themselves unlucky not to win a match in which they showed that their aggression has not been dulled with the passing years and the steady accumulation of trophies.
It was the kind of match that Scotland so seldom sees, but which the country so desperately needs. Hibs, with their growing stature, did so much to help provide it and even if they were lucky, no one would begrudge them a point. They are every bit as important as Celtic to the game's good health.
STRIP CHANGE
One final point. Celtic intend to continue changing the strip for future matches against Hibs, although they are not compelled to do so. Stein has had complaints from some of his players that in their traditional colours some passes are directed straight at opponents. "In the usual colours, there's too much green on the park.” he said.
Celtic — Williams; Hay and Brogan; McCluskey, McNeill, and Connolly; Johnstone and Deans; Dalglish, Hood and Callaghan. Substitute—Lennox.
Hibernian — Herriot; Brownlie and Schaedler; Stanton, Black, and Blackley; Edwards and O'Rourke; Gordon, Cropley and Duncan. Substitute — Hamilton.
Referee — J. R. P. Gordon (Newport-on-Tay).
