1975-02-22: Hibernian 2-1 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 1974 – 1975 | 1974-1975 Pictures

Trivia

  • Peter Latchford makes his Celtic debut on loan from West Bromwich Albion after playing in the hastily arranged friendly against Ayr Utd on the Tuesday night.
  • Billy McNeill was due to be back but in the event it was Roddie MacDonald that appeared and the team was as had played against Clydebank in the Scottish Cup bar the debut of Latchford.
  • Danny McGrain although no.2 played at left back.

Review

From Glasgow Herald 24 February 1975:
The crown lies shakily on Celtic’s head. One little nudge and it will roll in one huge clatter, rolling down the steps of the throne from which they have ruled this Scottish Kingdom these past nine years. There should be much sadness abroad in the land.
Coming back by rail from the capital, looking into the deep set eyes of Celtic supporters who seemed to have fought a long campaign in the desert rather than attended a football match, you were in touch with grief.
Those of us who have tugged at their shirt tails for so long and felt proud to be with them when the plane touched down at some foreign capital, to find that their fame had preceded them, found no joy at all in desperate, possibly ruinous defeat at Easter Road.
This last decade has established Celtic as one of the great clubs in the world. Not as lastingly famous as the unique Real Madrid, not as individually talented or explosive as Ajax of Amsterdam. But more friendly and better loved than Inter, more attractive than any English club since the last revival of Tottenham Hotspur. They trod more new paths than any Scotsman since David Livingstone left Blantyre.
So when the lights were turned up and the part finished, when it was seen that under the make up was a tired face, when all that happened on Saturday it was difficult not to cry a little, for if Celtic made their own players rich and famous, their own fans a few inches taller, mere observers a little happier, they made Scotland a good deal better.
These were Saturday’s thoughts, morose and made worse by the historical probability that we shall never see their like again. A part of everyone who likes his football has disappeared from his soul as, in these last few weeks, the glory of the nine years has vanished in the confusion of the tenth.

It all started to unravel after ten minutes during which Celtic and Dalglish in particular had looked bright. Harper took off down the left and crossed the ball which Latchford left then came for and missed and Duncan put the ball into an empty net. Five minutes later Hibs were two up. A Harper free kick went to Brownlie whose cross into the box was met by Duncan's header past Latchford.

After this Hibs had the run with Latchford having to make good saves. Celtic had a Deans goal ruled offside. Despite all Dalglish's efforts it remained 2-0 to Hibs at half time.
Five minutes from time Wilson got a consolation goal for Celtic but in truth they had been outplayed by Hibs.

With the run of poor form the top of the table looked like this at the end of the month.

Team P W D L F A GD Pts
Rangers 25 19 4 2 70 24 +46 42
Celtic 25 17 4 4 66 27 +39 38
Hibernian 25 14 7 4 46 27 +19 35
Dundee Utd 24 11 6 7 52 32 +20 28
Aberdeen 24 10 7 7 43 30 +7 27
Dundee 25 11 5 9 33 30 +3 27

Teams

Hibernian:
McArthur, Brownlie, Schaedler, Stanton, Barry, Splading, Carroll (Smith), Bremner, Harper, Munro, Duncan. Sub: Higgins
Scorers: Duncan 2 (11, 16)

Celtic:
 Latchford, McGrain, McCluskey, Murray, MacDonald, Connelly, Hood, McNamara, Deans, Dalglish, Wilson. Subs: Glavin, Lynch
Scorer: Wilson (85)

Referee: W Anderson (East Kilbride)
Attendance: 31,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

Hibernian v Celtic, League, 22/2/75