1979-02-26: Celtic 3-0 Berwick Rangers, Scottish Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 19781979 | 1978-79 Pictures

Trivia

  • Further atrocious weather allows only this game to be played in February. Aitken and Burns were now clear of suspension and started. Alfie Conn was out injured.
  • Much talk in the press of Berwick pulling off another shock after their historic win over Rangers in 1967.
  • This was the first ever game between Celtic and Berwick in any senior competition.
  • An aside curiosity – ex-Celt legend, Bobby Evans, won a share of a football pools win with his work syndicate. Bobby and 5 mates from an East Kilbride engineering plant where he worked were the winners of a £61,000 Littlewoods pay out.
  • Trevor Francis became Britain's first £1million player when he was signed by Brian Clough for Nottingham Forest from Birmingham City.
  • Celtic sent a young team to the Viareggio U20 International Tournament in Italy during February. All the players were 19 or less and were a young side compared to the teams they were playing. The players were Alan Sneddon, Peter Mackie, John Weir, Bernie Godzik, Pat Bonner, Billy Russell, Jim Duffy, David Young, Ian McPhee, Robert Ward, John Halpin, Jim Feeney, Charlie Nicholas and Mark Reid captained by Jim Casey and led by new Chief Scout John Kelman, Reserve team coach Frank Connor and Jimmy Lumsden. They drew 1-1 with both AC Milan and Vicenza before losing 3-0 to Atletico Madrid and failing to progress to the latter stages.
Celtic's team; Viareggio U20 International Tournament; February 1979
Back Row: Ward, Duffy, Bonner, Young, Sneddon, Russell
Front: Weir, McPhee, Halpin, Godzik, Mackie

Review

McGrain's mere presence in the side is an inspiration to his team mates. Burns is the subject of some shocking tackling by Berwick players and when he scores in the second half he celebrates by doing a cartwheel on the Parkhead turf.
For McDowell of the Wee Rangers it was a mare of a night, having flown in especially from Ireland for the game, giving away the penalty, getting booked and then scoring an own goal.

Teams

Celtic:
Latchford, McGrain, Lynch, Aitken, MacDonald, Edvaldsson, Provan, MacLeod, G McCluskey (McAdam), Burns, Doyle. Sub:Lennox
Scorers: Lynch (pen 9), Burns (64), McDowell (OG 86)

Berwick:
Frame, Rutherford, MacLeod, D Smith, McDowell, Jobson, Davidson, Moyes, G Smith, Tait, Wheatley. Subs: Laing, McLean

Referee: T Kellock (East Kilbride)
Attendance: 13,000

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1979 Celtic 3-0 Berwick report

1979 Celtic 3-0 Berwick report