1983-10-01: Celtic 1-1 St Mirren, Premier League

Match Pictures | Matches: 19831984 | 1983-84 Pictures

Trivia

  • Dundee Utd lost 2-0 at home to Rangers, meaning Celtic’s draw moves them one point clear at the top of the League after six matches.
  • Erik Sorensen was caretaker manager for St Mirren after Ricky McFarlane resigned in midweek.

Review

By Celtic’s own standards, and by the promise the team have shown this season, it could have been better. The fans believe that a win was not out of the question and that Celtic could now have a two point lead in the League rather than a single point advantage after a draw in which Brian Whittaker scored Celtic’s only goal.

Teams

Celtic:-
Bonner, McGrain, Brian Whittaker, Aitken, McAdam, MacLeod, Provan, P McStay, McGarvey, Burns, Melrose (McClair).
Sub not used:- Halpin.
Goal:- Whittaker 64.

St Mirren:-
Thomson Walker Clarke Fitzpatrick McAveety (Cousar) McCormick Sinclair (Cameron) McAvennie McDougall Abercromby Scanlon
Goal:- McDougall 34.

Ref:
Att:- 15,289.

Articles

  • Match Report (See Below)

Pictures

  • Match Pictures

Manager Interview:- Manager Davie Hay

This was a match we should have won, but how can I complain when we’ve moved ahead at the top of the League. We must all remember, however, there is still a long, long way to go in the title League season. We had to contend with Billy Thomson in great form. We did have chances, but it seemed as the game went on that our players were finding it more and more difficult”

Articles

Until the 64th minute, Brian Whittaker was struggling to fit into the play, but his determination gave Celtic a point from this very dull match. Celtic seemed very disorganised and St Mirren did their bit to ruin the match by playing an off-side trap that often saw about eight players running from the box in parallel paths.
Ian Scanlon, undoubtedly Saints’ best player on the day, crossed for Frank McDougall to score with a fine header and put Saints ahead in the 34th minute.
After that the match saw a series of first-class saves from Billy Thomson and a series of pass-backs by the visiting defenders, obviously an exercise to keep the ball from Celtic and use up some time.
Celtic seemed to have lost their sparkle of midweek, but it always seemed they’d get back from that shock opener and indeed they scored once to collect a point that takes them to top of the league table.
In the 64th minute Melrose headed against the bar and as the ball fell into the box Brian Whittaker forced himself forward and connected with it to head Celtic back on level terms. McClair replaced Melrose before the end but neither team managed to score again and each collected one point.
St Mirren 1-1 83

MOTM

MOTM - Roy Aitken