1967 European Cup Final

HOW can any other game in Celtic's history compare to the European Cup final triumph in 1967?

On Thursday, May 25, eleven Scotsmen born within a 30-mile radius of Celtic Park became the kings of Europe, defeating Internazionale of Italy 2-1 in Lisbon's National Stadium to become the first British team to win the European Cup.

The names of Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Auld, Murdoch, Lennox, Wallace and Chalmers are still revered to this day for their achievement.

And the years have not dimished it. If anything, time has only served to make the triumph all the more remarkable.

In an era of the Champions League, when Europe's premier club tournament has been moulded and meddled with to suit the big clubs and, more importantly, the television companies, it's the Spaniards and the Germans, even the English, who now dominate the latter stages of the tournament; and it's not even always the champions of each particular country.

Back in 1967, however, it was only the champions who qualified to take part in the European Cup. Celtic, having won the first of what would eventually be nine consecutive league titles, entered the competition for the very first time. Nine games later they had lifted the trophy.
It all began on September 28, 1966, with the visit of FC Zurich to Celtic Park. Goals from Tommy Gemmell and Joe McBride gave Jock Stein's side a 2-0 first leg lead, with they increased by winning 3-0 in Switzerland, Stevie Chalmers netting along with two from Gemmell.

The second round saw Celtic drawn against Nantes of France, and both legs finished comfortably 3-1 in favour of the Scottish Champions, who progressed to a quarter-final meeting with Yugusolav side Vojvodina Novi Sad.

The away leg in Yugoslavia saw Celtic's only defeat of their European campaign. A second-half goal from Stanic was enough to give the Yugoslavs victory and set up one of the most tense and dramatic nights of the season in front of 75,000 fans.

It took Celtic until 58 minutes to level the tie, Chalmers scoring on 58 minutes but with the prospect of extra-time looming, captain Billy McNeill rose to meet a Charlie Gallagher corner and headed home to book a semi-final place.

Had the score remained at 1-0 to Celtic, even after extra-time, a play-off game in Rotterdam would have decided the tie, but Caesar's decisive finish ensured success for Jock Stein's side.

Dukla Prague were the semi-final opponents, and after gaining a 3-1 advantage from the first leg at home, Celtic travelled to Czechoslovakia, where a 0-0 draw made the almost unthinkable an amazing reality... Celtic were in the European Cup final.

Waiting there to meet them were Internazionale, one of Europe's aristocrats. Having already won the tournament in 1964, the Italians were favourites to lift the trophy again; whether this belief was part of their undoing or not is hard to say, but the evidence of the game points to a more basic reason for their failure. They simply met a better football team, whose brand of attacking football was more than a match for the defensive catenaccio style of play for which Inter, and their manager Helenio Herrera, were renowned.

Even to watch the game now, either in black and white or in the restored colour footage, is to marvel at Celtic's performance.
Regardless of age, Celtic fans accept the significance of this game and its place in the history of the club. For those of a younger age, a sense of envy accompanies the appreciation, envy at the Celtic fans who watched history in the making, and particularly those who, by any means possible, made the trip to Lisbon to see their team triumph.

If those who were alive In 1963 can remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard John F Kennedy had been shot, then it's also true that Celtic fans can recall what they were doing and where they were when Celtic won the European Cup in 1967.

The players who lined up in the tunnel at the National Stadium were the chosen eleven. In the intervening years, however, they have all been quick to acknowledge to importance of the squad, in an era when that was not emphaised as much as nowadays.

Added to the eleven on the field are goalkeeper and the solitary substitute on the day, John Fallon, as well as Charlie Gallagher, Willie O'Neill, John Hughes and the unfortunate Joe McBride who, despite an injury over the festive period which ruled him out for the remainder of season 1966/67, still ended up the club's top goalscorer that season.

To see these former team-mates together now is to enjoy a glimpse of the camaraderie that brought them so much success. Sadly, Bobby Murdoch died in 2001 and his death, mourned by Celtic fans all over the world, was felt most keenly by the men who'd played alongside him in the green and white hoops.

The stories of the European Cup triumph are well known but will never become well worn; the team going out for a walk the night before the game and then clambering home along a rocky pathway and over a fence; of the bus taking the team to the ground on the day of the game heading the wrong way; of the players belting out the Celtic Song in the tunnel, much to the amusement of the Inter side.

The game itself started badly for Celtic, when Inter were awarded a penalty after only seven minutes, Jim Craig adjudged to have fouled Cappellini in the box. Mazzola converted the kick and Celtic were chasing the game.

Only the fine form of Sarti in the Inter goal kept Celtic at bay, but even he was powerless to stop a fierce Tommy Gemmell strike from the edge of the box on 63 minutes. And with five minutes of the match remaining, Stevie Chalmers wrote himself and Celtic into the history books, diverting a Murdoch shot into the net.

The final whistle sparked tumultuous scenes, in Lisbon, Glasgow and, indeed, anywhere in the world where Celtic fans had gathered to watch the game.

Amid the throng, Billy McNeill appeared high in the stands to hold aloft the most coveted club trophy in the world.

And towering over the whole spectacle was the great man himself - Jock Stein. Stein had arrived at Celtic Park in 1965 and within two year had moulded a team into Europe'e best.

It was a glorious moment for the manager, the players, and for the fans.
When will we see their likes again?


The road to the final
First round
Celtic 2-0 FC Zurich
FC Zurich 0-3 Celtic
Aggregate: 5-0

Second round
Nantes 1-3 Celtic
Celtic 3-1 Nantes
Aggregate: 6-2

Quarter-final
Vojvodina 1-0 Celtic
Celtic 2-0 Vojvodina
Aggregate: 2-1

Semi-final
Celtic 3-1 Dukla Prague
Dukla Prague 0-0 Celtic
Aggregate: 3-1

Final
Celtic 2-1 Internazionale