The Celtic Rising: David Potter on The Day Everything Changed – Part 1

The squad surprises us from a modern perspective. In the first place, there are three left-backs in Gemmell, Kennedy and O’Neill, more than sufficient presumably but enough to lead to some speculation that one of them might be deployed as a left-half, allowing John Clark to play at right-half and then Bobby Murdoch could return to the forward line.

Speculation along these lines (and it did appear in certain areas of the Press) clearly did not understand Stein’s major positive move so far, namely the transformation of Bobby Murdoch from an ordinary to average inside-forward to a world class right-half.

But there was also no reserve goalkeeper. John Fallon thus went to Largs knowing that, barring injury, he was in the Scottish Cup final team. Ronnie Simpson was left behind at Celtic Park – he had only been brought in as a cover for injuries in September 1964 – and not for the first time, people began to speculate that Ronnie’s long and distinguished career, which had included two English FA Cup-winner’s medals with Newcastle United away back in 1952 and 1955 was coming to an end.

But it was not as simple as all that. Stein, never a great understander of goalkeepers, did not at this stage seem to rate Ronnie Simpson very highly. Indeed, it had been Stein when Manager of Hibs who had decided to transfer Ronnie to Celtic. But one thing was clear, and that was that John Fallon, that likeable redhead, would be in the goal at Hampden on Saturday.

There were others left behind at Parkhead for whom the exit door now seemed to opening; Hugh Maxwell, bought last November from Falkirk and who had never impressed apart from a brilliant early goal against his old club; John Divers, potentially a great player but always a little slow and who did not always give the impression of being too keen to get involved; Jim Brogan, whose time might yet come, it was felt, and John Cushley, who had performed adequately when McNeill was injured, but was never really likely to replace him.

Press releases from Largs emphasised that this was no strenuous training session. Phrases like “toning up” and “relaxation” were used. Indeed, the players at this stage of the season did not really need to be worked hard, and it was felt that a couple of days away from home and a break from training routines with different food would do them a great deal of good and would encourage team spirit and camaraderie.

It was an old ploy of Willie Maley and had brought the players and the club great benefits. Bertie Auld in The Scottish Football Book 11 tells how a photograph appeared of him wearing football boots on one of the greens of a golf course – but the studs had been removed!

What was a surprise was the public announcement of Saturday’s team as early as 11.00am on the Wednesday. Jimmy Johnstone, Willie O’Neill and Jim Kennedy were the unlucky ones, and thus the team was Fallon, Young and Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill and Clark; Chalmers, Gallagher, Hughes, Lennox and Auld. It was in fact the team who had produced the two best performances since Stein’s arrival, namely against Motherwell in the semi-final replay and Hibs in the 4-0 League win at Easter Road.

The announcement, made in bright pleasant spring sunshine as the players had a light training session at the Inverclyde Recreation Centre (to which they walked from their hotel!), was designed to remove all the harmful speculation in the Press and elsewhere.

There were those who deplored the dropping of Jimmy Johnstone, but then again, Jimmy, although immensely talented, did not always produce the goods and it was felt that Steve Chalmers was a safer option. Chairman Bob Kelly, it was said, approached Jock Stein and queried his deployment of Murdoch as a right-half. Stein smiled respectfully to his Chairman but said that Saturday would show what a great right-half Bobby Murdoch was.

The team returned to Glasgow on Thursday at lunchtime, relaxed and fit, while on the same day news broke of a considerably less happy football club’s trip. Eight Chelsea players were sent home from their Blackpool hotel by Manager Tommy Docherty. They included Scotsmen George Graham and Eddie McCreadie, and although no great details were issued, the Press talked about “incidents” at the Blackpool hotel. It is not difficult to work out that this had something to do with alcohol and possibly some less than totally respectable Blackpool ladies, but it was a brave action for Docherty to take considering that his team, already winners of the League Cup, were still in with a chance of the English League, won this year in the event by Manchester United.

Friday passed uneventfully. Dunfermline did not yet name their team, but their Provost – the curiously named James Forker – announced plans for welcoming home his triumphant heroes, and the local MP Adam Hunter announced that he was having his “surgery” early on Saturday morning so that he could get to Hampden. Meanwhile, Gair Henderson of The Evening Times revealed his skill at prophecy.

He stated it would be “Dunfermline’s Cup” and “Hearts’ Flag” because the Fifers were “Ahead in Team Work” and “Hearts won’t slip now.” Gair Henderson (sometimes unfairly called “Gers” Henderson because of his perceived Rangers sympathies) was a fine football writer; Cassandra, (the daughter of the King of Troy who was always correct in her prophecies) he was not.

David Potter

To be continued on The Celtic Star today…

An extract from The Celtic Rising by the late, great David Potter.

David’s bestseller The Celtic Rising ~ 1965: The Year Jock Stein Changed Everything is completely sold out in print on but is available on Amazon kindle, with all the photographs of the hardback edition, for HALF PRICE at just £3.49…

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