In 1969, Celtic resumed their winning streak in the Scottish League Cup, defeating St Johnstone 1-0 at Hampden Park with a Bertie Auld header.
Celtic are hoping for their fifth consecutive League Cup final victory.
The difference in experience at this level between the two teams has never been so obvious. It was the 24th Scottish League Cup final, and Celtic were hoping to win the trophy for the fifth straight season. Willie Ormond’s Saintees were in their first major national cup final. Foregone conclusion?
Despite conceding inside two minutes, St Johnstone received a lot of praise for their impressive performance. Bertie Auld scored the game’s sole goal after latching onto Harry Hood’s header, which bounced off the bar and fell to Auld.
The consequences of Tommy Gemmell’s kick Helmut Haller
Prior to the League Cup match against Perth Saints, there had been some controversy in Celtic’s ranks. Tommy Gemmell, Jimmy Johnstone, and Billy McNeill all appeared for Scotland in a World Cup qualifier against West Germany in the week leading up to the final. Bobby Brown’s team, desperate to avoid defeat, fell 3-2, leaving qualifying for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico in shambles. Crucially, Tommy Gemmell was sent off for deliberately kicking Helmut.
It became extremely strange.
Jock Stein replaced Gemmell with Davie Hay after becoming enraged by Gemmell’s antics while wearing the Scotland shirt. However, Stein’s opinions were not echoed in the stands. Celtic fans were upset that Gemmell’s deeds for Scotland had resulted in him being dropped for a cup final. To be honest, it all became rather odd.
A particularly special time in the club’s history.
Enraged by the manager’s decision, Gemmell submitted a transfer request, which he later withdrew. It is reasonable to assume that the relationship between the player and the manager deteriorated gradually following this occurrence, and that it may never fully recover.
Meanwhile, it was Celtic’s fifth successive League Cup victory under the legendary Jock Stein, and their 13th trophy in five years. A really memorable period in the club’s history.
First League Cup medals for Davie Hay, Tommy Callaghan and Harry Hood
On a negative note, Stevie Chalmers shattered his leg during the match and was out for a significant length of time.
Despite the Scottish League Cup becoming a lucky charm for Celtic in the second part of the 1960s, Davie Hay, Tommy Callaghan, and Harry Hood had never won the competition before.
Interestingly, there was an essential link between the two clubs competing 55 years ago today. Celtic trainer Bob Rooney’s son, Benny Rooney, led the St Johnstone players out to battle, captaining them against the Hoops.
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