Dunfermline used the wind rather badly, often over-kicking the ball and putting it too far ahead of their forwards, while Celtic played more sensibly against the wind, keeping the ball low and with Auld and Murdoch in the middle of the field spreading passes to Chalmers, Hughes and Lennox. Celtic were having more of the play, but if someone had offered a 2-2 draw and a replay on Wednesday night, I probably would have taken it – such had been the gut-rending emotion of it all.
Once again, I thought with envy of the gardener planting his potatoes and of my mother, who was no great football fan and was often amazed by the intensity of it all, quietly making her tea and listening to the radio commentary, more concerned about whether her wee boy would get home safely rather than who was to win the 1965 Scottish Cup!
But then Celtic won a corner on the left after a run by Bobby Lennox. Across trotted the ever-reliable Charlie Gallagher to take it. One of the things that we had noticed since Jock Stein’s arrival in 1965 had been the increasing frequency with which Billy McNeill would go up for a corner kick. The Pars defence was not as prepared for it as they should have been, and Billy rose majestically to head home that magnificent iconic goal that changed everything.
I have no clear recollections of the goal, although I do remember thinking that it might have been Tommy Gemmell who scored (same colour of hair and I was, after all, about 250 yards away!) but the veteran beside me kept saying “Billy McNeill! Billy McNeill! Billy McNeill!” as we were engulfed in a tidal wave of celebration, scarves waving and people hugging you and jumping on top of you.
But there were still nine minutes to go. If I have no distinct recollections of the actual goal, I can recall with vivid clarity the last nine minutes. Flags waving all around the ground, a growing swell of noise, smiles, cheers but with myself holding on to the gangway 25’s post and unashamedly praying to God, whether he was a Catholic or a Protestant, to let us win today. Surely, we could not be denied now! But 10 years ago, Celtic had been 1-0 up in a Scottish Cup final against Clyde and had lost a last-minute equaliser from a corner kick.
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