Ten days later, it was the big one. The biggest of them all.
On Thursday, 25 May 1967, Jock Stein fielded the eleven Lions together for the sixth and most poignant time, in Lisbon’s Estadio Nacional to face Internazionale of Milan in the European Cup final. The experience of the two clubs at that level could hardly have been more different. Inter had been European and World Champions in two of the three previous years, and had already eliminated the holders, Real Madrid, from this season’s competition, beating them home and away in the quarter-final. By contrast, underdogs Celtic were competing in the major European club tournament for the first time.
But football is football.
That evening in Portugal is the stuff of legend, as Celtic produced perhaps the best attacking performance ever seen at that level, coming back from the loss of an early penalty to blow Inter off the park, the match finishing 2-1 following goals from Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers in the last half hour. In truth, the score could have been anything, Willie Wallace particularly aggrieved after a blatant foul on him by the incredible Italian goalkeeper Sarti went unpunished! As the fans flocked over the moat and onto the pitch at the end, the incredible truth could be realised…
…Celtic are the champions of Europe.
So let’s walk through the Willie Wallace checklist for season 1966/67…
Signed for Celtic Check
Scored a double in your European debut for the club Check
Played in a winning Scotland team at Wembley Check
Scored a double in your first cup final for the club Check
Won your first Scottish Cup Check
Won your first Scottish League championship title Check
Won the European Cup Check
Not bad, Willie.
If only you’d played in a winning side against Real Madrid in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Thirteen days after the glory of Lisbon, Celtic travelled to the cathedral of football to take on six-time European champions Real Madrid in a challenge match in honour of the now-retired Alfredo Di Stefano, regarded by many as the finest footballer of all-time. The 1966 European champions were keen to put the new upstarts in their place, however, just as with Inter Milan, they would find this fearless group of fabulous footballers too hot to handle.
Jock had left several of his European Cup-winning side out of the starting eleven. It made little difference as their replacements slotted into their roles perfectly, Celts dominating proceedings against the old masters with a swagger and arrogance which would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier. Long before the second half was through, the Real defenders were refusing to challenge and be embarrassed yet again by the peerless Jimmy Johnstone, his incredible display topped off as he set up the winner for his pal, Bobby Lennox. As the final whistle blew, 120,000 Spaniards rose to applaud the red-haired genius, standing centre-stage with the ball raised in one hand above his head. If Carlsberg did football images…
Beat Real Madrid in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu Check.
To be continued…
Matt Corr
READ PARTS 1 & 2 OF ‘WILLIE WALLACE, LISBON LION AND SO MUCH MORE’ BY MATT CORR BELOW…
Matt Corr on Willie Wallace, a Lisbon Lion and so much more, Part 1 | The Celtic Star https://t.co/AeLHSVPSTM
— The Celtic Star Editor – INVINCIBLE (@CelticStarMag) June 23, 2020
Matt Corr on Willie Wallace, a Lisbon Lion and so much more, Part 2 | The Celtic Star https://t.co/ePVYGYFty0
— The Celtic Star Editor – INVINCIBLE (@CelticStarMag) June 23, 2020
