Back from the brink

Only twice in the history of the Scottish Cup final has a goal been scored directly from a free kick. Is this a piece of history…IT IS!

May 18^th sees the 40^th anniversary of Celtic’s memorable Scottish Cup final win over Dundee United at the old Hampden. St Anthony takes a look back on that eventful day…

It may seem strange to modern day Celtic fans but the 1985 Scottish Cup final saw many football observers view Dundee United as favourites to win against Celtic at Hampden. The previous season had saw United lose narrowly to Roma at the European Cup semi-final stage. After winning 2-0 at Tannadice, they had capitulated 0-3 in Rome in the second leg, with the Italians having the incentive of playing on their home ground in the final. It was a game many thought that United could never win and ultimately this proved to be the case. However, it was still incredible that a club with such meagre resources could compete with the cosmopolitan elite of European football. In 1985, United were regarded as one of the best teams in the continent. Their success was founded on the central defensive partnership of Paul Hegarty and Davod Narey, with young athletic full backs, Richard Gough and Maurice Malpas alongside them, who were now established Scottish internationals. Up front, their front three of Paul Sturrock, Davie Dodds, and Ralph Milne was as good as any in the country. They were regarded as formidable opponents.

From a Celtic perspective, their manager, Davie Hay, was under enormous pressure. Hay had made a careless comment during the season to the media, that no Celtic manager should ever go two years without winning a trophy. Having won nothing the previous season, he now only had the Scottish Cup as a last opportunity to redeem himself and not fall foul of his own critique. Celtic had suffered a frustratingly inconsistent season. When they were good, they were terrific but too often they had dropped points in games they really should have won. This had resulted in Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen winning the league title. Now the other half of the so called ‘New Firm’ were keen to lay their hands on the Scottish Cup, a trophy United had never won.

Hay had a team selection dilemma before the game. He had three excellent strikers in Mo Johnston, Brian McClair and Frank McGarvey, but only two places available in attack. As it was, McClair was the unlucky one to be left out with Pierce O’Leary named as the other sub and a young Peter Grant left out entirely from the 13 men who were stripped.

In their wisdom, the SFA had decided the final was not to be all ticket and that payment could be made at the turnstiles. Hampden resembled a building site with considerable renovation work in the process of being done. Celtic fans approaching the traditional Kings Park Celtic end of the ground had been surprised to see that there were no turnstiles remaining in their usual place at ground level. These had now been placed at the top of the stairway but the whole reconstruction had been poorly planned. This resulted in huge queues and crushing as fans pushed their way up the stairways. Not long afterwards, the turnstiles were reinstated at the bottom where they had always been.

The Celtic end of the ground clearly could not cope with the vast numbers who had gained entry and television coverage showed that the passageways were full of bodies as fans attempted to find a decent viewpoint to watch the proceedings. In my own experience I attended the game with my Dad and friends. I had invited a mate from Manchester who was there to support Celtic. Just seven days previously we had attended Maine Road to see Billy McNeill’s Manchester City side gain promotion, courtesy of a 5-1 win against Charlton Athletic and we hoped to make it a double celebration with a Celtic cup final win. We became separated from the others in the crush outside and made our way in through the north enclosure. The old north stand had recently been demolished, and the top of the enclosure was fenced off. We climbed the fence for a better view, but this area was full of rubble and masonry akin to a building site. It was definitely not what you hoped to find in a national stadium but it’s interesting to note that old footage of the game shows that despite being fenced off, that area was absolutely packed with Celtic fans.

The game was a huge disappointment until the drama which arrived late on. In 55 minutes United took the lead when Stuart Beedie steered a shot past Pat Bonner after good work by Davie Dodds. This was United in their element as they now sat back and contained Celtic, keen to hit on the break with the pace of Sturrock and Milne. Davie Hay must have felt massive pressure at that point. In 65 minutes he withdrew the ineffectual Tommy Burns for Brian McClair, in an effort to increase Celtic’s goal threat. Then in 75 minutes, he made a bold decision. He took off Paul McStay, Celtic’s precocious play making midfielder, and brought on Pierce O’Leary, a centre half. The Celtic fans in Hampden howled their disapproval as it looked as though Hay had lost the plot. However, those watching on television heard Billy McNeill (on co-commentary) say that this was the last throw of the dice, and that O’Leary’s appearance would now allow Hay to push the energetic Roy Aitken into midfield from his defensive role, in order to give some much needed drive in that area.

Small margins can often change games. When Danny McGrain managed to get a shot at goal, which Hamish McAlpine saved easily, this represented progress and it had the effect of energising the Celtic support who had been until then, fairly muted, as they watched with despair as the game slid away from their team. Seconds later, Eamonn Bannon clumsily sent Murdo MacLeod tumbling outside the penalty area, to give Celtic a chance at long last. They had two free kick specialists in MacLeod and Davie Provan, and the hope was one of them would conjure up a bit of magic. For those watching on television Archie McPherson perfectly summed up the situation with a piece of unforgettable commentary which was to accompany Celtic’s equaliser.

Only twice in the history of the Scottish Cup final has a goal been scored directly from a free kick. Is this a piece of history…IT IS!

Davie Provan bent a glorious free kick past McAlpine to bring Celtic level. One piece of inspiration had now turned the entire game on its head. United now looked stunned as huge roars cascaded down from the old Hampden slopes. Celtic, who had looked heavy legged for 77 minutes, now found renewed energy and enthusiasm. Within minutes they had created, and missed, three great chances to take the lead. Frank McGarvey was clean through on goal but struck McAlpine with his shot. McClair incredibly miskicked from just six yards out from a low cross, and Aitken sent an inviting ball across the United goal with no Celtic player able to anticipate it. Then, in 84 minutes, the winning goal arrived. Aitken won a ball in midfield and drove forward down the right hand side. He had space to run into but cleverly threw an early cross over, which surprised United’s defenders. McGarvey launched himself instinctively and sent a header flying into the net, and then sank to his knees overcome with the emotion of it all. Three quarters of the ground were a heaving mass of bodies, as Celtic fans wildly celebrated a winning goal which had seemed so unlikely just ten minutes previously.

United now broke out of their defensive shell. The 35-year-old veteran McGrain, ever the great competitor, completed a slide tackle on the pacy Milne, much to the delight of the Celtic crowd. O’Leary twice cleared with Bonner struggling, and in the closing seconds, Malpas sent a powerful shot past the post. The final whistle went. Davie Hay and Celtic had prevailed. Hay now deserved his day in the sun. The O’Leary for McStay substitution had been courageous and inspirational, with Roy Aitken’s boundless energy driving Celtic to victory, when placed in the middle of the park. It had been the bravest of decisions on the manager’s part.

In later years I interviewed Frank McGarvey. He jokingly recalled that he had never been God’s gift to women but after the game the Celtic players’ wives and girlfriend had smothered him with hugs and kisses. In those days Celtic player were not so well paid. They relied on bouses to implement their income and were happy to hear Desmond White announce that each player would be due a £1500 bonus payment for winning the final, good money for 1985. This was literally the difference between a decent summer holiday for the players and their families, and Frank’s goal had delivered that. He was mister popularity that night.

Sadly, for poor Frank, the drama was not over. The following week Davie Hay informed him that he was to be allowed to leave and that he wanted next season’s Celtic strike force to be Mo Johnston and Brian McClair. Frank stated his desire to stay and fight his way into the team until Hay told him that Alan McInally was to be his back up striker. As Frank commented, if ‘Big Rambo’ was in front of you then the message was clear that you have to go. This was a decision Hay was to regret in the seasons that followed.

I look back on that final with great affection. The roars after Provan’s free kick did not abate until the final whistle. My God, the noise! The foundations of the decrepit old stadium were shaking. Another one of those games when the old adage about Celtic fans being the twelfth man was absolutely true. The Celtic fans carried the team to victory that day. They refused to consider defeat.

I once had the privilege of meeting Archie McPherson. I recalled how that was the first game of football I had ever taped on a VHS video recorder. I told him how myself and thousands of other Celtic fans, had his commentary ingrained in our minds forever after Provan’s free kick goal. The video age was now upon us in 1985. I practically wore that tape out that summer by playing back the final 15 minutes again and again. To my disappointment he could not recall saying it. He may not realise it, but that was a landmark piece of commentary which will always be recalled through the annals of Celtic’s history by those of us who remember it.