Coronation Cup triumph in 1953 was a crowning moment for the Celts | OneFootball

THE Coronation Cup, just one of a number of one-off trophies won by Celtic was lifted by club skipper, Jock Stein 70 years ago today on May 20, 1953.

The Hoops’ first game of the tournament was against Arsenal at Hampden on May 11, 1953, followed by the semi-final on May 16 and the final on this day with the Celts being surprise winners. Here is the story of the tournament...

ROYAL RUMBLE

To mark the coronation in 1953, the football authorities in Scotland and England decided to hold a knock-out football tournament in Glasgow involving the top clubs from both countries. Celtic, Rangers, Hibernian and Aberdeen represented Scotland, while Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur flew the flag for teams south of the border. Despite Celtic's inclusion among the elite eight, the club had been in the midst of a period of huge underachievement, with a solitary Scottish Cup in 1951 the only major trophy to have returned to Paradise in the post-war years. However, the Hoops' drawing power guaranteed their participation and they soon showed it wasn’t just off the park where they could match the best teams in the land.

GUNNERS SILENCED

While Celtic had not enjoyed a productive domestic campaign, finishing a lowly eighth in league after a disastrous second-half of the season, they had received a timely confidence boost ahead of their opening match against Arsenal. Helped by a double from new signing Neil Mochan, the Hoops had beaten Queen’s Park to lift the Glasgow Charity Cup. The striker, whose association with the club would last well into the 1990s as a valued member of the backroom staff, had been a regular scorer with first Morton and then Middlesbrough and his power, pace and shooting ability added another dimension to Celtic's attack. But it wasn’t Mochan who made the decisive contribution against the Gunners, but midfield schemer Bobby Collins. In front of nearly 60,000 supporters at Hampden, the 'Wee Barra' scored the only goal of the game directly from a corner, condemning the English champions to a swift journey back to North London. While the result was greeted with surprise there was no doubt Celtic were thoroughly deserving of the win, controlling proceedings and unfortunate not to increase their tally, with one newspaper describing it as, '90 minutes of Scottish and Celtic domination.'

CLEARING THE FINAL HURDLE

Next up for the Bhoys was a meeting with Matt Busby's Manchester United who had accounted for Rangers in the previous round. With self-belief brimming on the back of the Arsenal result, Celtic made a brisk start to the game and took the lead through Bertie Peacock following some trademark wing wizardry from Charlie Tully. The gifted Irishman also supplied Celtic's second goal of the afternoon, his pass sent Mochan scampering clear and he coolly finished beyond the keeper. Although Jack Rowley pulled a goal back for the English outfit with 10 minutes remaining, Celtic held firm to cause another upset and earn a place in the final.

GREEN DAY

Hampden was a sea of green of as nearly 120,000 fans watched Celtic and Hibernian square-off in the final. Again the Hoops were considered underdogs against the Easter Road side, who boasted one of the most formidable forward lines in the history of Scottish football: Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond. A 4-0 drubbing of Newcastle United – who had future Lisbon Lion, Ronnie Simpson, between the sticks – in the semi-final had underlined their attacking menace. Nonetheless, and despite the absence of Charlie Tully's creative craft, Celtic swiftly asserted their authority on the match, forcing Hibs shot-stopper, Tommy Younger, into a series of superb saves in the opening stages. However, he was rendered helpless in the 28th minute as Celtic dramatically broke the deadlock. Willie Fernie found Mochan and the striker advanced towards goal before unleashing a ferocious 35-yard strike which fizzed into the net. In the second half, Hibs laid siege to the Celtic goal in search of an equaliser, but were left frustrated by a heroic performance from John Bonnar in the last line of defence. He repeatedly denied the Edinburgh side with a number of point-blank saves, and scooped numerous corners and crosses out of the air. After defying Bobby Johnstone with yet another acrobatic stop, Bonnar was sportingly applauded by his opponent. Indeed, after the game it was reported that thousands of Celtic fans congregated at the front of the stadium to acclaim their minder for his outstanding display. As Hibs became more desperate, Celtic hit them on the break in the closing minutes when Jimmy Walsh fired home after Fernie's shot had been scrambled off the line. Against all the odds, the Coronation Cup was on its way to Paradise, where it still resides to this day.

PRE-PARADISE HAMPDEN HIGHS

Starts at Celtic don’t come much better than Neilly Mochan’s when he joined the Hoops and the Coronation Cup played a part in that. Joining on Friday, May 8, 1953, the winger made his debut the following day in the Charity Cup final at Hampden and scored twice in the 3-1 win over Queen’s Park, watched by 40,600. Just two days after that on the Monday evening he was back at the National Stadium, playing against Arsenal with a 59,500 crowd, before finding the net again on the 16th against Manchester United in the 2-1 semi-final win watched by 73,000. Then, in the final against Hibernian, he scored again in the 2-0 win watched by 117,060. So, as a Celt, Neilly Mochan had played four times at Hampden, in front of nearly 300,000 people and won two medals in two cup finals before he had even played at Celtic Park!