David Potter on Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final wins from 1954 to 1975

The Celtic Star

·1 June 2023

David Potter on Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final wins from 1954 to 1975

Celtic Historian David Potter takes us on a journey through all of Celtic Scottish Cup Final triumphs as we gear up for Saturday’s 2023 Scottish Cup Final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Hampden. The story of Celtic’s glory in our favourite competition begins at Ibrox of all places, on 9 April 1892 and in our first instalment David told the story of the first eight Scottish Cup triumphs that Celtic enjoyed and you can catch up on those early Celtic triumphs HERE.

In the second instalment David covered Celtic’s eight Scottish Cup Final successes between 1914 and 1951 and again you can catch up HERE if you missed it yesterday.

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And this morning Celtic’s successes in our favourite competition, the Scottish Cup takes us from the final success in the 1954 through to the triumph at the 1975 Scottish Cup Final. Here’s what happened at these finals and all of the other trophy winning days in the Scottish Cup in between…

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 17…CELTIC 2-1 ABERDEEN – HAMPDEN, 24 APRIL 1954 – 40 years and two dreadful World Wars had passed since Celtic last won the Scottish League and Cup double, and this was the day that they did it again in dull Hampden weather against a strong Aberdeen who had earned the respect and affection of the Celtic support by beating Rangers 6-0 in the semi-final.

The game was tight and little was given away with the score 0-0 at half time. Then Celtic got a break with a lucky own goal, Aberdeen pulled one back when Paddy Buckley for once got the better of Jock Stein, before a piece of magic on the right saw Willie Fernie cross to Sean Fallon to tap in the goal that won the 17th Scottish Cup for Celtic.

The Celtic team was: Bonnar, Haughney and Meechan; Evans, Stein and Peacock; Higgins, Fernie, Fallon, Tully and Mochan.

Read all about Celtic ‘s next Scottish Cup Final win on the next page…

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 18…CELTIC 3-2 DUNFERMLINE – HAMPDEN, 24 APRIL 1965 – Celtic were born again today as the Stein era of almost unbroken success was launched. Stein had arrived in March, and although it would be fanciful to say that things changed immediately, there was definitely something in the air at Celtic Park.

But they had to win today against the very impressive Dunfermline. The Pars scored first and then after Bertie Auld had headed Celtic level, scored again before half time. But Celtic equalised, again through Bertie Auld, and with possibly the most famous goal in Celtic’s history, Billy McNeill headed home Charlie Gallagher’s corner kick to propel Celtic to glory, and won Celtic’s 18th Scottish Cup.

The Celtic team was: Fallon, Young and Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill and Clark; Chalmers, Gallagher, Hughes, Lennox and Auld.

Read all about Celtic ‘s next Scottish Cup Final win on the next page…

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 19…CELTIC 2-0 ABERDEEN – HAMPDEN, 29 APRIL 1967 – Celtic were on the way to Lisbon, having got the better of Dukla Prague on the Tuesday night! Would this cause them to “take their eye off the ball” as far as the Scottish Cup was concerned? They were up against a good Aberdeen side, who were, as usual well supported on such occasions.

But Willie Wallace, who had joined the club from Hearts last December, scored a goal either side of half time, and without any undue alarms, Celtic saw out Aberdeen to win their 19th Scottish Cup. In fairness to Aberdeen, it must be pointed out that their Manager Eddie Turnbull was absent, having taken ill at the Gleneagles Hotel.

The Celtic team was: Simpson, Craig, Gemmell. Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox.

Read all about Celtic ‘s next Scottish Cup Final win on the next page…

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 20…CELTIC 4-0 RANGERS – HAMPDEN, 26 APRIL 1969 – One of the more famous Celtic Scottish Cup wins. It was the day that Rangers were meant to fight back against Celtic’s virtually unbroken success, and Ibrox was all set for the victory parade that night.

But Celtic clinched their domestic treble and their 20th Scottish Cup with a 4-0 win in a somewhat ill-tempered final with several players, one in particular who became a legendary manager, lucky not to get “the long walk”, and a crowd break in from the Rangers end when things were not going so well for them.

Billy McNeill scored with a header from a corner kick early in the game, Bobby Lennox and George Connelly scored just before half time, and Steve Chalmers scored in the second half to make it a total rout.

The Celtic team was: Fallon, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan, Connelly, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox.

Read all about Celtic ‘s next Scottish Cup Final win on the next page…

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 21…CELTIC 2-1 RANGERS – HAMPDEN, 12 MAY 1971 – This was Celtic’s 21st Scottish Cup and confirmed their rebirth after the Milan disaster against Feyenoord last year, the League having already been won.

This game was a replay, the first game having been a draw which Celtic looked like winning until Rangers scored a late equaliser. For the replay, Stein gave young Lou Macari a game, but kept Willie Wallace for the bench rather than dropping him altogether.

Celtic were two goals up by half time, one from Lou Macari, and the other a penalty scored by Harry Hood after Jimmy Johnstone had been brought down. In the second half, Jim Craig conceded an own goal, but that was as far as the Rangers recovery got because the double centre half combination of Billy McNeill and George Connelly were superb.

The Celtic team was: Williams, Craig, Brogan, McNeill, Connelly, Hay, Johnstone, Hood (Wallace), Macari, Callaghan, Lennox.

Read all about Celtic ‘s next Scottish Cup Final win on the next page…

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 22…CELTIC 6-1 HIBS – HAMPDEN, 6 MAY 1972 – Another of the more famous Celtic Scottish Cup finals in which Dixie Deans emulated the feat of Jimmy Quinn by scoring a hat trick in a Scottish Cup final.

It was a great achievement for Dixie, who only two and a half weeks ago had infamously missed a penalty in the shoot out which deprived Celtic of a chance in another European Cup final.

The opposition were Hibs who had had a good season, and it was often said that Celtic played their best football against Hibs. So it turned out to-day. McNeill scored first, Deans then scored his hat-trick (his second goal and Celtic’s third being a sight to behold) before Lou Macari scored another two to confirm Celtic’s 22nd Scottish Cup victory. Ex Celt Bertie Auld came on as a substitute for Hibs.

The Celtic team was: Williams, Craig, Brogan, McNeill, Connelly, Murdoch, Johnstone, Callaghan, Deans, Macari, Dalglish.

Read all about Celtic ‘s next Scottish Cup Final win on the next page…

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 23…CELTIC 3-0 DUNDEE UTD – HAMPDEN, 4 MAY 1974 – This was one of the more low key Scottish Cup finals as Celtic beat Dundee United 3-0. It was United’s first ever Scottish Cup final and it was the start of a miserable trend of the Tannadice men losing at Hampden. Celtic were 2-0 up at half time through Harry Hood and Steve Murray and simply played out time in the second half scoring another goal near the end through Dixie Deans.

The game was memorable for two separate dogs interrupting the play, and for an outbreak of hooliganism which defied all analysis as it seemed to be Celtic supporters v other Celtic supporters. But then again, you don’t need a brain to become a football hooligan.

The Celtic team was: Connaghan, McGrain, McNeill, Brogan, Murray, McCluskey, Johnstone, Deans, Dalglish, Hood, Hay.

Read all about Celtic ‘s next Scottish Cup Final win on the next page…

Airdrie captain Derek Whiteford shakes hands with Celtic captain Billy McNeill before the 1974/75 Scottish Cup final watched by 75, 000 spectators .

CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINALS – Number 24…CELTIC 3-1 AIRDRIE – HAMPDEN, 3 MAY 1975 – By the time that Celtic came back for the Scottish Cup final of 1975, they had lost the Scottish League. Admittedly they had won the League Cup, but the Scottish Cup now assumed greater importance.

Their opponents were Airdrie, a team who had not been in the final of the Scottish Cup since their halcyon days of Bob McPhail and Hughie Gallacher in 1924, and they were not really expected to do much against Celtic, however tarnished Celtic had been by their miserable performances in the League.

Paul Wilson had lost his mother at the start of the week, but he and Stein decided he should play, and it was a good decision, for Paul scored two goals while Pat McCluskey scored a penalty. Airdrie put up a good fight and held Celtic for a spell at 2-1. At the end of the game, Billy McNeill announced his retirement from the game. He had won 7 Scottish Cup medals and Celtic had won the Scottish Cup 24 times.

The Celtic team was: Latchford, McGrain, Lynch, Murray, McNeill, McCluskey, Hood, Glavin, Dalglish, Lennox, Wilson.