35 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Celtic behind the Iron Curtain

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The Celtic Star

·9 November 2024

35 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Celtic behind the Iron Curtain

Today, 9 November 2024 marks 35 years since the end of the Berlin Wall, which stood as the most prominent symbol of the Cold War…

Despite Celtic’s extensive European experience, only once did the Bhoys have cause to visit East Germany before the collapse of the Iron Curtain in the early-1990s. However, this was an European run and era full of drama and challenges.

Season 1975-76 was unsuccessful for Celtic – the Hoops failed to win any of the competitions that they entered – but a much bigger and more shocking event had opened the campaign.

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Legendary manager Jock Stein was almost killed in a car crash. In July 1975, whilst returning from a holiday, he was hit by a car travelling the wrong way on the motorway. It was an accident that caused him to be away from Celtic for the entire season, with assistant manager Sean Fallon stepping into the breach.

In the 1975-76 season, European interest for Celtic came in the Cup-Winners’ Cup, and started off very well indeed. A trip to Iceland to face Valur saw the Bhoys ease through with a 9-0 aggregate win, including a massive 7-0 victory at Celtic Park.

Johannes Edvaldsson at Barrowfields, pre-season 1975. Photo The Celtic Star

This was not the season’s only notable Icelandic moment as it also involved the signing of fan favourite Johannes Edvaldsson, or ‘Shuggy’ as he became better known.

Johannes Edvaldsson at Barrowfields, pre-season 1975. Photo The Celtic Star

In the second round, there was a little piece of Celtic history – and some fans even say sporting vandalism.

Celtic faced Boavista, getting a 0-0 draw in Portugal. For the home leg – which the Bhoys won 3-1 – Celtic were forced by UEFA to wear numbers of the back of their shirts, covering up the Hoops for the first time in a competitive game in Scotland.

Edvaldsson scores against Boavista at Celtic Park, 5 November 1975. Celtic won 3-1. Photo The Celtic Wiki

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Traditionally, Celtic had only worn numbers on their shorts, even after the practice of numbered shirts became more common. The Bhoys had actually previously wore yellow numbers on the back of their tops in the 1960 Anglo-Franco-Scottish Friendship Cup, although it was almost impossible to read.

Celtic would not play in round three until after Christmas, and then it would take them once more behind the Iron Curtain, although this time for their first East German visit.

The Celts were drawn to play Zwickau, an East Germany side from the Saxony region.

3rd March 1976: Celtic 1-1 Sachsenring Zwickau, Kenny Dalglish is denied a goal by a brilliant save. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The home leg came first, played on 3 March 1976. It proved to be a poor night for the Celts. The team had been ravaged by flu in advance of the match, but even then the Glasgow men still dominated, having 21 corners to Zwickau’s one.

However, it would not be the result that Celtic wanted. Despite this dominance, they could not gain a significant advantage. Bobby Lennox missed a penalty and it ended up 1-1, with the Germans gaining a precious away goal thanks to a last-minute shot.

17 March 1976: Zwickau 1-0 Celtic. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Celtic still hoped to overcome their hosts when they travelled to Germany later in the month. However there was one administrative problem they faced before then.

Another notable moment of the 1975-76 season had been the emergence of a new young talent – Roy Aitken, who would of course play a vital role in the club’s history, not least captaining the centenary team. The Germany trip had a special relevance for him.

17 March 1976: Zwickau 1-0 Celtic. Paul Wilson in action. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Aitken had been only 16 when he made his debut in September 1975, in a 2-0 win over Stenhousemuir in the League Cup. Even now, he was only 17, and East German laws meant he could not travel without a ‘parent’.

As a consequence, Celtic had to ‘adopt’ Aitken, meaning that acting manager Sean Fallon had to become his guardian, allowing the young Hoop to make the journey.

Once there, they were based on the city of Karl Marx Stadt, another reminder of the Communist state to which they were travelling. They hoped that the 17th March date would bring them the luck of the Irish.

But the Celts were still stricken by the effects of flu, so much so that they could only name four fit substitutes. They also faced an early kick off, with the match being shown on TV in Scotland at 2pm, despite it being a midweek match.

17 March 1976: Zwickau 1-0 Celtic. Kenny Dalglish in action. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The fixture got off to a terrible start. Within three minutes, the Bhoys were behind. After this, proceedings were similar to Glasgow; Celtic completely dominated but could not score.

As the match went on, it seemed that there would not be a goal – until the 86th minute when Roddie MacDonald headed home from a corner. Just as it seemed that extra time would be needed, the referee ruled it out for a supposed foul, and the Celts exited Europe.

Zwickau would meet Anderlecht in the next round, with the Belgian side eventually going on to win that season’s Cup-Winner’s Cup, playing at the Heysel stadium in their home country.

17 March 1976: Zwickau 1-0 Celtic. Harry Hood in action. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Heysel Stadium of course became renowned after the tragic events of 1985. This was when 39 Juventus fans were killed at the European Cup Final after a fight with Liverpool fans.

And as a strange Scottish connection, it was an Anderlecht versus Dundee game in 1963 when the record attendance for the ground was set. This was when the Dens men were on a run which took them to the European cup semi-finals.

Back in 1976, it wasn’t simply on the pitch that there was drama and news excitement. In fact, as much as Celtic fans will have focused on the two matches versus Zwickau, the British public and media’s attention was elsewhere.

The day before the second leg, Prime Minister Harold Wilson had shocked the country by announcing his plans to resign. He had been Prime Minister from 1964-70 and then again from 1974-76. He would be replaced by James Callaghan, before the country eventually fell to Thatcherism.

Although Celtic only once visited East Germany, they did play many other games in Communist countries during the Cold War era. This included games in Russia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Albania and Romania.

From a Celtic perspective, the most notable of these was going to Czechoslovakia to play Dukla Prague in the 1967 European Cup. This semi-final victory took the Bhoys to Lisbon for the club’s greatest ever day.

And it wasn’t simply Aitken and Zwickau that brought some funny stories. When Celtic travelled to Albania in 1979 to play Partisan Tirana, there had been rumours that captain Danny McGrain would have to shave off his famous beard to comply with local laws, though no such order ended up being made.

The ending of the Berlin Wall was a symbolic moment that captured the collapse of an oppressive system which had blighted the lives of millions across Eastern Europe. It also seemed to end the Cold War, although anyone watching modern day geopolitical events would be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

But for Celtic, it is a reminder of a hugely dramatic 1975-76 season, and the way that one East German trip contained so many other notable stories.

Matthew Marr

Follow Matthew on Twitter @hailhailhistory