Celtic on this Day – Jimmy Johnstone’s greatest ever game

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The Celtic Star

·13 novembre 2024

Celtic on this Day – Jimmy Johnstone’s greatest ever game

Celtic on the Day…56 years ago today, Celtic 5-1 Red Star Belgrade. The match was home to arguably Jimmy Johnstone’s greatest ever display in a Celtic jersey…

Jimmy Johnstone, Celtic Glasgow. 13 04 1969 Photo imago WEREK (The Celtic Star)

Best ever half-time team talk

As a result of Jock Stein’s side heading into the interval with the scoreline reading 1-1, the Celtic boss looked to find innovative ways to inspire his team who were in need of some added motivation.

OneFootball Video

It was then Stein told Jinky at half-time that if Celtic went onto win the European Cup second round first leg tie by a three-goal margin or more, Johnstone could stay at home and subsequently not travel with the squad to Yugoslavia two weeks later.

Jock Stein, manager Jock Stein of successful Scottish club Celtic. Once again the Glasgow side has taken the Scottish league Division One championships. 3 May 1968. Imago Photo Top Foto (The Celtic Star)

Jinky’s fear of flying (he described it as a fear of crashing!)

Famously, the wee man had a fear of flying, and thus as German referee Alfred Ott blew for the second half, it would become the Jimmy Johnstone show.

Subsequently, when the Celtic travelling pack landed in Belgrade for the second leg a fortnight later there was no Jimmy Johnstone. Stein had kept his word despite making sounds in the media that there was the possibility Jinky would play.

Celtic’s Steve Chalmers (c) celebrates the second goal, scored by Jimmy Johnstone (out of picture). Photo The Celtic Wiki)

Red Star Belgrade were a top quality opponent

Not only did the greatest ever Celt grab a double on the night, but he also set two up on a plate for Bobby Lennox and Willie Wallace who added to the emphatic scoreline. Although it was a convincing result, Red Star Belgrade were a strong outfit and featuring amongst their ranks was Yugoslav internationalist Dragan Dzajic.

Dzajic finished as top goalscorer in the 1968 European Championships and was considered the third best football player in the world in the late sixties. Named 3rd in the Ballon D’or nominations that year, George Best and Bobby Charlton were adjudged by sports journalists from UEFA member countries to be just ahead of him.

Press cutting – Nothing funny about that handshake

Nothing funny about this handshake

Meanwhile, Jinky’s performance against the Yugoslavs had consequences in the courts for a fanatical Celtic supporter. Overawed by Johnstone’s display, Hoops fan Jim O’Neil ran onto the pitch to give the Celtic winger a congratulatory handshake.

“It was a golden handshake. Not for either of the Jim’s. But for the fund that collects court fines. For yesterday, O’Neil, 32 was fined £120 for the offence which he admitted,” read the Daily Record on 15 November 1968. It seemed Sheriff Charles Johnston QC went the considerable lengths to punish O’Neil for an extremely light-hearted gesture. I wonder to this day what motivated QC Johnston to hand out such a crazy fine?

Press cutting

“Who can beat us on that form?” Jock Stein asked

St Ettienne and Red Star had been ticked off as Stein’s men embarked on another European journey. Italian champions AC Milan awaited Celtic in the quarter-final. Boasting to the media post-match, the Celtic manager asked, “who can beat us on that form?”

Unfortunately, the answer would be The Rossoneri. However, the magical 5-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade will forever be known as the Jimmy Johnstone game. Undoubtedly his finest individual display as a Celtic player.

Jimmy Johnstone Glasgow Celtic, 17 May 1967, Scotland IMAGO Photo – TopFoto (The Celtic Star)

Jock Stein’s starting Celtic XI on 13 November 1968; Fallon, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Brogan, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Lennox, Hughes.

Celtic 5 Red Star Belgrade 1 – Press cutting

Celtic 5 Red Star Belgrade 1 – Press Cutting

Celtic 5 Red Star Belgrade 1 – Press cutting

Conor Spence

Matt Corr’s wonderful new books, Celtic in the Thirties, Volumes One & Two are both out now on Celtic Star Books and you can order a signed copies by clicking on the links below…