The 1978–79 Celtic F.C. season began with a significant change. Former club captain Billy McNeill took over from Jock Stein.[1] Stein stepped down after 13 incredibly successful years, during which he led the club to numerous triumphs. His final season, however, was disappointing, with Celtic finishing fifth in the league, missing out on European football qualification, and failing to secure any silverware in the domestic cups.
| 1978–79 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Desmond White |
| Manager | Billy McNeil |
| Stadium | Celtic Park |
| Scottish Premier Division | 1st |
| Scottish Cup | 5th Round |
| Scottish League Cup | Semi-finalists |
| Anglo-Scottish Cup | Quarter-finalists |
| Top goalscorer | League: Tom McAdam 7 All: Tom McAdam 13 |
| Highest home attendance | 55,867 |
| Lowest home attendance | 14,728 |
| Average home league attendance | 25,469 |
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Billy McNeill returned to Celtic after a promising spell managing Aberdeen F.C., where he finished as runners-up in both the Premier Division and the Scottish Cup.[2] During the summer, McNeill appointed his former defensive partner and assistant at Aberdeen, John Clark, as his assistant at Celtic.[2] and brought in Frank Connor to manage the Reserve team, Jimmy Lumsden also joined as a player with additional coaching responsibilities for the reserve team. In the transfer market McNeill made two significant signings in the autumn: winger David Provan from Kilmarnock F.C.[3] and midfielder Murdo MacLeod from Dumbarton F.C.. Both were young and talented players who would go on to play key roles at Celtic for many years. Additionally, former Celtic players Bobby Lennox and Vic Davidson returned to the club later in the season.
Celtic made a bright start in the league during August and early September. However, their form became inconsistent from October through December, and they dropped several points. Harsh winter weather caused all league games in January and February to be postponed. When the league resumed in March, Celtic's form improved significantly, helped by the return of Captain Danny McGrain, who had been out with a serious long term injury. The club faced a busy schedule in May, playing six games, with the final match against Rangers F.C. becoming the decisive fixture for the league title. A victory in this match would ensure the league flag returned to Celtic Park in McNeill's first season as manager. In a dramatic encounter, Celtic triumphed 4-2, despite being down to 10 men for most of the game—a match that remains fondly remembered by Celtic supporters.[4]
In the League Cup, Celtic progressed to the semi-finals but were narrowly defeated by Rangers 3-2 after extra time.
In the Scottish Cup, a fifth-round replay loss to Aberdeen allowed Celtic to focus solely on their pursuit of the Premier Division title.
Billy McNeill's first season was regarded as a success, restoring the club to the top of Scottish football and allowing the club to make a return to compete in Europe's premier competition the following season.[1]
Pre-season and friendlies
editDue to the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Celtic only managed 2 pre-season friendlies plus the Jock Stein Testimonial game against Liverpool two days after the League opener against Morton.
| 29 July 1978 Friendly | Montrose | 1-3 | Celtic | Montrose, Scotland |
Livingstone  20' |
Report | Aitken 23', McCluskey 56', 74' |
Stadium: Links Park Attendance: 2,300 Referee: R.B Valentine (Dundee) |
Competitions
editScottish Premier Division
editLeague table
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic (C) | 36 | 21 | 6 | 9 | 61 | 37 | +24 | 48 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Rangers | 36 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 35 | +17 | 45 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 3 | Dundee United | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 56 | 37 | +19 | 44 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 36 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 59 | 36 | +23 | 40 | |
| 5 | Hibernian | 36 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 44 | 48 | −4 | 37 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Matches
edit| 12 August 1978 Premier League | Morton | 1–2 | Celtic | Greenock |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Cappielow Park Attendance: 16,040 |
| 19 August 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 4–0 | Hearts | Glasgow |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 22,907 |
| 26 August 1978 Premier League | Motherwell | 1–5 | Celtic | Motherwell |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Fir Park Attendance: 19,710 |
| 9 September 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 3–1 | Rangers | Glasgow |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 55,867 |
| 16 September 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 0–1 | Hibernian | Glasgow |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 26,169 |
| 23 September 1978 Premier League | Partick Thistle | 2–3 | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Firhill Park Attendance: 21,272 |
| 30 September 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 2–1 | St Mirren | Glasgow |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 25,379 |
| 7 October 1978 Premier League | Aberdeen | 4–1 | Celtic | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 22,563 |
| 14 October 1978 Premier League | Dundee United | 1–0 | Celtic | Dundee |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Tannadice Park Attendance: 17,726 |
| 21 October 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 0–0 | Morton | Glasgow |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 22,220 |
| 28 October 1978 Premier League | Hearts | 2–0 | Celtic | Edinburgh |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Tynecastle Park Attendance: 19,269 |
| 4 November 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 1–2 | Motherwell | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 19,808 |
| 11 November 1978 Premier League | Rangers | 1–1 | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 53,941 |
| 18 November 1978 Premier League | Hibernian | 2–2 | Celtic | Edinburgh |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Easter Road Attendance: 21,450 |
| 25 November 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 1–0 | Partick Thistle | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 24,669 |
| 9 December 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 0–0 | Aberdeen | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 22,646 |
| 16 December 1978 Premier League | Celtic | 1–1 | Dundee United | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 19,868 |
| 23 December 1978 Premier League | Morton | 1–0 | Celtic | Greenock |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Cappielow Park Attendance: 12,636 |
| 3 March 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 1–0 | Aberdeen | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 25,331 |
| 17 March 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 2–1 | Motherwell | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 14,866 |
| 28 March 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 3–0 | Morton | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 17,728 |
| 31 March 1979 Premier League | Hibernian | 2–1 | Celtic | Edinburgh |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Easter Road Attendance: 16,071 |
| 4 April 1979 Premier League | Motherwell | 3–4 | Celtic | Motherwell |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Fir Park Attendance: 8,744 |
| 7 April 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 2–0 | Partick Thistle | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 17,478 |
| 11 April 1979 Premier League | Dundee United | 2–1 | Celtic | Dundee |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Tannadice Park Attendance: 14,424 |
| 14 April 1979 Premier League | St Mirren | 0–1 | Celtic | Paisley |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: St Mirren Park, Love Street Attendance: 19,549 |
| 18 April 1979 Premier League | Hearts | 0–3 | Celtic | Edinburgh |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Tynecastle Park Attendance: 10,633 |
| 21 April 1979 Premier League | Aberdeen | 1–1 | Celtic | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 22,593 |
| 25 April 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 2–1 | St Mirren | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 17,171 |
| 28 April 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 2–1 | Dundee United | Glasgow |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 35,807 |
| 2 May 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 3–1 | Hibernian | Glasgow |
| 19:30 BST | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 21,728 |
| 5 May 1979 Premier League | Rangers | 1–0 | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 51,359 |
| 7 May 1979 Premier League | Partick Thistle | 1–2 | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Firhill Park Attendance: 17,659 |
| 11 May 1979 Premier League | St Mirren | 0–2 | Celtic | Paisley |
| 19:30 BST | Stadium: St Mirren Park, Love Street Attendance: 20,800 |
| 14 May 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 1–0 | Hearts | Edinburgh |
| 19:30 BST | Stadium: Tynecastle Park Attendance: 16,507 |
| 21 May 1979 Premier League | Celtic | 4–2 | Rangers | Glasgow |
| 19:30 BST | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 55,296 |
Scottish Cup
edit| 31 January 1979 Third round | Montrose | 2–4 | Celtic | Montrose |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Links Park Attendance: 3,066 |
| 26 February 1979 Fourth round | Celtic | 3–0 | Berwick Rangers | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 13,000 |
| 10 March 1979 Fifth round | Aberdeen | 1–1 | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 23,000 |
| 14 March 1979 Fifth round replay | Celtic | 1–2 | Aberdeen | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 37,000 |
Scottish League Cup
edit| 16 August 1978 First round 1st leg | Celtic | 3–1 | Dundee | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 10,515 |
| 23 August 1978 First round 2nd leg | Dundee | 0–3 (2–6 agg.) | Celtic | Dundee |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Dens Park Attendance: 12,698 |
| 30 August 1978 Second round 1st leg | Dundee United | 2–3 | Celtic | Dundee |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Tannadice Park Attendance: 12,648 |
| 2 September 1978 Second round 2nd leg | Celtic | 1–0 (4–2 agg.) | Dundee United | Glasgow |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 28,563 |
| 4 October 1978 Third round 1st leg | Celtic | 0–1 | Motherwell | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 17,643 |
| 11 October 1978 Third round 2nd leg | Motherwell | 1–4 (2–4 agg.) | Celtic | Motherwell |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Fir Park Attendance: 17,911 |
| 8 November 1978 Quarter-final 1st leg | Montrose | 1–1 | Celtic | Montrose |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Links Park Attendance: 4,284 |
| 15 November 1978 Quarter-final 2nd leg | Celtic | 3–1 (4–2 agg.) | Montrose | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 9,372 |
| 13 December 1978 Semi-final | Rangers | 3 – 2 (aet) | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 19:30 GMT | Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 49,349 |
Anglo-Scottish Cup
edit| 3 August 1978 1st round 1st leg | Celtic  | 2–1 | Clyde | Glasgow |
| 20:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 10,000 |
| 5 August 1978 1st round 2nd leg | Clyde | 1–6 (2–8 agg.) | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 20:00 GMT | Stadium: Shawfield Stadium Attendance: 12,000 |
| 12 September 1978 Quarter-final 1st leg | Burnley  | 1–0 | Celtic | Burnley |
| 20:00 GMT | Stadium: Turf Moor Attendance: 25,000 |
| 27 September 1978 Quarter-final 2nd leg | Celtic | 1–2 (1–3 agg.) | Burnley | Glasgow |
| 20:00 GMT | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 27,000 |
Glasgow Cup
edit| 8 May 1979 Semi-final | Celtic | 3–2 | Clyde | Glasgow |
| 19:30 BST | Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 2,000 |
| 16 May 1979 Final | Rangers | 3–1 | Celtic | Glasgow |
| 19:30 BST | Stadium: Ibrox Park Attendance: 2,000 |
Statistics
edit| Pos. | Name | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK |
|
Peter Latchford | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| GK |
|
Roy Baines | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| GK | 
|
Packie Bonner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF |
|
Joe Filippi | 19(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 28(1) | 0 |
| DF |
|
Danny McGrain | 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| DF |
|
Alan Sneddon | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF |
|
Andy Lynch | 27(1) | 7 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 38(1) | 12 |
| DF |
|
Roddie MacDonald | 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 31 | 3 |
| DF |
|
Mike Conroy | 20(1) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 25(1) | 5 |
| DF | 
|
Jóhannes Eðvaldsson | 34 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 47 | 2 |
| MF |
|
Jim Casey | 1(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(3) | 0 | 2(7) | 0 |
| MF |
|
Murdo MacLeod | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| MF |
|
Peter Mackie | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 |
| MF |
|
Roy Aitken | 36 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 48 | 6 |
| MF |
|
Tommy Burns | 28(1) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 39(1) | 4 |
| MF |
|
Paul Wilson | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 1(2) | 0 |
| FW |
|
Ronnie Glavin | 9(1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4(2) | 2 | 13(3) | 5 |
| FW |
|
Tom McAdam | 24(4) | 7 | 0(1) | 0 | 9 | 6 | 33(5) | 13 |
| FW |
|
Johnny Doyle | 23(3) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6(1) | 3 | 33(4) | 6 |
| FW |
|
David Provan | 30 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 39 | 4 |
| FW |
|
George McCluskey | 16(5) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1(3) | 0 | 19(8) | 8 |
| FW |
|
Joe Craig | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| FW |
|
Alfie Conn Jr. | 12(1) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 19(1) | 7 |
| FW |
|
Bobby Lennox | 6(8) | 4 | 1(1) | 1 | 1(1) | 1 | 8(10) | 6 |
| R | Pos. | Nation | Name | Premier Division | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW |
|
Tom McAdam | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | DF |
|
Andy Lynch | 7 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| 3 | FW |
|
George McCluskey | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 | FW |
|
Alfie Conn Jr. | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | MF |
|
Roy Aitken | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| FW |
|
Bobby Lennox | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| FW |
|
Johnny Doyle | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 6 | FW |
|
Ronnie Glavin | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| DF |
|
Mike Conroy | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| 7 | MF |
|
David Provan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| MF |
|
Tommy Burns | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 8 | MF |
|
Murdo MacLeod | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| DF |
|
Roddie MacDonald | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 9 | DF |
|
Danny McGrain | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| DF |
|
Jóhannes Eðvaldsson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Total | 60 | 8 | 21 | 89 | |||
Club
editOfficials
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Desmond White |
| Secretary | Desmond White |
| Directors | Thomas Devlin
James Farrell Kevin Kelly |
Management
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Billy McNeill |
| Assistant manager | John Clark |
| Reserve Team Manager | Frank Connor |
| Reserve Coach | Jimmy Lumsden |
| Trainer | Neil Mochan |
| Physio | Bob Rooney |
| Masseur | Jimmy Steele |
| Chief Scout | John Kelman |
Kit
editCeltic continued to wear their Umbro home shirt that was released the previous season which incorporated the club badge on a home shirt for the first time. Celtic only wore their home shirt during the entire season.
Home
edit
Transfers
editIn
edit| Date | Name | From | Transfer Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1978 | Jim Lumsden | Clydebank F.C. | £10,000 |
| September 1978 | Davie Provan | Kilmarnock F.C. | £120,000[3] |
| October 1978 | Bobby Lennox | Houston Hurricane | Free Transfer |
| November 1978 | Murdo MacLeod | Dumbarton F.C. | £100,000[7] |
| March 1979 | Vic Davidson | Blackpool F.C. | £35,000 |
| Total Transfer Fees | £265,000 |
Out
edit| Date | Name | To | Transfer Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 1978 | Pat Stanton | Retired | Released |
| September 1978 | Paul Wilson | Motherwell F.C. | £50,000 |
| September 1978 | Joe Craig | Blackburn Rovers F.C. | £40,000 |
| March 1979 | Roy Baines | Greenock Morton F.C. | £12,000 |
| April 1979 | Alfie Conn Jr. | Derby County F.C. | Free Transfer |
| April 1979 | John Dowie | Doncaster Rovers F.C. | Free Transfer |
| Total Transfer Fees | £102,000 |
References
edit- ^ a b Woods, Pat (1986). Glory and the Dream: History of Glasgow Celtic Football Club, 1887-1986 (1st ed.). Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1851580545.
- ^ a b Paul, Ian (30 May 1978). "McNeill takes Clark with him to Parkhead". The Glasgow Herald.
- ^ a b Paul, Ian (19 September 1978). "£120,000 Provan goes to Celtic". The Glasgow Herald.
- ^ "1979-05-21: Celtic 4-2 Rangers, Premier Division". Celtic Wiki.
- ^ "Celtic Wiki Statistics 1978-79". Celtic Wiki.
- ^ "Celtic Wiki Statistics 1978-79". Celtic Wiki.
- ^ Paul, Ian (4 November 1978). "Parkhead Shuffle - Baines, McLeod in". The Glasgow Herald.