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“Winning the European Cup was the making of the club. After that everyone knew about Celtic. We even beat Real Madrid two week later. They’d won it the previous year and they kept saying they were the real champions, but we went a beat them 1-0 on their own patch in front of 135,000 people.”
Bobby Lennox

“It was Di Stefano’s testimonial. It was a fantastic evening and the game was very competitive. Bobby Lennox scored the goal for us – and afterwards there could be no doubt that we could be called true European Champions."
Billy McNeill

'Without a shadow of a doubt that was my best game for Celtic. With a quarter of an hour to go, none of them would come near me.'
Jinky on Alferdo di Stefano's testimonial speaking in 1995.

''But the Scotsman who gave me the most trouble was Bobby Lennox of Celtic. My testimonial at the Bernabeu was against Celtic as, of course, they were the champions of Europe in 1967 and, although I remember the Bernabeu rising to Jimmy Johnstone, I admired Lennox greatly.''
Legendary Di Stefano on Lennox

"I had hundreds of great moments in football, including scoring Scotland's second goal in our 3-2 win over England at Wembley in 1967. It's hard to pick a defining moment, although it would need to be from the same year when Celtic won the European Cup in Lisbon. Which moment to choose, though? That's even more difficult.
Was it when the final whistle went after we'd beaten Inter Milan 2-1? Or was it when we got back to our hotel to kickoff our celebrations? No, I think I'd have to go for our homecoming, because it wasn'twe got back to Glasgow that the worth of what we'd achieved began to sink in.
"The funny thing is, I can't even remember where we landed: Glasgow Airport or the old one at Renfrew.
What I do remember is that hordes of folk lined the route all the way back to Celtic Park, where there must have been another 60,000 fans waiting to greet us. The atmosphere was fantastic. So many people were still outside later thatwe couldn't leave by the front door. I've still got a of me going across the pitch to escape via the Janefield Street exit.
"We soon went to Madrid to play in Alfredo di Stefano's testimonial and the papers were full of how Real Madrid would show they were the best in Europe. We won 1-0. Who scored? Err, Lennox, after Wee Jimmy Johnstone had beaten about 14 opponents."
Lennox on 1967, Lisbon and Di Stefano's testimonial

Articles

Real Madrid 0, Celtic1
Jun 7, 1967
Di Stefano Testimonial

"Di Stefano had come to Lisbon and wanted the winners of the final to play in his game and I am glad it was us because it was the greatest game I ever played for Celtic," Johnstone said. Celtic won 1-0, with Johnstone threading a pass to his great friend, Bobby Lennox, for the winner.

ONLY a genuine icon can strike a true iconic image. Jimmy Johnstone certainly filled that description and when he lifted the ball above his head in the centre circle at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in July 1967, it was one of those moments that stick in the memory forever.

In that famous football arena in Madrid more than 100,000 Spaniards rose to hail an individual performance by a player who had managed to steal their hero's thunder.

Di Stefano was round by then but he played for the first 10 minutes before he said adios to the Bernabeu for one last time. Even the Celtic players were in tears as he made his way off the pitch. Then in Di Stefano's own words it became "The Jimmy Johnstone show".

Do yourself a favour and try to get a hold of the video. It is not an exaggeration to say Jinky took on Real Madrid all on his own that night.

One particular player, Amancio, tried to do what just about every defender did and detach Jimmy's legs from the rest of his body. That just made him play better.

And one moment in the match was almost beyond belief. After dribbling past three Real Madrid players, he stopped, stood on the ball and just for a bit of fun went back to beat them again.

Celtic won the game. Jimmy danced his way past five players before releasing an inch-perfect pass which sent his great friend Bobby Lennox through to score. Years later Bobby Murdoch, another Lion who left us too early, said: "It was amazing. The wee man was unbelievable that night. He had 100,000 Spaniards shouting “ole”. I couldn't believe it.

"I'm sure the president of Real Madrid spoke to Big Jock after the game and asked to buy the No.7. There would have been something wrong if he hadn't."

James Farrell, a Celtic director, revealed that at the post-match banquet, Di Stefano gathered his former Real compadres - Francisco Gento, Ferenc Puskas and Jose Santamaria - beside him for a photograph. Then he asked for Johnstone. "He was recognising that Jimmy was in their class," Farrell said. "They were great players, but he was their equal."