• Back to Tribute and Challenge games homepage

The Anglo-Franco-Scottish Friendship Cup was a tournamnet that was as bizzare as Celtic's performances in it were woeful.

Made up of eight French, four English and four Scottish teams the competition was held during the 1960/611960/61 season and was a poor immitation of the relatively succesful Franco-Italian Friendship Cup.

While the French/Italian effort had attracted top teams from both countries this new tournament catered for those sides not good enough to participate in the major European Cup and Inter-Cities-Fairs Cup. The tournament would be won on total points gained in matches between clubs from different countries.

Celtic were drawn to face little known UA Sedan Torcy, a side from coal mining and industrial town in the north east of France. Played during the traditional French summer holiday period a poor crowd of only 3,000 attended the first game on the evening of Saturday August 6th when - at the insistance of organisers - Celtic wore yellow numbers on the back of their Hoop shirts.

The visitors were outclassed from start to finish as the French side cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory. In fact the hosts were three goals up within the first half-hour. So inept was the Celtic performance that the supporters of the part-time Sedan side began jeering the Bhoys.Bhoys. Celtic were unknown in this part of the world and their performance on that day did little to endear themselves to the locals.

The Celtic team defeated that day was: Haffey, MacKay, Kennedy, Crerand, McNeill, Peacock, Carroll, Chalmers, Mochan, Kelly, Auld.

The return in Glasgow was staged on Tuesday October 18th and the visitors shocked the crowd of 27,000 by taking the lead within the opening minute. In a bad tempered game Celtic were often second best but managed a 3-3 draw with a goal from John Divers and two late efforts from Steve Chalmers.

The Hoops side at Parkhead was: Haffey, MacKay, Kennedy, Crerand, McNeill, Peacock, Chalmers, Fernie, Carroll. Divers, Auld.

Clyde,Clyde, Motherwell and Dundee had been Scotland's other representatives in the tournament and the success of theses teams meant that Scotland finished with 11 points to France's five. On the whole the tournament was poorly attended and far from lucrative. However Celtic agreed to appear in the event the following season but after failing to agree suitable dates with Reims took no further part.