• Denis Connaghan - The Celtic goalkeeper who threw the ball into his own net.
  
• Bertie Auld and John Falllon.
  

Jim Craig/Bertie Auld - Would Joe McBride have played in Lisbon?


Joe McBride was one of the most prolific goalscorers to have ever graced the Hoops.He was signed in 1965 from Motherwell by Jock Stein and in the 1965/66 season he scored 43 goals.

The following season he was on fire and had scored 37 goals before Christmas when he sadly picked up a very bad knee injury against Aberdeen at Pittodrie on December19th.Joe was out injured for a year and it is a near certainty had he been fit he would have played in the Final in Lisbon - it was not to be but despite not playing again that season after Christmas Joe was still the top scorer in the League.

Bertie Auld tells of how in later years he wound up Jim Craig the Celtic right back that glorious day in Lisbon when discussing Joe's injury.

Jim Craig - "Bertie - Do you really think Big Jock would have played Joe in Lisbon had he been fit"?

Bertie Auld - mischieviously - "Aye,Jim - he would have played him at right back"!!!!!


Jock Stein and John Clark - The Morton Signing On Fee.

When Lisbon Lion John Clark left Celtic to play out his final footballing years with Morton it was agreed that John would receive a small signing on fee from Morton as a thank you for his services to Celtic.

Hal Stewart the then Morton Chairman reneged on this agreement and Morton wouldn't pay John the agreed sum.

Eventually Jock Stein got wind of this and was far from happy about the treatment of one of his players. When Morton drew Celtic in a Cup game at Celtic Park as was the way for Cup games in those days the gate receipts were halved and Jock utilised this opportunity to sort out matters.Jock arranged that John Clark's signing on fee be deducted from Morton's share of the gate and John was subsequently paid the money he was due by Morton albeit it came from Celtic

Hal Stewart could do nothing about it and had to accept that Jock had put him in his place and got one over on him..

They didn't come much shrewder than Jock Stein and his morals and deep seated Lanarkshire mining roots ensured that he was looking after one of his own.



Jimmy Johnstone/Bertie Auld - Give me my score back!!!

It is well documented that Jimmy Johnstone did not like flying as evidenced by the Red Star Belgrade tale.

On another occasion when Celtic were on their pre-season tour of USA prior to 1966/67 season which culminated in the magnificent triumph in Lisbon.The team were en route to Bermuda and prior to the flight taking off Bertie Auld had borrowed £20 ( tapped a score as Bertie put it) from Jimmy.

Whilst in mid air the plane got into a bit of heavy turbulence and the passengers including the players were told to stay in their seats and fasten their seat belts which they all duly did.As the pilot struggled to deal with this ongoing situation the next thing anybody knew Jimmy had unbuckled his seat belt, is out of his seat and up the aisle to see Bertie and says to him "Ten!Ten! - Give me my score back just in case"!!!

Although in a serious situation the plane was in uproar at Jimmy's antics as Bertie pointed out to Jimmy if the plane went down he wouldn't have much need for the £20.



*Ten was Bertie Auld' nickname as in "Ten Thirty" rhyming slang for Bertie.