The 1980/81 title triumph felt very special, earned the Celtic way

After his first two instalments, Matt to pick up the story of what was one of the most exciting Celtic teams I have ever watched…there are some video clips below, so if you have the time and want to know just how good this Celtic team was then have a look.

“We’ve won the League again, fly the flag!” – Celtic’s Season 1980/81 (Part 3)

For the first time in five years, there was a Celtic fixture on New Year’s Day to kill or cure the Hogmanay hangover. The previous occasion had not been a memorable one for me, my first visit to Ibrox ending in defeat thanks to a first-half Derek Johnstone header, as that great Celt Sean Fallon struggled to steady the ship in the absence of a recovering Jock, despite the presence of world-class stars McGrain and Dalglish.

As Stein convalesced, following a serious road crash the previous summer, Jock Wallace’s Rangers would go on to win the first-ever Premier League as part of a domestic treble. Thankfully, with the Big Man back at the helm, Celtic stormed back to win the double the following season, as natural order was restored for those of a Hoops persuasion.

In 1981, the holiday fixture was at Rugby Park and a packed, pale-faced Cairn bus headed down to Ayrshire to watch the Bhoys come back from a goal down in the opening minutes to win with a McGarvey double. Frank was again on the mark twice just two days later, in a 3-0 home victory over Morton, then scoring the winner against Dundee United at Parkhead the following Saturday, as Celts put the heavy Pittodrie defeat behind them with a perfect start to the New Year.

Next up was a first-ever trip over the border to play Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park in the Scottish Cup. The pre-match media hype was all around the possibility of a second giant-killing act from the Wee Rangers, following their victory over the Ibrox side at the same stage in the holy year of 1967. On that occasion, a certain Jock Wallace was in the home goal as player-manager, setting an unique record having played in both the Welsh and English FA Cups earlier that season for Hereford United.

Fourteen years on, it was an ex-Celtic goalkeeper in the Berwick dugout, as mild-mannered Frank Connor sought to put one over on his old club. It was not to be, as goals in each half from Nicholas and Burns edged Celtic into the draw for the Fourth Round.

Back on League business at Tynecastle, a run of five straight January victories was completed with an easy 3-0 win over a doomed Hearts side, McGarvey, Burns and Sullivan on target. The mood in the packed Gorgie Terrace was lifted still further at full-time, with news of Aberdeen’s defeat at Ibrox, a combination of results which took Celtic to the top of the table.

Momentum was now very much with the Hoops, who progressed in the Scottish Cup with comfortable home victories over Stirling Albion and East Stirling. Between those ties, we witnessed Charlie Nicholas coming of age against Rangers, scoring twice as Celts stormed from behind to win 3-1, thus avenging the two earlier defeats to leave the old rivals a distant eight points in our wake.

My abiding memory of that match is of Roy Aitken, charging up the Main Stand side in the closing minutes to play a 1-2 with Colin Jackson before thumping the ball behind McCloy for Celtic’s third, then going on his own personal lap of honour behind the goal, his right fist raised high in triumph.

There was yet another brace for striker McGarvey the following week at Cappielow, Burns and Provan on fire in a 3-0 win as Celtic turned the pressure up on the defending champions Aberdeen, who lost at home to St Mirren.

Celts then made it ten straight victories in 1981 with a spectacular display against the Saints in mid-March. McGarvey was unplayable against his old team, hitting a hat-trick in a stunning 7-0 win. His second strike was perhaps the finest goal of his career, as he cut in from the Jungle wing, dribbled past defenders, somehow managing to stay upright despite being fouled, then unleashed the most glorious shot from 25 yards which flew past Billy Thomson into the roof of the net.

Parkhead was in raptures at this incredible moment, the referee appropriately blowing for half-time to allow the standing ovation to continue. This was the day we really started believing that the flag was coming home, Aberdeen losing to relegation-threatened Kilmarnock to fall four points behind the Bhoys. It had been an incredible turnaround since the teams had faced off at the end of December.

That goal defined for me the incredible striker which was Frank McGarvey.

The joke among the support at the time was that defenders would have no idea what Frank would do next, as usually Frank himself would still be considering his options at that time. He was a natural talent, slightly-built but brave in the face of atrocious physical abuse from defenders and capable of moments of genius.

His last act for Celtic was another case in point. In the 100th Cup Final at Hampden, in May 1985, Frank launched himself at a Roy Aitken cross to beat Hamish McAlpine with an impossible diving header in the closing minutes, to win the cup for Celtic and cement his place in our hearts and history forever.

I was genuinely sad to hear that he was being released that close-season, in the face of competition from McClair and Johnston, who manager Hay had settled on as his main strike partnership for 85-86.

Continues on the next page…