This is a Celtic and Leeds Utd memory way back during the beautiful game played in the 70's. 1976 to be exact when - the handful of home grown Scots playing in white tops without green hoops.- came to paradise as my very first childhood heroes. Yep - that's right - despite being a Hoops fan born a stones throw from Parkheid Cross - it was wee Billy Bremner, Eddie and Frank (who I knew were Celtic fans as kids), Peter Lorimer and big Joe (Jordan) that I was beside myself with excitement to see as Leeds players in the flesh.
By this time I had seen all of them in the flesh before - but at Hampden when representing Scotland. Billy and Joe were the only ones I idolised as much as King Kenny (Dalglish) and so I was always gonna be torn at this match - the first and last I would experience this. The thing that made it even more exciting was the Leeds team in all yellow as they came jogging out the tunnel - running alongside the Hoops players - it was like I had died and gone to football heaven.
Disappointingly only about 30,000 fans seemed to be there. I was wearing my usual green and white scarf but also my Leeds scarf on my wrist - an effort to copy all the grown ups (teenage delinquents :)) as was the want for the glam rock inspired 70's football fan!
But - onto the game - the hoops were great for the first half and more - although the final score of 1-3 suggested otherwise. I think It was the Hoops took the lead but I can barely remember - I remember Eddie Gray scoring from a corner - I think Latchford might have made a hash of it but I thought Eddie done it intentionally. Other than the goal and some swish well drilled moves from the Leeds it was Kenny Dalglish that I watched for most of the game. I do remember noticing Billy's red hair and wishing the other diminutive pocket hero - wee Jinky (Johnstone) -was still at Paradise. But how I remember the glitter and gold of floodlit football, the smell of the damp wet earth and the zip of the ball across the grassy deck.
Andrew Crooks
Memory added on January 19, 2014
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