Celtic On This Day – 12th April – David Potter’s Celtic Diary

SATURDAY 12th APRIL 1913 – Celtic do not have a game today. It has been a very poor season, but you still can’t keep them out of the limelight. Today the Scottish Cup final between Raith Rovers and Falkirk is at Celtic Park, and there was snow overnight. Willie Maley himself is on hand from an early hour directing operations to ensure that the game can be played. Falkirk win 2-0.

SATURDAY 12th APRIL 1941 – Celtic’s miserable form continues with a 1-1 draw against Clyde at Celtic Park, the goal being scored by John Conway. The war also continues its depressing course with a stalemate and nightly bombings of London and other big cities. Clydebank had a pasting about a month ago, but nothing else has happened in the meantime.

WEDNESDAY 12th APRIL 1967 – Celtic take a major step towards the European Cup final in Lisbon by defeating Dukla Prague 3-1 in the first leg of the semi-final at an enthusiastic and crowded Celtic Park tonight with about 67,000 in attendance. Willie Wallace scores twice and Jimmy Johnstone once.

SATURDAY 12th APRIL 1980 – Celtic reach the Scottish Cup final with a very easy 5-0 win at Hampden over Hibs. The goals come from five different scorers – Bobby Lennox, Davie Provan, Johnny Doyle, Tom McAdam and Murdo MacLeod. Even with George Best on board, a very poor Hibs team are scarcely worthy of the name of Hibs. In the other semi-final at Parkhead, Rangers get the better of Aberdeen.

SUNDAY 12th APRIL 1998 – “Have Celtic blown up at the wrong time?” is the question asked by everyone after Rangers beat them 2-0 at Ibrox in the Scottish League, only a week after putting them out of the Scottish Cup as well. It is clear that the management team of Wim Jansen and Murdo MacLeod have some work to do, their cause not helped by the ill-disguised spat between Jansen and general manager Jock Brown. The nightmare phrase of “ten-in-a-row” is coming closer, but there are still four games to go with Rangers now slightly ahead on goal difference.