CLASHES OF THE PAST
11
European Cup Quarter Final First Leg
March 10th 1971
A J AX 3; CELTIC 0 Att. 65,000
This result really shattered any hopes Celtic
had of reaching the semi-final. Celtic adopted
very defensive tactics as they attempted to
soak up pressure and contain Ajax rather than
try to score any goals.
With Ajax having so much of the play Celtic
were lucky to still be on level terms at half
time. The roof fell in though in the 62nd
minute when Cruyff scored and Hulshoff
added a second eight minutes later. The real
killer though was a third goal for Ajax scored
by Keizer in the last minute of the match
which left Celtic a moutain to climb in the
second leg.
This performance was widely condemned,
with the Celtic View declaring it "pathetic"
and Jock Stein commenting, "Ideas were
lacking and the all round performance was
just too bad to be true."
AJAX: Stuy, Vasovic, Suurbier, Hulshoff,
Krol, Rijnders, Neeskens, Swart, Muhren,
Cruyff, Keizer.
CELTIC: Williams, Craig, Gemmell, Hay,
McNeill, Brogan, Johnstone, Connelly, Wal
lace, Callaghan, Lennox.
European Cup Quarter Final Second Leg
March 24th 1971
CELTIC 1; AJAX 0 Att: 83,684
Though Celtic had genuine confidence about
their ability to overturn a three goal deficit,
against an Ajax side on the threshhold of their
glory days, the task proved too difficult. Celtic
pressurized as best they could but Ajax never
looked in real danger. Jimmy Johnstone put
Celtic ahead in 28 minutes but Celtic could
not add to this in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half Celtic maintained their
dominance and in a late flourish in the final 20
minutes they came close on several occasions.
Firstly when Stuy touched over a McNeill
header in 72 minutes and eight minutes later
when a Hughes 'goal' was disallowed for
offside. In the end though it was a lost cause.
Much was rr!ade in the press of this defeat.
It was deemed by some as highly significant
in that it marked "the end of an era and the
final disintegration of a once great side".
CELTIC: Williams, Hay, Gemmell, Callaghan,
McNeill, Brogan, Johnstone, Hood, Wallace,
(Davidson), Auld (Lennox), Hughes.
AJAX: Stuy, Vasovic, Suurbier, Hulshoff,
Krol, Rijnders, Neeskens, Blankenburg,
Muhren, Cruyff, Keizer.
European Cup First Round First Leg
September 15th 1982
CELTIC 2; AJAX 2
Att: 56,229
This match provided a marvellous game of
football, though after 90 minutes Celtic fans
were left to contemplate elimination from the
tournament.
Ajax went into the lead in four minutes
through a Jesper Olsen solo effort but Celtic
did not panic and created several near chances,
the best being in 12 minutes when Galje
saved a Provan free kick. Two minutes later
Celtic got the equaliser their play merited
when Cruyff pulled down Burns in the box
and Nicholas converted the spot kick.
A second disaster struck in 18 minutes
when defensive frailties allowed Lerby to
score. Celtic equalised again in the 27th
minute with a Frank McGarvey shot but they
were lucky not to go behind six minutes later
when Ajax hit the bar.
CELTIC: Bonner, McGrain, McAdam, Moyes,
Reid, McStay, Burns (Sullivan), MacLeod,
Provan, Nicholas, McGarvey.
AJAX: Galje, Molenaar. Van Been, Molby,
Boeve, Schoenaker, Ophof, Cruyff, Lerby,
Olsen, Vanenburg.
European Cup first Round Second Leg
September 29th 1982
AJAX 1; CELTIC 2
Att: 65,000
This was a night when a young Celtic side
came of age, not only securing a magnificent
win but also suggesting that European glories
might once again be within Celtic's grasp.
Celtic attacked from kick off and deservedly
took the lead through a fantastic Nicholas
goal in 34 minutes Ajax fought back storming
into attack and Pat Bonner made some
excellent saves
Ajax did however equalise in 65 minutes
through Vanenburg. As the game reached it's
conclusion it looked as if Celtic's brave
attempt had failed and a McGarvey header
striking the bar with two minutes to go
seemed only to confirm this.
But supersub George McCluskey had other
ideas and in the dying seconds of the match
he left footed the winning goal.
AJAX: Galje, Monenaar, Van Veen, Molby,
Boeve, Shoenaker, Vanenburg, Cruyff
(Molenaar), Lerby, Olsen, Kieft.
CELTIC: Bonner, McGrain, Aitken, McAdam,
Reid, Provan (McCluskey), Sinclair, McStay
(Moyes), MacLeod, McGarvey, Nicholas.
