And when Rangers withdrew from the Glasgow Cup citing fixture congestion the word everywhere was that Rangers were afeared to face an in-form Celtic. Celtic retained the League Cup after qualifying from a group containing Rangers, Dundee Utd and Aberdeen - another nose rubbed in the dirt. Of the other three competitions, Celtic were knocked out of the Scottish Cup at the First Round - something that had not happened since 1952 - by the team that would go on to win the trophy - Dunfermiline. In the mean time Celtic still had a team capable of attacking with 9 men and defending in depth when required. There was a good crop of youngsters developing but this would take a little time. Jock Stein recognised that no team could stand still and measures had been taken to bring new players through. Despite the number of games won the team appeared to be less imperious than it had the year previously. In the face of this success it might therefore be thought churlish to complain but there was something different about the performance this season. They did not score as many goals with 106 as opposed to 111 the previous but they conceded less - 24 against 33 in 66/67.
The team produced a post-war record of 63 points to win, 5 more than the previous season, and in doing so they lost only one League game. The drive for the League Championship this season established records. It was for them to lose the title which they duly did, missing out in crucial games allowing Celtic to continue to maintain their League win record and take the title with a rousing performance at Dunfermiline. Two goalkeeping errors allowed Rangers to draw 2-2 and the nip-and-tuck would go on right to the end of the season. What happened was to haunt John Fallon for the rest of his career. The stage was set and no one was more keen than Jock Stein to put Celtic back where they belonged. Rangers were two points ahead in the League. The team embarked on a winning streak which lasted till the 2nd January and the game against Rangers at Celtic Park. With an abrupt termination of European competition this season, the necessity to qualify for next season was paramount. A seemingly decent goal was then disallowed and Celtic found themselves knocked out. And then on 59 minutes Bobby Murdoch was sent off for a second yellow card. What happened was that though Celtic charged, the game was sorely affected by the pernickety refereeing of an Italian and the Bhoys never got a good clear run to build up the constant pressure of 9 men capable of scoring. As a master of 'attack being the best form of defense' the away leg would have to be all-out attack. Stein had been looking for a win and by a clear three goals to give him the margin for the return leg. At home in the first leg, they lost an early goal and then a second, both from errors made by Celtic players and though the effort was all-out in the second half they could only find the one goal. In Dynamo Kiev, they met a team as well prepared and ready to fight as Celtic were. It seems almost inevitable as nemesis follows hubris that having won the competition at the first time of asking that the following season the team should fall at the first hurdle.
Having done it once, he wanted to do it again. If Jock Stein was anything, he was competitive and aspirational.
That is not to say that the other games were non-important. And for this reason Europe and the participation in European competitions was THE most important thing. That direction was most clearly in Europe and to be recognised as a great and formidable club. He had clearly shown that the club could move forward with suitable backing and one voice. That Jock Stein had a vision of where the club should be was without doubt.
#NIP TUCK SEASON 3 EPISODE 11 HOW TO#
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