Inverness Thistle played Celtic in the Scottish Cup 40 years ago after causing an upset against Kilmarnock in the third round - Players remember taking on the Glasgow giants at Parkhead
It was the stuff of dreams, a trip to ‘Paradise’ pitting gallant Highland League part-timers from Inverness against giants of the Scottish game.
The lasting memory of Inverness Thistle’s February 16, 1985 venture to the east end of Glasgow should probably have been the phenomenal Paul McStay’s only ever Celtic hat-trick.
Or, had Lady Luck smiled, the stand-out moment might have been Jim Oliver's bold attacking foray early on with the game still at 0-0.
Rather than any of that, 40 years on, most from Inverness who recall the match or saw the Sportscene highlights package later that weekend will remember most vividly one comic incident.
In the opening minutes on a rock-solid, frozen Parkhead, the legendary Danny McGrain flew at Thistle’s ‘Tich’ Black with a dangerous high boot.
With Black left writhing in agony, on ran the Jags’ feisty trainer Murd ‘the Minder’ Urquhart who tore across the park to tend him.
Rather than show deference to this great Scotland international hero, Murd promptly gave McGrain a mighty shove out of the way, followed by a verbal dressing down.
McGrain, nowadays, without question would have been red-carded by referee George Smith.
As Black recalls: “During the game, I was injured when Danny McGrain, the Celtic skipper, caught me with a high tackle.
“Viewers watching the television highlights of the game always recall our trainer Murd racing on with his magic sponge bag and giving Mr McGrain a forceful push and tongue-lashing before attending to me.
“To our surprise, it was Murd and not the Celtic player who got the ticking off from the referee.
“Not long afterwards, Murd was called upon again to treat me after a clearance from Tom McAdam hit me in the face. Danny stayed well clear of Murd on this occasion!”
A Celtic side full of international class eventually swept Inverness Thistle aside 6-0 with McStay’s classy treble from outside the penalty box in among goals from Frank McGarvey, Murdo MacLeod and Mo Johnston.
Inverness Thistle’s collection of firemen, council workers, tax clerks and builders – and one, Billy Sanderson who delivered bread for Sunblest – were never going to be a match for the Hoops’ football royalty.
The Jags, though, made the match far more competitive than the scoreline might suggest.
Celtic, beaten to the league title by Aberdeen that season, went on to win the centenary Scottish Cup with a 2-1 triumph over Dundee United in the final.
The crowd for the Inverness Thistle game was just 14,927, but it felt like much more to central defender Dave Milroy that day.
The Thistle great and defensive partner Mike Andrew were given the formidable task of subduing the likes of McGarvey, Johnston and Davie Provan.
Milroy counts the Celtic game and the shock 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock seven days earlier at Kingsmills Park to earn the tie as the highlight of his distinguished Highland League career.
“We caused a bit of a stir by beating Killie, who were in the old First Division at the time,” Milroy recalls.
“Kilmarnock weren’t having the greatest of seasons but we were having a poor season as well, sitting third or fourth bottom of the Highland League.
“On the back of that, it was seen as one of Scottish football’s greatest shocks at the time.
“With us then drawn to go to Celtic Park, I remember there was a huge amount of media interest. I was interviewed by Archie Macpherson, Frank Gilfeather, Hugh Keevins and a few other well-known people in press circles.
“It didn’t matter which Inverness team was playing in the Scottish Cup back then, the crowds were always great, and we had a great atmosphere at the old park.”
Milroy netted the first half opener on another freezing cold day, with Gordon Hay and Brian Fraser deservedly wrapping up an unforgettable performance with further goals late on.
Then came the trip to Glasgow.
“We went down the night before. A guy who was in school with me, John Peach, was manager of the Central Hotel at the time and gave the club a deal to stay over on the Friday and Saturday nights,” Milroy explained.
“We had a wee warm-up session at lesser Hampden on the morning of the game, just a loosener, then it was off to Celtic Park in the afternoon.
“The ground was like concrete. Some of us wore moulded studs, but I think Jim Oliver wore an old pair of baffies! He had to borrow ordinary trainers from one of the lads.
“We were realistic. We knew it was going to be a heck of a challenge to take anything from Celtic.
“But when Jim Oliver went through after about eight minutes, there was a brief wee thought we could cause them some problems. I think we did celebrate a corner in the second half!
“Celtic put a pretty strong team out and showed us respect. Even in the conditions, they did things far quicker than any team in the Highland League could.
“We lasted pretty well and lost two of the six goals late on in the game, the last 10 minutes.
“The legs had gone by then - I had a wee bit of cramp along with one or two others, but I don’t think we were badly shown up.
“After the game, we didn’t go overboard. We had a meal together. Some of the wives had stayed over and then we went out on the town, bumping into a few of the Celtic players.
“The Kilmarnock game the week before is the one I probably have fonder memories of, given the way we won that.
“But in terms of being the biggest occasion and biggest crowd I played in front of, it was Celtic Park.
“The Thistle fans going down on the day made a fair noise themselves. The Celtic fans were pretty appreciative of us at the end and clapped us off the park.
“There wasn’t a booking in the game. I think they respected that we didn’t resort to that kind of stuff.”
Little did they know it at the time, but nine years after the Celtic match Inverness Thistle - Highland champions by 1987 - would merge with foes Caley and never again have the chance to take on Scotland’s big guns.
Celtic
Manager: David Hay
Peter Latchford, Willie McStay, Danny McGrain, Peter Grant, Tom McAdam, Pierce O’Leary, Davie Provan, Paul McStay, Mo Johnston, Murdo MacLeod, Frank McGarvey. Subs: Alan McInally, Owen Archdeacon.
Inverness Thistle
Manager Roshie Fraser
Les Fridge, Billy Skinner, Dave Milroy, Mike Andrew, Billy Wilson, Tich Black, Billy Sanderson, Gordon Hay, Colin MacLean, Jim Oliver, Alan MacDonald. Subs: Jim Calder, Brian Fraser