The Lisbon Lions

Lore & Background

All but two members of the 15-man squad were born within 10 miles of Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland (Bobby Lennox, who was born 30 miles away in Saltcoats, and Tommy Gemmell, who was born in Motherwell 11 miles away). Celtic's style was the antithesis of the cynical – but highly effective – defensive style of Inter. Jimmy Johnstone described the team's style as 'like the Dutch speeded-up'. In the stadium where his father Valentino played his last match, Sandro Mazzola opened the scoring for Inter with a 7th-minute penalty after Jim Craig had brought down Renato Cappellini. The Italians then retreated into their famous 11-man defence. Inter did not win a single corner and forced Celtic goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson to make only two saves. Celtic had two shots off the crossbar, and 39 other attempts on goal, 13 of which were saved by Italian goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti, seven were blocked or deflected, and 19 were off-target. Craig made amends for his penalty mistake on 63 minutes, when he laid off the ball for Tommy Gemmell to fire home for the Celtic equaliser. With 83 minutes on the clock, Gemmell was allowed space, and he played the ball to Bobby Murdoch, whose long-range shot was deflected by Stevie Chalmers past Sarti into the net. Celtic were the first British club to win the European Cup, and still the only Scottish club to have reached the final. Having already triumphed in the Scottish top flight, Scottish Cup, and Scottish League Cup, the Lisbon Lions became the first winners of the European Treble and remain the only winners of the fabled Quadruple. Celtic are also one of just three European clubs to have won five trophies in a single season, thanks to their Glasgow Cup triumph over Partick Thistle. They reached the European Cup final again in 1970 but were beaten 2–1 by Feyenoord after extra time in the San Siro Stadium in Milan.

In Their Own Story

The humidity of the Portuguese evening clung to the terraces as the final whistle approached. Inside the Estádio Nacional, the roar was deafening, a mix of nervous hope and electric anticipation. Two goals had been scored, the tension palpable in every breath taken by the travelling fans. As the referee raised his arm, the realization washed over the pitch: Scotland had claimed its crown.

Reader's Guide

The team in the final: Ronnie Simpson, Jim Craig, Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Murdoch, Billy McNeill (captain), John Clark, Jimmy Johnstone, Willie Wallace, Stevie Chalmers, Bertie Auld, Bobby Lennox. Substitute: John Fallon (goalkeeper, not used). Manager: Jock Stein. Assistant Manager: Sean Fallon. Trainer: Neil Mochan. Celtic did not wear numbers on their shirts at this time; the numbers shown were sewn onto their shorts. A second goalkeeper was the only substitute allowed at the time. Other members of the squad who played in Europe that season: Charlie Gallagher, John Hughes, Joe McBride and Willie O'Neill.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Lisbon Lions' is likely due to the fact that the Lisbon-based club Sporting's mascot is a lion and both clubs wear green and white horizontal stripes.
• Jimmy Johnstone did not score in the final; the goals were by Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers.
• All but two of the 15-man squad were born within 10 miles of Celtic Park.