ARCHIE:SEMISNO MATCH FOR 1972
OUR MAN’S VERDICT
BY GAVIN BERRY ARCHIE MACPHERSON insists next month’s Betfred Cup Super Sunday will be nothing compared to Glasgow’s gargantuan football double header 46 years ago. The city is bracing itself for a huge day with Hampden preparing to host successive League Cup semi-finals on October 28. The SPFL’s decision to stage Aberdeen’s clash with Rangers then Celtic’s meeting with Hearts just hours apart has been met with fierce criticism. There are fears it will be a strain on the emergency services but veteran broadcaster MacPherson is confident the police can cope better than the pitch.
And MacPherson recalled the occasion in April 1972 when the Old Firm both contested European semis on the same day – watched by a total of 135,000 fans.
The Light Blues defeated Bayern Munich to clinch a European Cup Winners’ Cup final place with rivals Celtic suffering spot-kick agony when they lost to Inter Milan in a European Cup shoot-out.
And as Glasgow gears up for a manic day on October 28, MacPherson said: “There will be a buzz around the city on the day but nothing like 1972.
“That was unique and this is nowhere near it.
“We took it for granted and it was nothing exceptional yet it must be a European record attendance to have that number of people to be watching football in one city in one night.
“The Rangers game was live but I was working for the BBC at Celtic Park and ours was only going to be recorded highlights.
“But because we went to extra-time they came over to Parkhead and we got that part of the game.
“I was lucky because what followed was one of the first penalty shoot-outs in the history of the competition.
“Rangers and Celtic would often play at home on a Saturday and the Glasgow police seemed to be able to cope on that night.”
But MacPherson said: “Hearts and Celtic have a legitimate concern because Hampden could be like a ploughed field after Aberdeen and Rangers play at lunchtime.
“The sensible solution would probably have been to reverse the league fixture between Celtic and Hearts the following weekend.”