The Lisbon Lions are battling it out with Barcelona 2010/11 in a poll of the best ever club side.
Winning the European Cup for the 14th time puts Real Madrid way out in front as the most successful club but over 68 seasons the enduring magic of Jock Stein’s squad shines as brightly as ever.
Liverpool’s near miss going for a quadruple this season highlights just how difficult it is to pick up a clean sweep. During their glory season Celtic were pushed all the way by the runners-up in the Cup Winners Cup (Rangers) and Fairs Cup semi-finalists (Kilmarnock).
The BBC poll has left out any of the Bayern Munich sides that won the European Cup three seasons running with the spine of that side also winning the 1974 World Cup.
Celtic fans can always be relied on to respond to polls but at 7.30pm on Monday it seems that there are plenty of other fans giving their vote to the side that broke the southern European monopoly of football’s greatest prize.
Poll standings at 7.30pm, Monday.
Summing up the marvellous season of 1966/67 the BBC report:
Only one European side has ever won the version of the quadruple that, up until the final minutes of the Premier League season, Liverpool were hoping to achieve – Celtic in 1966-67.
They won the Scottish league, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup and the European Cup (plus the Glasgow Cup to make it technically a quintuple) – scoring 196 goals.
Their 2-1 win over Inter Milan in Portugal made them the first British team to win the European Cup – leading to their nickname the Lisbon Lions.
Manager Jock Stein said: “Winning was important, but it was the way that we won that has filled me with satisfaction. We did it by playing football; pure, beautiful, inventive football. There was not a negative thought in our heads.”
Famously all 11 players came from within 30 miles of Celtic Park, a feat unimaginable in today’s game. This season was during a run of nine consecutive league titles.
The poll closes at 5pm on Tuesday, CLICK HERE to vote.
I looked up the stats of this match the other day and a more one sided match would be hard to find.
Stats
Inter Celtic
Goal Attempts 5 42
Shots On Target 4 24
Shots Off Target 0 16
Fouls 20 20
Corners 0 10
Offside 2 7
And for all the nae sayers down south who constantly deride Scottish football comply because that is their default setting, Rangers lost the Cup Winners Cup final the same season.
Europe’s two premier trophies almost ended up in Glasgow.
It should also be remembered that the Lions side also provided the nucleus of the side that defeated Don Reevie’s revered Leeds team three years later in the semi final of the same trophy.
The Bhoys on 34% to Barca’s 25%.
BEST OF THEM ALL AN INCREDIBLE FEAT !!