Below are the match programmes for home and away legs of the Inter-Continental Cup - The Unofficial World Club Championship - against Racing Club of Argentina. The cup had been contested since 1960 between the winners of the South American Cup and the winners of the European Cup. Previous winners were Real Madrid, Inter Milan(2), Santos(2) and Penarol. Benfica, A.C. Milan and Independiente had previously competed but failed to win.

The first match was played on Wednesday the 18th October, 1967. The programme cost 1 shilling when new, is fairly common and can still be purchased from as little as £3 (although mint condition copies can fetch £10 or more). It is standard 8 page Celtic issue for the time and Celtic did nothing to make it special and mark this great event in Celtic's history (well it should have been). Because of the established sequence, the first match was played in Glasgow and the second in Buenos Aires on the Rio de la Plata (the wildest river in the world), Argentina, South America. The previous Summer, England had won the World Cup, beating Argentina in a nasty quarter-final. The view of people of Argentina (and the Racing players) was that the matches against Celtic was like a chance of revenge - war was declared.

After a 1-0 (McNeill) Celtic victory in a torrid match in Glasgow and a 1-2 (Gemmell) (Raffo and Cardenas for Racing) defeat in the tie in Buenos Aires on 1st November, a third match was played in Montevideo in Uruguay three days later (0-1 Cardenas for Racing) . A programme was issued for the first match in South America but it is very rare and would be very close to £200 (or more) for a copy. No program was issued for the third and decisive match.

RONNIE SIMPSON INJURED BY A MISSILE FROM THE CROWD

Ronnie Simpson holds his head after being hit by a missile from the Racing fans. The incident happened just before kick-off and was serious enough to have John Fallon take over in goal. Jimmy Johnstone(7) and Willie Wallace (8) are the other players.

Racing won the match by a single goal scored by Cárdenas. It was a brutal match with 6 players sent off and the police called onto the field twice to restore order.

TEARS IN ARGENTINA
Celtic's quest for the World Club Championship

by Tom Campbell

Pictured below is the cover of a book written by Tom Campbell in 2006. The book tells the story of the 1967 World Club Championship series of matches between Celtic Football Club and Racing Club de Avellaneda. Another book from Tom Campbell that you just can't put down until you have read it cover to cover and back again. The author travelled to Argentina when researching the book and gives a facinating account that offers an unique insight into the Argentinian football fan and the predicament that Racing finds itself since they beat Celtic to win that trophy in 1967. Since winning, Racing have went steadyily downhill. They have won virtually nothing, no longer have the status as a giant of Argentinian football and have had to face up to relegation and bankruptcy in recent years. Celtic fanatics of a certain age (Campbell is one) will say that justice has prevailed and cheats never win but at certain times in the book the author lets slip that he is beginning to admire the fans and ex-players that he meets during his pilgrimage. One of these players is Juan Carlos Cárdenas, scorer of the goal that took the series to a third match and the killer one that sunk Celtic in Montevideo. Today, the Racing fans hold Cárdenas in the same esteem as the Celtic fans have for say Billy McNeill or any of the other Lisbon Lions.

First published by Fort Publishing Ltd of Ayr in Scotland - ISBN 10: 1-905769-02-4 | ISBN 13: 978-1-905769-02-5.