It was 60 years ago today ... Celtic set out on the Road to Lisbon | OneFootball

It was sixty years ago today, on Wednesday, September 28, 1966, that Celtic played their first ever European Cup tie and set out on a road that led all the way to the final in Lisbon the following May.

Swiss champions, FC Zurich, were the visitors to Celtic Park for the first round, first leg tie, and a crowd of 50,000 packed into Paradise for the match played under the floodlights.

And it was a tough physical test for Jock Stein's side as Zurich were intent on trying to knock Celtic out of the attacking rhythm that had seen them start the 1966/67 season so well.

After a goal-less first-half, Celtic stepped up the pressure and got the goals that their dominance deserved.

The honour of Celtic’s first ever European Cup goal fell to Tommy Gemmell, who picked up a pass from John Clark, strode forward and from over 30 yards out hit a powerful shot which crashed in off the underside the crossbar, leaving Zurich goalkeeper, Otmar Iten, with no chance.

The goal galvanised Celtic, who pushed forward in search of a second, roared on by the supporters. Within five minutes, they doubled their lead.

Joe McBride, who had missed a couple of chances earlier in the game, fired home a shot from the edge of the box following an interchange of passes with Bertie Auld that saw the midfielder set up his striking team-mate with an impetuous back-heel which fooled the Zurich defenders.

The result could have been even better for Celtic when McBride appeared to score in the dying seconds of the match.

The striker headed home a cross from close-range, but it was ruled out by the Danish referee who explained that he’d already blown his whistle for full-time, which could only have happened when the ball was in mid-flight towards the Zurich goal.

It was a bizarre decision to end the game and Celtic thus had to be content with a 2-0 lead to take to Switzerland for the second leg of the tie, on October 5.

CELTIC: Simpson, Gemmell, O’Neill, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, McBride, Chalmers, Auld, Hughes.