Late Eighties Decline – European Cup, Celtic v Dynamo Kiev, 1986

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The Celtic Star

·20 January 2026

Late Eighties Decline – European Cup, Celtic v Dynamo Kiev, 1986

LATE EIGHTIES DECLINE- CELTIC v DYNAMO KIEV, 1986…

Hearts fans at Dundee on 3 May 1986. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The 1985/86 League Championship was clinched at Love Street on 3 May in the most dramatic circumstances imaginable. As well as winning the title in the most unexpected scenario, Celtic would now be back in the European Cup again after an absence of three years.

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In typical Celtic fashion, the Board did not attempt to strengthen the squad during the summer of 1986. This was despite the team’s obvious shortcomings in the previous season which were partially glossed over by the euphoria of the last gasp title win.

It was also in direct contrast to Rangers who, under Graeme Souness, were spending huge amounts of money on English internationals. The impact of the latter would not become fully apparent until later in the season. In the meantime, Celtic would tackle the European Cup campaign with the same squad of players which had performed with such frustrating inconsistency for much of the previous season.

In the First Round, Celtic were drawn against Shamrock Rovers of Ireland, with the first leg to be played in Dublin. Like Celtic, Shamrock Rovers played in green and white hoops and many of their fans also supported Celtic.

Given this, and the huge Celtic support in Ireland, Rovers considered moving the match to the much bigger Landsdowne Road (now rebuilt as the Aviva Stadium) to cash in on the enormous crowd expected. However, in the end they decided to play at their home ground of Glenmalure Park in the Milltown area of Dublin, even though this meant adding both a temporary stand and terracing to maximise the numbers which could attend.

Facing Celtic in the Rovers line up was player-manager Dermot Keely, who had also played against the Bhoys in the European Cup for Dundalk in 1979. On that occasion, Celtic had scraped through 3-2 on aggregate after a nerve-shredding 0-0 draw in Dundalk. Celtic would progress more smoothly this time, although not in the most convincing manner.

In the first leg, Rovers played in the Hoops and Celtic wore their new away strip of yellow jerseys and green shorts. It was the part-timers of Shamrock Rovers who took most of the plaudits for a brave, spirited performance which lacked only a cutting edge up front. “In every other aspect of the first leg…the group of schoolteachers, decorators and sales representatives were unmistakably superior”, wrote Stuart Jones in The Times (London). In the end, Celtic’s experience and professionalism won through, with Murdo MacLeod scoring the decisive goal seven minutes from the end.

Events were more interesting off the pitch, with both sets of fans trying to out-do each other in the singing and chanting of Irish Republican and anti-British songs throughout the match. A Union Jack was ceremonially burned on the roof of a stand, an act loudly cheered and celebrated by supporters of both clubs.

This spectacle of mutual admiration would continue in the second leg at Celtic Park where Celtic won comfortably in, as David Potter describes it in Celtic in the Eighties, “an atmosphere of total love when both sets of supporters sang complimentary songs about each other.”

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, personally signed by Danny McGrain (SOLD OUT)

Whilst most of this was good-humoured, the most ludicrous chant of the evening in Glasgow came from some of the more intellectually challenged Celtic fans in the Jungle, who at a couple of points started singing, to the tune of Guantanamera, “We’ll win the Cup for Shamrock”. Unsurprisingly, this was quickly drowned out by boos from most Celtic fans who wanted to win the Cup for Celtic!

Another less amusing factor about the crowd’s behaviour that night was when a section of the Jungle – probably the same as those who wanted to win the European Cup on Rovers’ behalf- started to call for individual players to bless themselves.

Presumably this was on the assumption that almost all the players on the pitch were likely to be Catholics. Sadly, some players on both sides were happy to oblige and receive a loud cheer, but it was completely inappropriate on any level and Celtic were quick to condemn this disrespectful behaviour after the match.

Adding to the generally surreal atmosphere, Mo Johnston was loudly jeered by some Celtic fans because of Press reports earlier that day that he saw himself as the solution to Manchester United’s goalscoring problems. However, despite his mixed reception, Johnston again highlighted his playing quality by scoring both goals to ease Celtic through 3-0 on aggregate.

In the Second Round, Celtic were yet again drawn to play against one of the best sides in the tournament. This time, their opponents would be the Ukrainians of Dynamo Kiev, champions of the Soviet Union and a side containing NINE of the USSR national side from the World Cup of the previous summer.

Dynamo were also current holders of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, having defeated Atletico Madrid 3-0 the previous May. In the opinion of many observers, Dynamo Kiev were the favourites to win the European Cup in the 1986/87 season.

Two historical points are worth highlighting here. The first is that in 1986, Ukraine was one of fifteen Union Republics which made up the Union of Socialist Republics (USSR). As such, domestic football was organised on a national basis with clubs from the Ukraine and other Union Republics participating in the USSR national league championship and cup competitions. Although from the Ukraine, Dynamo Kiev qualified for the European Cup as the champions of the USSR. At this time, the USSR provided one entrant for the European Cup and one for the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Prypiat River Station Old carbonated water vending machines are at the Prypiat River Station in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, Prypiat, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Volodymyr Tarasov Ukrinform), Credit:TARASOV Avalon Ukraine, Kyiv region, Prypiat, Chornobyl Exclusion Zone: Photo TARASOV, IMAGO/Avalon.red

The second historical point is that Kiev was most noted in the autumn of 1986 for being only around 60 miles from Chornobyl , where a disastrous accident took place at the nuclear power plant in the previous April.

Prypiat River Station An old decoration is near the Prypiat River Station in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, Prypiat, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on April 12, 2025.(Photo by Volodymyr Tarasov Ukrinform), Credit:TARASOV Avalon Ukraine, Kyiv region, Prypiat, Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Photo: TARASOV/ IMAGO/Avalon.RED

This caused the immediate death of two workers in the initial explosion and a further 28 people died from acute radiation sickness within weeks. Mass evacuations took place from the surrounding areas and radioactive fallout spread across Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and much of Europe. This tragedy would have implications for the return leg in Kiev.

Prypiat River Station A marina of the Prypiat River Station is in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, Prypiat, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on April 12, 2025. (Photo by Volodymyr Tarasov Ukrinform), Credit:TARASOV Avalon Ukraine, Kyiv region, Prypiat, Chornobyl Exclusion Zone Photo: TARASOV /IMAGO/Avalon.Red

06.05.1986 Decontamination of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant buildings – Chernobyl, Kiev region, Ukraine. Photo IMAGO

In the first leg at Celtic Park, the Bhoys appeared unfazed by Dynamo’s reputation and launched straight into attack. After 6 minutes, Alan McInally’s shot struck the top of the post after a clever headed knock-down by Johnston. Celtic’s promising start was interrupted after 13 minutes when Tommy Burns was on the receiving end of a very nasty tackle. Four minutes later, Kiev scored after going close on a couple of previous occasions. The goal was a shocker, with the whole Celtic defence and Pat Bonner completely misjudging a straightforward corner into the box. Unmarked and unchallenged, Yevtushenko has the simplest task of firing his shot into the net.

The extent of the injury to Burns became clearer when he was taken off after 21 minutes, unable to continue. He would remain out of first team action for SIX months. On the night, he was replaced by Mark McGhee, which meant reorganising the team. Murdo MacLeod moved to Burns’ position at left back, McClair dropped into midfield and McGhee joined Johnston and McInally up front. Unsurprisingly, these changes disrupted Celtic’s momentum and Dynamo dominated the remainder of the first half.

It was during this spell when everyone at Celtic Park could admire the excellence of this Ukrainian side. Almost thirty years later, before the home match against Shaktar Donetsk- another Ukrainian side- in 2004, Murdo MacLeod recalled the 1986 Dynamo game, saying: “Their running and movement off the ball was first class and they dragged us all over the park in the first game.”Dynamo created several more clear-cut chances but failed to take them.

Despite this period of dominance, Celtic hung on bravely. Early in the second half, Mo Johnston hit the post with a clever overhead kick. Pat Bonner then pulled off two superb saves from Belanov, the latter from a free header eight yards out with the whole goal at the striker’s mercy.

Bonner’s saves were to prove crucial. Celtic continued to press for an equaliser and they were rewarded in 80 minutes. A long cross from MacLeod to the back post was met by Johnston, who managed to fire a shot at goal. Goalkeeper Chanov could only parry this and Johnston hammered home the rebound.

The consensus was that Celtic deserved the draw. They had battled bravely against a technically far superior side. The Bhoys had also responded well to the early loss of Tommy Burns and the rejigging of the side which this entailed. The Scots played with speed and skill, demonstrating their admirable persistence and determination. Unfortunately, these qualities were not enough to prevail on the night against a side with the overall quality of Dynamo Kiev. The second leg in the Ukraine looked an even more daunting prospect and this will be featured this evening on The Celtic Star.

James McDevitt

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