Steven Smith 
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Today Celtic begin their defence of the Scottish League Cup for the third consecutive season, with a home match against Championship side Dunfermline Athletic.
This will be the first meeting of the sides since the 2011/2012 season where Celtic won all three of the matches.
Celtic haven’t lost a domestic cup tie in three seasons, but will have to be at their best after the disappointment of midweeks Champions League exit. A negative result would put severe pressure on Neil Lennon and his squad, nothing but a resounding victory will do.
Celtic and Dunfermline have a good relationship due to the late, great Jock Stein. He managed Dunfermline between 1960 and 1964, and after saving them from relegation to Division 2, he lead them to their first Scottish Cup in 1961, 13 months after taking charge. The Pars even organised a charity game in remembrance of Stein between Celtic and Dunfermline greats at East End Park on the 30th anniversary of his death. A mural lies in the corridors between sections 138 & 139 of the Jock Stein Lower in Paradise which encapsulates his love for Celtic, Scotland and Dunfermline Athletic.
Although Celtic and the Pars haven’t met in over 7 years, there has been some significant matches played between both clubs in the last 20 years which have had a huge impact in Celtic’s record books.
Today I’m going to look at 3 positive results and 1 which had the potential to change the course of Celtics history forever.
On the 22nd May 2004, there was a bitter sweet atmosphere amongst the Hoops faithful. We faced Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup Final, but it was to be the final match that we were able to witness the Legend, Henrik Larsson! Seven glorious years the Swede had graced Celtic Park in what is the golden generation in my memory as a fan. Before the match Henrik had scored 240 goals for the Celts prior to the final, by the final whistle his goal tally reached 242 goals. The game initially didn’t go as planned as Jimmy Calderwood’s men took the lead in the 40th minute through a Skerla header, however Martin O’Neil’s men kept the pressure on scoring three second half goals, a Henrik Larsson double and a Stillian Petrov cool finish late on. Celtic won the game 3 – 1 and Henrik Larsson finished up his Celtic career with a double of goals and a double of trophy’s as Celtic had won the League and Scottish Cup.
The 19th March 2006 seen Celtic meet up again with Dunfermline Athletic in the League Cup final. The Jimmy Johnstone final it was titled as The Celtic great had passed away 6 days prior to the final after a long battle with motor neurone disease. Gordon Strachan won his first trophy as Celtic boss this day after a resounding 3-0 win with goals coming from Zurawski, Maloney and Dion Dublin. Jim Leishman’s side never really put up a fight and it wasn’t until the 36th minute that Celtic keeper Artur Boruc got the ball in his hands, although it was a far cry from the clubs previous result where The Hoops battered Dunfermline 8-1 at East End Park. The day however was all Jinky’s as the Celtic players proudly wore the No7 on their shorts and Greatest Ever Celts name on the back of their warm up jackets!
The Scottish Cup final on 26th May 2007 was the third time Celtic had met Dunfermline in a cup final in four years and despite being relegated that season the Pars were arguably the best team despite a one nil loss. It had been 39 years since Dunfermline’s last Scottish Cup final win and this is probably as close as they have got to winning another since then, also putting out holders Hearts in the 4th round on the way. In Lennon’s last game as a Celtic player, on-loan French right back Jon-Joel Perrier-Doumbé scored an 86th minute slide tackled winner to secure a double for Gordon Strachan’s men. On a day where Sol Bamba got man of the match, Celtic done just enough to secure a win over Stephen Kenny’s brave Pars.
The infamous 1-1 East End Park draw on the penultimate match of the 1997/98 season is one which could have had a ripple affect in Celtic’s history that we would still be feeling now. Rangers lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock with a 95th minute goal, a day before this encounter which meant Celtic could win the league and ultimately stop the 10 with a victory over the Pars. After a 35th minute goal by Simon Donnelly put the Hoops in front, Celtic unsuccessfully battered the door down of Ian Westwater’s goals to no avail. In the 83rd minute, a name that could have haunted Celtic for eternity, Craig Faulconbridge scored a looping headed equaliser over Jonathan Gould which meant Celtic’s attempt of toppling Rangers dominance would go down to the wire. Fortunately for the Hoops, Henrik Larsson and Harald Brattbakk done the business for Wim Jansen’s team and Celtic won the league and stopped the breaking of our own 9-in-row record. Smell the Glove.
Some interesting encounters have unfolded over the years between both clubs but if The Bhoys cut out the mistakes and play to their ability then I can’t see anything other that a big win.
Read Celtic Score Prediction-
Celtic 6 – 0 Dunfermline Athletic
