- – As always, The Celtic Wiki made research infinitely easier
Since the 1992-93 season, meetings between Celtic and Hibernian have been deemed to be colour-clashes.
Even then, though, the change in approach has still thrown up some oddities like both teams having to change and goalkeeper kits being used as emergency outfield third strips.
Given that the green/white v white/green games were seen as recently as 1991-92, it might come as a surprise to learn that, almost two decades before that, there was a push for alternative kits to be used in the fixtures, and by no less a figure than Celtic manager Jock Stein.
It’s quite possible that he felt that the 2-1 loss to Hibs in the League Cup final on December 9, 1972 could in some way be ascribed to the colour mix.
Whether or not that game was a factor, it was reported in the run-up to the clubs’ league game at Parkhead a fortnight later that Celtic would be changing (at the time, the rule in Scotland still stipulated that home sides had to wear alternative kit when a clash arose).
With the primary Celtic kit featuring white shorts and socks, most of the instances where they had to change came against sides in white.
In September of 1972-73, they had worn green shirts, white shorts and green socks in a European Cup game against Rosenborg, while in October they had appeared in green-green-white at home to Airdrieonians.
Obviously, neither of those would suffice against Hibs and an article in The Belfast Telegraph on December 20 stated that yellow or all-white would be the choice – sadly, we don’t know how far the plans for referees to wear khaki-coloured blazers managed to progress.
Given the concerns around the home kits against each other, it’s hardly surprising that yellow won out over white as Celtic’s choice for the league game the day before Christmas Eve.
The game finished 1-1 and the Glasgow Herald‘s report included a brief snippet about the wardrobe decision.
“Celtic intend to continue changing the strip for future matches against Hibs, although they are not compelled to do so.
“Stein has had complaints from his players that, in their traditional colours, some passes are directed straight at opponents. ‘In the usual colours, there’s too much green on the park,’ he said.”
However, instead of ushering in a new era, it proved to be a one-off, for a while at least. An eighth straight league title was clinched with a 3-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road in April with both clubs in their usual outfits and the following season brought more of the same.
Celtic’s kit choices at Hibs were very inconsistent, even in the 1980’s – when it was changed to away teams had to change. They wore a white kit in 1983, yellow in 1985 and again towards the end of the decade – but sometimes wore the hoops as well.
Hibs’ however didn’t help the cause – whilst they could have worn the purple change strip they introduced in the early 1970’s, they’d still wear their home kit, and in the 1980’s they opted for a white change kit for the whole decade. Think the one and only time they did change to visit Celtic was 1989 (?) which was in another MoJ article – then changed kit at half time!!
As for khaki referee blazers… I do recall from watching old Scottish football footage of some refereeing donning this colour… indeed the referee in the 1983 Dundee derby (when United won the league) is an example of a referee in khaki, albeit ten years after that newspaper clipping.