Celtic had flown out for their first ever European Cup away trip, heading out to face Swiss champions, FC Zurich with the game going ahead sixty years ago today on Wednesday, October 5, 1966.

The Celts had the cushion of a 2-0 first-leg win from the previous week as Tommy Gemmell and Joe McBride scored the goals under the lights at Celtic Park that put the Hoops in front for this historic away game.

The only change to Jock Stein’s side was Bobby Lennox in for Joe McBride, meaning Stevie Chalmers would spearhead the Celtic attack on what was the manager’s 44^th birthday.

The home side attacked purposely in the opening 15 to 20 minutes, looking for a foothold and they also survived an early scare when Jimmy Johnstone had the ball in the net after only three minutes, but the linesman flagged for Stevie Chalmers being offside.

So, the birthday present of an early goal that the manager wished for was plucked from him, but, FC Zurich’s early pressure visibly fizzled out when Tommy Gemmell, just as he did in the first leg, fired in a 30-yard scorcher to cement Celtic’s hold on the proceedings.

Any feint hopes the Swiss side had of survival plummeted even further seven minutes before the break when Stevie Chalmers got on the end of a Jimmy Johnstone corner to score the second, and the Celtic display just got better and better as the lead increased.

By now the home fans in the 23,000 crowd in the Stadion Letzigrund were applauding the stylish play of the Scottish champions, although Celtic’s next goal arrived from a more basic source.

Just three minutes after the break, Zurich’s German No.10, Jurgen Neumann, upended Bobby Lennox in the box, and Tommy Gemmell proved he was just as lethal with a dead ball at 12 yards than he was with a moving ball at 30 yards.

The defender’s spot-kick took his tally to two for the game, three for the tie, and the final 3-0 scoreline gave the Hoops a 5-0 aggregate win and progress to the second round where they would meet French champions, Nantes.

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

It was 60 years ago today…Celtic progress with 5-0 aggregate win over FC Zurich