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Doing things to Hearts

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

The Centenary Season was memorable for many reasons, not least the brand of skilful, attacking, football we played. The title was destined for Celtic Park after a win at Ibrox, but Hearts at Tynecastle would be our first opportunity to officially become champions.

Two tickets were secured, but for the Hearts end, so title celebrations were planned without colours. We were in the ground early – the enclosure in front of the stand. As the place filled up there was the occasional Hearts scarf, but the majority were also without football colours. By kick off it was clear there were more Celtic than Hearts fans in the section. Both sets of supporters were free to express their feelings without any trouble.

The game was forgettable. Celtic, who had run teams ragged all season, were unable to craft a goal and left pointless. It was disappointing, but a week later, 63,000 (over) packed Celtic Park in the sunshine as the league was won in a more appropriate environment.

My preference would always be to win a title before our own season ticket holders at Celtic Park, but if we can’t do that, Tynecastle comes pretty close as an ideal alternate venue. Hearts fans sang “We’re only here for the party” when we lost the title seven years ago.

Let’s remind them who the champions are tomorrow, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Albert Kidd title in 1986. Albert Kidd, a Celtic fan, was a Dundee player at the time. On the last day of the season he was on the bench against Hearts, who needed a point to win the title. They were 32 games unbeaten. Albert hadn’t scored a single goal all season.

He was introduced with 15 minutes remaining. Five minutes later he opened the scoring at a corner kick. He then scored the goal which inspired Diego Maradona to run through the England team and score at the World Cup a few months later. Diego’s goal was brilliant, but Albert’s was far more astonishing.  It was utterly astonishing.

We did something to Hearts that season.  They never recovered and never will. That 15-minute cameo from Albert, with Celtic’s five goal mauling of St Mirren, finished them.

The Celtic Foundation’s ‘Heroes of ’86 – 30 years on’ dinner takes place on Sunday. Albert Kidd is guest of honour, as are Celts from that team (not all of them!), including our captain, Paul McStay. I hear the Kidd family will be very well represented on the night. It should be something special.

Enjoy your weekend, especially if you’re going to Tynecastle, or the Foundation dinner.  These moments are precious.

30 years later, I’m still astonished.

Charlie Gallagher, What a Player
CharlieGallagherBook

Charlie Gallagher was at Celtic Park for over 10 years. Encompassing the 1960’s, his career was an eventful one, touching the depths of despair and the ultimate triumph. Slightly-built, he seemed to lack the necessary robustness. But appearances can be very deceptive. Behind the easy-going exterior lurked a tremendous football brain, with the ability to spray passed which fast-running forwards would relish.

Charlie starred in one of Celtic’s best performances in years as MTK Budapest were beaten 3-0 in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup semi-final at Celtic Park. When Jock Stein arrived in March 1965, Gallagher was given a settled role at inside-right. His play was quiet but effective and good enough for him to retain a place for the Scottish Cup final. Eight minutes remained when Charlie trotted over to take a corner kick on the left. It was like one of those Spot the Ball competitions in the newspapers where the entrant must place the ball in the exactly the right spot. In this case, the target was the moving one of Billy McNeil’s head… And Gallagher’s accuracy was to signal the return of the glory days to Celtic Park.

The next two seasons were to see Charlie in the role of valuable pool member, covering for injuries or being used as a surprise weapon. In the first league game of 1965-66 season at Tannadice, Charlie hit the bar in the first two minutes and rumour has it that the bar is shaking yet. And, of course, it was the action replay from him and McNeill which gave Celtic their narrow victory over Vojvodina Novi Sad in the European Cup quarter-final in 1967.

One day at Muirton Park, where Celtic won 6-1, there was a brilliant Freudian slip by an old-timer standing near me in the enclosure. One particulate long pass was greeted with a clap and a cry of “Well done, Patsy”, an understandable confusion with Charlie’s namesake of more than 40 years earlier.

CHARLIE GALLAGHER? WHAT A PLAYER! by David Potter is published today by CQN. You can order your SIGNED copy HERE.

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  2. proudbhoy on

    A hero to the many Irish Celtic fans with Republican leanings, Donnelly

     

     

    Saw this quote there on balls.ie .. Irish football site which was naming some forgotten celts… Anyone any idea what it’s about ?

  3. roy croppie on

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLhYF4tTRAE

     

     

    96 Tears

     

    The Stranglers

     

     

    May God bless the victims alive and dead of the Hillsborough disaster and shameful cover up. Indefatigably doesn’t even begin to express how you fought but we are limited by language. God bless each and everyone of you living and dead and well done to our own Kenny Dalglish an example in warmth and humility long gone in the football world. Birmingham, Guilford, Orgreave, Hillsborough, Finucane, Ballymurphy, Bloody Sunday and sadly we could go on…British Justice?

     

     

    MargaretAspinallCSC

     

    You’ll Never Walk ALONE

  5. 67 European Cup Winners on

    So Ronny thinks its 10 in a row – after 2 we will win the treble messages !! and COLLINS and Kennedy are the answer.

     

    Confirmation he has to go

     

    Good night Ronny and goodbye

     

     

    67ECW.

  8. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Roy at 11.42, its a tremendous feeling dominating them as our under 17’s showed in last night’s game.

     

     

    Great picture of the totally unique, Danny McGrain .

     

     

    What a player.

     

     

    The comments from Jimmy McGrory fills my heart with joy . Another great man and player for us.

     

     

    His McGrory of Arsenal doesn’t sound the same as McGrory of Celtic is up there with some of Jock’s quotes.

     

     

    He along with Danny, Tommy Burns and Sean Fallon , to me , are what we are all about on and off the pitch.

  9. BGX on

    Saw i thing on Twitter..From The Telegraph…A Rev From the Free Church of Scotland by the name of KNOX(really)….Warning against voting for the satanic SNP…Wow…Jeezo…

  13. BGX on

    When i See Things like the Bold Rev knox From The Free Church of Scotland Calling the SNP satanic…Well..

     

    I Know Im on the Right Side…How about You?…SNP TILL INDY..THEN PICK YOUR SIDE..

  21. Delaneys Dunky on

    RC

     

     

    Any Catfish and the Bottlemen in your collection?

     

    My current fave Celtic band. :)

  22. Drambowiecelt on

    Cmon young Roy

     

    A wee bit of Bowie never hurt })

     

    P.S. lovin yer work.

     

     

     

     

     

    H.H.

  30. petec on

    Celtic are going to win their 5th Championship in a Row.

     

     

    “Something must have gone right.”

     

     

    Celtic is Celtic. The Majestical Green and White hoops. 11 versus 11.

     

     

    Get the guys who done wrong, and Everyone is a Sinner, out of Celtic ASAP.

     

     

    If it is not ALL about Celtic, and I mean the ethos, then yer following/playing/leading the wrong Club.

     

     

    I believe we have exceptional kids coming through.

     

     

    I’m very Selfish but I really want to see a Celtic team with just our own players playing, Players that we have nurtured from an early age.

     

     

    I’d Treble Ronny’s wages to get him to stay.

     

     

    Get it Right up the SMSM. Sickening hearing them saying nice things when he said he was leaving – utter SCUM.

     

     

    Ronny was performing with one arm behind his back

  31. THE EXILED TIM on

    WC

     

    Talk to me.

     

    You have been teasing the blog for a while now, yet you have said nothing, you have told us that they are gonna get it, you have teased us about they are fecked and they will get fecked, aye right.

     

    you are now telling the blog that they are in need of masons cos theor hoose is falling down, aye right.

     

    You told us last week that you had inside info on the 5 way agreement and that Celtic were not party to the agreement.

     

    I very much doubt that cos it’s total pish, and you know it it’s pish, else you would have told the blog that it wasn’t pish.

     

    Celtic are up to their necks in the OF, the OF are what it’s all about, to deny that is feck it, it’s the OF, end of.

     

    Take care Timland, you ahve what you wanted, The OF, Enjoy, you will regert it, but you had the chance to stop it and you didn’t.

     

    take care and god bless

     

    HH

     

    KTF

  35. !!Bada Bing!! on

    TROY CROPPIE on 30TH APRIL 2016 12:27 AM

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLhYF4tTRAE

     

     

     

    96 Tears

     

     

    The Stranglers

     

     

     

    May God bless the victims alive and dead of the Hillsborough disaster and shameful cover up. Indefatigably doesn’t even begin to express how you fought but we are limited by language. God bless each and everyone of you living and dead and well done to our own Kenny Dalglish an example in warmth and humility long gone in the football world. Birmingham, Guilford, Orgreave, Hillsborough, Finucane, Ballymurphy, Bloody Sunday and sadly we could go on…British Justice?

     

     

     

    MargaretAspinallCSC

     

     

    You’ll Never Walk ALONE

     

     

    Will the Masonic Lodge ever be called out for major cover ups of our time? I can’t see it amigo. I posted yesterday a pal who has worked at Warrington since Hillsborough Inquiry started.A pal of his retired,and went for an interview.asked if he was a mason,he said ‘yes’ , he was straight up the road.

  37. petec on

    !!Bada Bing!!

     

     

    Using powers of Deduction it really isn’t that hard to work out who Actually wanted Jesus dead.

     

     

    Even the Queen warned about Dark Forces not to be messed with.

     

     

    Celtic is quality. Top Class.

     

     

    2Corinthians

  38. Drambowiecelt on

    I noticed The Clumpany Bhoy has made a return……..

     

    lang may his lum reek…….

     

    Would be nice to see the return of the blogs more enlightened posters..

     

    Cmon ..Aw Naw…..Mags ..return in the manner to which we are accustomed

     

     

     

     

    h.h.

  40. roy croppie on

    Bada,

     

     

    sadly you could add Dunblane, Savile etc to that list but at least some shards of light are penetrating the filthy cover-ups.

     

     

    HH

  41. Delaneys Dunky on

    RC

     

     

    The follow up to Balcony is released next week.

     

    Heard 3 tracks. Dynamite!

     

    Mon the Bhoyos!

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