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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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  4. clogher celt on

    Roy,

     

     

    Bobby Sand’s 35th Anniversary on Thursday, May 5th.

     

     

    Doesn’t seem like 35 years.

     

     

    Night all.

  10. Delaneys Dunky on

    Petec

     

     

    Ian Brown’s voice is a victim to the bong and joint smokin.

     

    A has an ear for a better voice in Noel Gall.

  12. petec on

    clogher celt,

     

     

    The Birds were free to do anything, they weren’t shackled by Man.

     

     

    Bobby gave the Ultimate Sacrifice.

     

     

    God Bless You and all on here.

     

     

    Oh Lord Almighty

     

     

    The Television is Manipulating EVERYTHING.

     

     

    The Almighty was foreshadowing in the Old Testament. God gave his only Son ….. och ye awe know the rest.

     

     

    Love is the answer, ALWAYS.

  15. petec on

    Those from the North are the very best Celts.

     

     

    och that is nonsense, as there is so many Mega Amazing Celts all over this World now.

  24. petec on

    One thing is certain, Everyone deserves to be heard whether they are Left or Right. Ben Carson done a Great Breakfast.

     

     

    Celtic, it’s CORE, Sublime.

  26. KEVJUNGLE on

    Has Ronny got a point when he says that

     

    John Collins and John Kennedy should be

     

    given the keys tae the dug oot ?

     

    Had WGS a point when, before he left the

     

    club, he said that Big Mark McGhee should

     

    have got the job ?

     

    Lawwell didny listen to WGS and instead, brought

     

    in BTM.

     

    Maybe right now, Celtic don’t need a ‘big’ name in

     

    the door to take the keys of the dug oot.

     

    Maybe, just maybe….what Celtic need at this juncture

     

    is a manager who’ll ‘manage’ the players at his disposal.

     

    Ah mean, there are some right guid players at the club

     

    just now, as well as players out on loan and, youngsters

     

    coming through.

     

    The narrative just now is along the lines of….

     

    “A big name with a, big reputation should be backed to the

     

    hilt!”

     

    What’s that all about ?

     

    Get real.

     

    A club where, there will be no CL-money pot to come in, or

     

    a EL-money pot.

     

    Thousands of fans not renewing SB’s.

     

    Season book sales may well hinge on the outcome of the

     

    Res : 12 findings as, many fans have returned the verdict from

     

    the Jury’s of they’re own hearts in that, Celtic PLC’s silence indicates

     

    collusion and, a selling of Celtic’s soul to all the devils in hell, or worse.

     

    Nobody saw a captain of the club in, John Collins apart from me and,

     

    Gerry McNee, especially after his performance at ibrokes when we were

     

    banned and he had us in front with one of his magnificent fk’s and, the

     

    huns got an equalizer from a sclaffy deflection in the last couple of mins.

     

    Lou Macari was going to make John Collins the captain the following season

     

    with, the Maestro moving back as a sweeper like Dortmund did with, Andreas

     

    Moller. Macari was going to get rid of the useless Peter the pointer and replace

     

    him with Alan McGloughlin the R.O.I ball winning midfielder and, was going to the

     

    WCF’s 1994 in America to bring in some Nigerians.

     

    Macari was replaced and, young player that he brought in from the army – Gary Holt –

     

    was being groomed as an industrial midfielder who went on to do a guid job for Killie.

     

    Alas…John Collins wisny made the captain and he left to play in the CLSF with Monaco,

     

    obviously he had something about him that, the un-trained eyes of Celtic Park couldny

     

    see.

     

    Maybe Commons tirade at John Collins was because, Commons disny like being challenged ?

     

    Maybe Commons is more at home in a cronyism-clique ?

     

    Maybe, John Collins disny do – cronyism or, cliques ?

     

    Maybe Collins is the, cutey-bad-ass that the Celtic dressing room is crying out for ?

     

    Maybe, Big McGhee shook Collins and, Kennedy’s hauns because they’ve ‘got’ the stuff ?

     

    Maybe, big McGhee didny shake Ronny’s haun because, Ronny hisny goat the stuff ?

     

    Maybe, the two folk who were mentioned in last weeks, Green brigade banners…know that

     

    a big slump is on the way re: season book sales and will brass it out with what ? 20k of season

     

    book sales and, take a gamble on Collins and, Kennedy ?

     

    Maybe, the two names on the Green Brigades banners have known for some time that, Ronny

     

    hisny goat it and have been ‘feeling’ they’re way round the managerial circuit without much success.

     

    So, maybe Ronny is warming us up for the next page…..

  27. petec on

    The route is kind of laid out.

     

     

    Celtic in the Biggest League ever.

     

     

    Nah, Celtic Won’t ever be there.

     

     

    Too many Top Drawer Jesus Believing nutters Support Celtic.

     

     

    Hopefully the Battle Line has been drawn.

     

     

    Kevin Jungle, your stuff is prophetic.

  34. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Kev

     

     

    Kris Commons / John Collins different players, different times, I know who loves Celtic more and it’s not the Galashiels Celtic bhoy…..but hey ho each to their own

     

     

    Wee Bosman Collins was like a rat deserting a sinking ship when he effed off to Monaco, but as per, don’t let the facts get in the way

     

     

    Keep it lit, even though your heid is in the clouds, and don’t you disappear from the blog when 5 is secured……..because some Celtic fans are sometimes only happy when they have something to moan about

     

     

    TheJungleWasMingingAtTinesCSC

  35. KEVJUNGLE on

    GERRYFAETHEBRIG on 30TH APRIL 2016 3:48 AM

     

    ___________________________________________________

     

    Dear, dear….

     

    Me, disappear fae the blog because we won 5 one horse races in a row ?

     

    Naaaaaah, don’t think so.

     

    John Collins deserted the sinking ship like a rat ?

     

    Is that a follow follow post ?

     

    Know what else ?

     

    I’d rather have ma heid in the clouds than, where you’ve got yours.

     

    The disappeared 40,000 are they also ‘rats’ deserting the sinking ship ?

     

    Ye never know, you might be one of the remaining dozen or so,

     

    comical-ally-happy-clapping-clappers who’ll be left in the soulless,

     

    plastic seated, stadium that couldny hold a candle tae the Jungle –

     

    even wi the p#sh.

     

    You’ll Never Walk Alone…in the Jungle but, ye will in soulless PLC stadium.

     

    HH

  37. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Kev

     

    This I agree with wholeheartedly.

     

     

     

    “Ah mean, there are some right guid players at the club

     

     

    just now, as well as players out on loan and, youngsters

     

     

    coming through.”

  38. KEVJUNGLE on

    MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON

     

    _____________________________

     

    Keep it lit fella.

     

    Hail Hail

     

    I’ve been summoned – CSC

  40. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    KEVJUNGLE on 30TH APRIL 2016 4:09 AM

     

     

    I’ve been summoned – CSC

     

     

    ===========================================

     

     

    Shit.

     

     

    Not by the Lord ?

  41. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    As you know,the main reason for my support of RD was my fear that it would be Collins who replaced him.

  42. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 30TH APRIL 2016 5:03 AM

     

    MACJAY

     

     

    Actually , I wasn`t aware of that , Bobby.

     

    I know very little about Collins apart from what I have read about him on here.

     

    I would have thought the he would now be tainted by his association with Ronny. Surely a new broom would rule out that possibility.You would have to assume that the Board is well aware of a groundswell of discontent and would respond by making a sound appointment.

     

    Equally , you would hope that the exit of Ronny was not a kneejerk reaction to the loss to the hun in the meaningless S.F.A. trinket cup. You would hope that they are well and truly prepared with someone who has already been sounded out and has been “anointed.”

     

    The writing has been on the wall for god knows how long.I certainly did.

     

     

    Tactfully waiting till Ronny edges us over the line.

     

    Today.

     

    Please.

     

     

    P.S.Count the cliches.

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