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
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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HAPPY HOOOOOOPY HAWAII DAY to
MRS DALLASDALLAS!!!!!!!
Hope yer man gets something to smile about later(!)
MACJAY
Succession planning?
Aye,we’ve been good at that through the years,bud!
Good morning Mr BMCUW. A beautiful sunny Scotland Saturday. Perfect league winning weather. Seems that you and Kev are at cross purposes about JC’s attributes. I am in the great player poor coach camp. Fancy a Morton’s roll wi square slice? Yummmmm ;)
Morning Celts
Smash the wee huns today.
If we dont we can always moan about it on CQN
HH
Good Morning Timland.
What happened to WC jaw dropping news?
NBRS
FFS…TinkerTailorSoldierSpy.
I wish he would just spit it out
HH
TBJ
You are more than welcome to drop into the PV today, after the match.
TGM
Top o the mornin my friend in green.
Tynecastle has always been an intimidating away game.
Reekie huns are worse than their west coast version.
DD
Morning bud.
Wish i was going to Tynecastle.
But i will tune in from the safety of my bed:)
Accessories all ready:)
HH
Of to Spain & Benidorm for 9 days flying out at 10.30am might be touch & go to see s hopefully win a “5 in a row special” Not seen many of them in my life time :)) What with time differences & travel to Hotel etc might miss the game but not the Party afterwards. 2-0 Celts to wrap it up
Hail Hail
TGM
The two of us would be lucky to avoid the jail in Gorgie today.
Ken whit its like neebs.
I will tuck into a white widow and keep my liberty instead. ;)
HH
Hopefully the rancid atmosphere at swinecastle
will spur Celtic on to victory.
The sooner this season is over the better,already
fretting over the CL qualifiers and I don’t even know
who our new boss is…..desperate state of affairs.
DD
I was never done scrapping with them in Gorgie.
They always had to have a go.
Suited us
Our bhoys liked a wee tussle:)
Today….i will be going with a midfield three of OG/Lemon/ Tutenkamun
Should be interesting:)
Cmon the Celts
HH
Dallas
Hope your good lady has a great day, wished her happy birthday on Thursday, 48hrs early !
When we secure number 5, I would love Ronny to play Craig Gordon, young Tierney & wee Leigh and drop the rest of the imposters for whatever game(s) left (also to ditch his system which with the players contributed to his P45) go on Ronny you know it makes sense
Kev…. During the Hun cheating years would you think it would be a two horse race if they played by the rules ?
A title is title…….so let that league flag fly
Clogher 35years……where does the time go, gone but never forgotten
Regardless of who is played in what position today, even when allied to the managerial situation, the atmosphere today should ensure the bhoys in the hoops wrap up the title.
90 minutes of intensity will get us over the line.
Mon the hoops
TGM
Fine cocktail indeed. Enjoy the victory celebration mi amigo.
Murdoch
Bon voyage. Enjoy Beni.
HH
DD
Just want the team to run out today.
And remember who we are.
Wearing the Hoops should be enough motivation for any player.
Hearts are lucky indeed….that The Green Man is too old.
In the days of yore….i would have scored a hat-trick, then started a rammy with the Jambos on the way home:)
HH
Nye Bevans
As soon as Ronny goes the new man will be in place, for me the Euros rule out Keane and both O’Neills, I think the new manager already knows, Moyes or Rodgers unless to sell season books Lambert & Henrik, if it’s the latter will see different columns from Sutton, Hartson & co !
TGM
We pay oor hard earned to see a Celtic player give 100%. Not a lot to ask for surely?
Seems to be too much for some of oor primadonnas. Sadly.
DD
Celtic should employ Barry Robson.
He could teach the slackers a thing or two.
Get him in as a coach.
Im sure he would get results from the non-triers
HH
GERRYFAETHEBRIG…….we need to get our man in
asap,time isn’t on our side,our current squad is to
big and well short on real quality.
Time for the park wae the dug,catch yees laters.
GFTB
I heard a rumour last night in the Partick Smiddy (better rumours than Dolphin) that Paul Lambert and KoK are our new management team wi Lubo manager. Partick is a mental wee place. ;)))
TGM
Robson and Jerome would do a better job than Broony and Nir have lately in oor midfield.
Morning Kev Jungle Et al.
Watched the Jungle Book last night. Sorry no heroics in green and white, but certain parallels can be drawn in context of an excellent experience.
While there are many relevant morals that can be taken from the Jungle book, perhaps the understanding that John Collins despite his envious 6 pack will always be a ” Mancub”
Put simply the fans just would never accept him, and as you rightly point out at this time the fans have the power will their ST money in their pocket.
To be an Akela ( leader of the pack ) a manager must understand the bigger picture and be respected.
We now need a manager of stature ( like MON ) who will command instant respect and in years to come will be remembered in the way the scouting movement remembers Akela.
HH and COYBIG.
Greenpinata
That was a great analogy for my cartoon like mind to understand. :)
Thanks pal
DD
That reads like a “dream team” from the 2000’s
Lambo, Larsson & Lubo to level the liquidated low lives !
GFTB
Oh to see their likes again on the pitch.
HH
GFTB
Intelligent illiteration indeed. ;)
DD
Im a better player than Brown and Biton.
Im serious as well:)
I mean…you would think John Colllins would have some input there, midfield genius that he was.
But no.
It seems to me….that the daft formations they play in the modern game….are boring to watch.
Ive never got used to the full-backs bombing on.
In my days…Full-backs stayed in defence:….the half-way line was the limit:)
HH
Aff oot to feed the Clydebank wildlife. Got a chicken for raynard family.
HH
Just for the avoidance of doubt, Albert Kidd is a Celtic man, not everybody makes that fact obvious.
Several times in my life discression has been the better part to avoid victimisation.
I’v seen some REALY great Celtic teams been turned over at Tyncastle , and some REALY hot contested games as well, and as I said yesterday this one won’t be any different, so whoever crosses that line to start today better be up for it because anything less than 100% from every team member (staff included) will have us leaving there without a result, of that I have no doubt, motivation was a big part of the loss to Sevco in the semi, this game needs no motivation from anyone, every individual player should be up for it as soon as they walk off that team bus, and they had better be, this venue is toxic and bitter, this is theyr biggest game of the season in front of they’r own fans, and they will come out the gates flying, The disciplinary record of this club we play today is the worse in Scottish football, so cards will be flying all over the place, and a very very strong possibility of a couple of reds (no matter who the ref is) no silky soccer or slick passing today, it’s roll up your sleeves and roll down your socks day today, it’s a battle ahead, and we had better be up for it, because they’ll be, trust me, cmon the hoops.
Lurking Huns GIRFUYs
Good morning friends and supporters of Scotland’s Champions-elect from a crisp and dry, sunny, clear skied East Kilbride.
TONY DONNELLY67 on 30TH APRIL 2016 7:52 AM
And who are our hard men ?
:-(
Beautiful morning here in darkest Lanarkshire. All signs are good for today’s match, we will get a win but we have to win the battle first. Tony D is on the mark, just hope Ronnie was reading this!
I have a full day of DiY labouring to be done so no gym today either, shock! Horror! If all goes well today, I will see game, finish the DIY and be able to relax a bit tomorrow….
‘Mon the Hoops!
EMERALDBEE\O/ STILL PROUD TO BE AN INTERNET BAMPOT on 29TH APRIL 2016 6:46 PM
A wee request lhads. My younger cousin (an unrepentant rebel) is arriving soon for his ‘last supper’ (his words) after being given a couple of weeks left in his fight with cancer. I would love it if we won the league tomorrow for his sake – he might not last as long as the Aberdeen game. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
——
Of course. Prayers said.
Love
HH jamesgang
Macjay
None on the pitch. Erik and Kieran as close as it gets to a hard man. The rest are milk tray soft centres.