Derek McInnes faced a difficult challenge. How do you stop Celtic, who have swept all before them, on their way to a third consecutive domestic treble? His choice was clear: get in about them, barge, kick and shove whenever close to a green and white jersey.
After Celtic’s opening onslaught came to nothing, this strategy worked for Aberdeen for around 30 minutes. At that point, the already booked Dominic Ball flew dangerously into Ryan Christie. The latter took 6 minutes to be stretchered off; the former collected his second yellow.
Aberdeen should have pondered the wisdom of their aggressive tactics, but by now the outcome was no longer in doubt and they went down with studs up and hurling abuse.
Two minutes after play recommenced, James Forrest created space 25 yards from goal before despatching a magnificent left foot shot beyond Joe Lewis into the net. It was a goal to match the occasion. From that distance, on his weaker foot, the chances of scoring were remote, but James seems to rise to these Hampden occasions.
Jonny Hayes evaded Mikey Devlin and moved clear through on goal but the Aberdeen central defender pushed Hayes from behind eight yards out, resulting in an inevitable penalty. Odsonne Edouard made no mistake from the spot.
It went from bad to brutality from Aberdeen when Lewis Ferguson lunged at Tom Rogic’s shin. Ferguson had both feet off the ground when he came into contact with Tom. Referee Craig Thomson was five yards away and issued a straight red card. Tom answered this attack in the best way possible, by scoring from a rebound attempt at the resulting free kick. He was fortunate not to have been the second Celtic player to leave on a stretcher.
To illustrate the extent of Aberdeen’s demise into indiscipline, Derek McInnes was ordered to the stand, where he joined his already-red carded assistant, Tony Docherty. His team were dirty and occasionally thuggish. I do not know if there is a way for a Scottish club to plan to beat Celtic, but there are many better ways to lose.
Had this been Neil Lennon, had this been Neil Lennon’s team, he would be hung out to dry by pontificating critics. Instead, Celtic rose above the fury. For once, we did not even have to endure the perennial Hampden flares.
The Scottish Cup Final takes place on 25 May. Your script is written, Celtic….
As we walked to Hampden yesterday the conversation eventually came round the 1937 Final between Celtic and Aberdeen, which attracted 137,000 attendees, and the crushing at pay gates some of us experienced in the 70s and 80s.
We talked about the 1985 Scottish Cup Final, a pay at the gate game, when police opened the gates, allowing thousands of Celtic fans free entry into the Hampden terraces, then the league clinching game against Dundee in 1988, when Celtic continued to take money at the gate despite crowds breaking over the barrier due to crushing. There was no such thing as a full house in Scottish football back then.
The FA Cup Semi-Final at Hillsborough between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in 1989 saw the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans, crushed into pens with no way to exit. Police opened the gates to alleviate crushing outside the turnstiles, resulting in hundreds of fans funneling into a tunnel, unaware they were blocking the only exit from the two central Leppings Lane end pens.
After the initial mistake to open the gates, systemic failures exacerbated the death toll. Lies were told, compliant journalists were co-opted into a conspiracy and it is only now, 30 years later, that criminal proceedings are underway.
Until 1989 football was killing its fans through neglect. Rangers decided to rebuild their ground after the 1971 Ibrox Disaster, which claimed the lives of 66 fans, but the loss of two lives on the same stairway a decade earlier, or incidents involving multiple injuries in 1967 and 1969, registered little response. Celtic Park never had incidents like this, but if you were a fan in the pre-Hillsborough era, you will remember moments of mortal fear at one turnstile in particular.
The legacy of those who lost their lives on the Leppings Lane terrace 30 years ago is a safer game for us to enjoy today.
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GFTB on 15TH APRIL 2019 4:09 PM
Tontine Tim 3.57pm Funny you should mention “sleekit” both mccoist & mcinnes cut from the same cloth methinks
My da also said “once a Hun always a Hun” :-)
*my da never used the hun word however when they were on tele he would call them nazis lol
Hot Smoked
Not drank in the Griffin for a few years, knowing you like your “ales” canny remember it being a patch on that boozer we watched the France v Argentina game at Charing X, the pub mane escapes me but am sure you know the one I mean
OK. You don`t have to be a lover of Real Ale. Anyone got a view on The Griffin in Bath Street?
JJ
GFTB
Thanks. The Bon Accord was the pub but I don`t remember watching France V Argentina !!
PS …but I do remember talking to you :-))
EL @ 3:52 Surely it depends on the words/lyrics of the song concerned, or can you sing what you want with impunity?
Ooops it is
Police Scotland to investigate Derek McInnes obscene w&&&&r gesticulation?
Tontine Tim 4.24pm
:-)
Ger is far too polite and funnily enough a few Hun acquaintances refer to me as “Ger” probably just trying to noise me up but they know they can never win the noise up … liquidation… usually ends the conversation :-)
Was McInnes ‘acting in the best interests of association football ‘ ?
Hot Smoked
The Griff has been on the go since at least the 1980s as i worked across the road, always a decent vibe in it, me & MrsGFTB were at a wedding in the town a couple of years ago and nipped in for a couple of drinks, just beware if there is something on in the Kings Theatre it’s usually the clientele from there… that day in the Bon Accord there was a Take That tribute in the Kings… the Griffin looked a scary place full of middle aged wummin scoffing bottles of vino :-)
Canny believe you weren’t watching France v Argentina it was a magic game, well it was France you have me doubting myself who they were playing now
Broony cited for doing the………………….\0/
Bada 4.35pm
Spot on … hope Broonys “defence” have filed that away, I saw that with Del Boy and didn’t even give it a second thought
Bada
That it is quite obvious that McInnes was not (acting etc) reflects the stupididty ( or malicious nature ) of the charge against Broonie.
That McInnes has been charged with something else, suggests to me that the ` best interests` rule (?) is there to be used when the Authorities don`t like something but cannot use any existing rules to bring charges. Has anyone else ever faced that charge?
JJ
GFTB
` Canny believe you weren’t watching France v Argentina`
I didn`t say I wasn`t watching it……I said I can`t remember watching it :-)))
Is it not the case that every fouls `is not acting in the best interests of the game`?
Stealing a few yards at a throw in?
Goalkeeper wasting time?
Showing displeasure with a refereeing decision?
Playing ten men in defence?
Winning the Double Treble?
JJ
JJ- The vagaries of the nonsensical trumped up ‘charge’,are endless, the dogs in the street know the date Broonie is at Hampdump, to coincide with him being banned for the game at Poundland, why was he not charged before now? HH
HOT SMOKED
Can’t comment on the Griffin but remember that it was called The Kings Arms in the 60s.Underage me went there-it had a fine jukebox and some resident Pound Deal men.
Our discipline was excellent yesterday – broonie’s reaction to the ‘rash challenge’ on RC was straight away to signal for first aid. TR gets up and scores. Brilliant lennie.
Sectarian developes new broad meaning……… when Celtic are winning every single tournament
SoT
I`ll be sure to check out the Juke Box but I don`t know what Pound Deal men means. As no drinks cost a Pound in the 60`s , I am baffled.
Nipping out now. I`ll check, with interest, any answer you may leave:-)
Cheerio for now,
JJ
Not been in the Griffin since new owners took over in the last year or so but it is a beautiful bar
parts listed, Mackintosh wife designs on the windows I believe.
Should still be ran well as to attract the theatre $
It spread up the stand- amazing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DclKmB7oN0
53 year ago today, not the date I hasten to add, but the Monday of Holy Week I was in a bit of a quandary, as a lhad growing up festivities were frowned on during Holy Week nae pictures or even fitba.
And this day I had a ticket for the Clancy Brothers up the toon, somehow it was my da, the more stricter of my parents, who got me it and one for my Carolina and a seat on a bus which was being run out of his place of work.
That teatime as we made our way tae the bus we popped intae an LG for a kerry oot, a hauf bottle of lanny and a couple of cans would suffice, aye even on Holy Week, I comforted myself by saying at least it wisnae Good Friday lol.
As we sat on the bus surrounded by my da’s work colleagues we shelved the idea of bevvying in front of them, we would wait until we were in the theatre. That idea was curtailed when we were sat beside them as well.
Meanwhile the lanny and 2 cans are literally burning a hole in our pockets. Then came the intermission and we made a beeline for the lavvy or as they call it over here the washroom, hoping we might be able tae get a wee swally before anyone sees us.
As you can imagine the Clancy’s were that good and there was a buzz about even in the foyer.
As we tentatively opened the door we were greeted by “north men, south men, comrades all.” It was like being in the Jungle, bedlam, punters were singing and dancing, waving bottles in the air, this was 1966 and we Celtic were back again up where we belonged.
I spotted a plumber from the site up in Duntiglennan, he gave me a big hug, he was fae Hamilton, had reddish hair and the same name as my maternal granny who was born in a miners row, in fact looking back he had an uncanny resemblance tae Googybhoys da.
He had always taken a shine tae me, I always thought it was because I was a Tim, but then so were the majority of apprentices on the site including his own. I have often thought the older I get, was this an example of 6 degrees of separation.
JJHS
Well, France v Argentina was definitely on, whether or not you remember it! Must have been a more ‘enjoyable’ day than you thought…
HOT SMOKED
In 67 /68-A Pound Deal was @ 3.5 g of something to smoke ..
King Lubo……….Celtic reach their second European Cup final as you say before what you say was possibly 140,000 spectators. Celtic became the first British club to win the big Cup in’67 but were also the first to reach a second European Cup final within a couple of years. Those were the days.
Ernie, in the interests of concision, I’ve edited your response to:
“Yes”.
Cheers.
Jozo and Kris looked very solid yesterday despite being under any real pressure. The Croatian looked the part with some great movement in an attacking sense. His lack of physical exertian in recent times has possibly helped to clear up some of his nagging injury problems and he has talent no doubt. Kris and Jozo may well be a great partnership if he can stay healthy. He is still only 24 years of age and young for a central defender.
Derek McInnes seems a decent enough chap and as they say a manager’s job may not always be a happy one.
Hankray- if Aberdeen think McKenna is worth £10 mil,how much is Ajer worth? I know who I would rather have in my team.
Tontine. Good Story, well told.
The Battered Bunnet on 15th April 2019 5:24 pm
I assume you accept that there has to be a crime before there can be an aggravation?
So what is the crime that is being aggravated?
Hearts are not on great form – it’s a one off , of course. Wonder what levein will do? Send them out to injure – slag broon off before the game – try and wind lennie up – try and set the ref’s agenda?
HANKRAY jozo and Kris did look very solid, because Aberdeen brought nothing to the party only mick McManus and steve logan forearm smashes, but celtic were not that good either. in all honesty if gms and niall McGinn had been playing forget the sending offs im talking about 11 v 11 would we have won that game.hh.
Bada Bing……….Kris for me every time, no contest there.
BP 1
The answer is Yes.
I seem to recall regularly beating a Dons side with both McGinn and GMS playing, and Shinnie, and Logan and whoever else was missing.
So, if Sevco drop anything at all at Tynecastle on Saturday we can win our 8th (EIGHTH) title in a row on Easter Sunday lunchtime.
And, separately, I guess we will have the trophy celebration on our last league game, at home, against Hearts. Then one week later it’s Hearts again in the Cup Final.
Her Brittanic Majesty Sevco Dictionary update
Tangible reach = distance to the sun cubed
Periods of varying quality = win , draw , win , lose , draw repeat due to poor quality
Investment = borrow externally