Do you remember the midweek game against Dundee in April 2001? Win that game, and Martin O’Neill could win his first league title at the next game, home to St Mirren, but it was a fraught evening. Dundee equalised midway through the second half, before Johan Mjallby scored a winner six minutes from time.
Afterwards Martin O’Neill complained that the crowd was unnecessarily anxious. Celtic were well ahead, the title was not in doubt, but Martin didn’t appreciate how much we all wanted to be there when it was won, a few days later. To the manager, we seemed to be demanding too much. But while Martin was guaranteed a ticket to wherever the league winning match would be, Celtic needed to beat Dundee and St Mirren to ensure season ticket holders would be in attendance.
Similar themes are evident now. It is not that Celtic fans don’t appreciate the exceptionality of our season-and-a-half unbeaten domestic run. We do, but it’s that exceptionality that makes the prospect of the run coming to an end after being two goals ahead at Easter Road so disturbing. We know that when this run ends, the chance of anything similar starting up again is remote. The cost of defeat is meaningless to the outcome of the league title, but when it happens, you are going to feel it. Rightly so.
Celtic Foundation Auctions
The Foundation has several auctions which close at 7pm tonight. There are some exceptional prizes, currently at very competitive prices. Including a ‘Lisbon 67’ golf club, signed by Ryder Cup player, Stephen Gallacher.
Funds from these auctions will help around 300 local families living in poverty, who will have a mean on Christmas Day and presents for the kids. And you are bound to be struggling for a gift idea for someone, so take a look at what’s available…….
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Just reading back…
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TEUCHTER ÁR LÁ on 12TH DECEMBER 2017 12:12 PM
BSR
What we see is not only the death of a club but the demise of the ole way of things.
If I was a crocodile, I still wouldn’t shed a tear for them.
GIRUT
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That explains the Lacoste sleeping bag in Lisbon!
PS-BSR,there are some great memories from Lisbon,and like you say,the only real regret is not meeting everyone who was there. But even a never to be forgotten trip to Fatima can’t provide miracles like that.
THOMTHETHIM
If it’s any consolation to you,residents of Howood dream of dank wet miserable Wednesdays.
Hrvatski Jim
Hampden did fly a foreign flag at the 2012 Olympics. Unforrunately that of the wrong Korea.
BMCUWP
I still mind the coat I got ruined that day! I cut an even less impression dash than usual with my date for the night. Possibly a good opportunity to use the word ‘concomitant’ here but ach I didnae like her anyway!
Jimbo67
Memories of Hampden. The best feeling ever (for me anyway) was the ’65 Cup Final. First time I ever saw us winning anything.
I remember only too well when we were beaten by St Mirren in the semi-final (59?) and, of course, when Dunfermline beat us in the replay.
Tom
It was 61 and it was a dreich night – lived in toryglen and it was, as an 11 year old, the first and only game my dad took me to. Although he was Celtic minded he didn’t attend games – went with my brother after that – walked to parkhead every home game.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD,
I was at the ’59 and ’62 semi’s v St. Mirren. When the ’65 final came, I was in a seminary in England, but had just come home for a holiday. My father, God rest him, asked what I wanted to do on the Saturday. There was only one thing on my mind, so we rolled up to Hampden. We were directly behind the goal, but higher up, where King Billy scored the winner, a view which I can see in my mind clearly even today. Little did we guess that we were on our way to history!
HH
When we beat the huns 2-1, LCF 82, the best 21st birthday present you could get.Apart fae that , Big Tam scoring for the Treble in May.
1989 Scottish Cup Final for me. First time I saw us win anything in the flesh. Being out in the open was great when it was hot and sunny. Are we really hating Hampden or is it the SFA we have a distaste for?
The 65 final was awesome – was in the ‘schoolboys’ enclosure in front of main stand. I can see it as if it were yesterday.
the 67 cup final against aberdeen my first cup final. can still see willie wallaces goals even now.
Scottish Cup final Celtic 2 Dundee Utd. 1. Right behind the goal when Davie Provan equalised with his ‘is this a little bit of history’ free kick. I thought straight after the goal after I found my brother and his pal we’re going to win this! We did courtesy of Frank McGarvey. Great day, great game, great feeling, s+@$e hole of s stadium!
Silver city 1888
Players like match sticks if you were more than half way up the terracing or apparently loooking up at them if you weee lower down.. Majority of crowd uncovered which meant usually getting soaked , ash clouds if there was a goal on a dry day, terracing apparently made of rotting wood and ring pulls, an inferior atmosphere to every other ground we played in….Great games often enough but a terrible venue then whilst now whilst tge underfoot and overhead problems are better it still has rotten views and an inferior atmosphere.
Jimbo67
Hampden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8B-BeaC8Xc
Kevjungle jeez it’s Groundhog Day with you right enough. H H Hebcelt
Silver city 1888- the fat cats in south stand rear , have the only decent view in that dump, road/bus /parking a shambles HH
Airdrie cup final when Big Billy hung up his boots
Think I was 9 and up the back of the Celtic end on the corrugated fences next to North Stand
Had to go in a taxi as no room on the bus leaving from my dads pub that day..
Think it may have been last time Hampden Had a crowd of 75k although I’m sure there was more than that in the old crumpling wreck of a stadium that day
fan a tic
And as a young kid hanging off a pipe in the enclosure watching us hump Leeds.
BRILL.
My first game was 6-1 v Hibs SCF. Place was mobbed. I think they opened gates to stop crushing. I was dressed in a Celtic strip and remember getting passed around the crowd as I resembled the Jinky blow up. I remember my Dad taking us out at 4- 1 just as a thunderstorm started. I was soaked through but happy. I still look like a blow up. Nobody could pass me round though… unless they were super human.
My first ever game was at Hampden, October 68 League Cup Semi Final v Clyde. 1-0 win, George Connolly scorer
Thought it was 1st cup final
Hooooops☘️☘️☘️
Blantyre Tim
I think the caoacity had been reduced to 85000 by then but other than a couple of Scotland England games it was never tested- even the 80 final the crowd was officially only 70000.
P
I used to think Hampden was worse for crowd figures than the old Celtic Park or Ibrox were. I mind the first semi final I was taken to was 69 v Morton ( your dad played( and the game was held up to let the huge crowd in. Official attendance given as 48000.
Jimbo67
Repost from yesterday .
Folks ,
Can anyone help ?
Drummer wanted for pop & light rock covers band based in ML5 .
Covering all sorts from the sixties through to today eg the Beatles , the Rolling Stones , T Rex , David Bowie , Fleetwood Mac , Tom Petty , Bryan Adams , Primal Scream , Oasis etc
Looking to target the birthday party market ie fortieth , fiftieth etc
I’ll monitor responses on the blog then arrange contact .
First Final (and game against them) 1979 LC
Wiggy scored two for Zombies including ET winner
Big Shuggy for us
Best MON treble or Last season invincible
PHILBHOY on 12TH DECEMBER 2017 2:16 PM
I have loads of Hampden memories, mostly good, some less good.
The one that still moves me to tears was the 1960 cup final replay against Dunfermline
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I was just about getting over that game,scarred for life,Eddie Connachan Final,with Jock Stein in a white raincoat as their Manager.
” Its no loss what a friend gets ” said Bob Kelly. Did not help a bit.
First Cup Final was 72 Celtic 6 Hibs 1. Biggest crowd I’ve ever been part of 106,122
GENE on 12TH DECEMBER 2017 2:28 PM
Dreaded leaving the Celtic end at hamdump – as you approached the top of the stairwell with thousands at your back – leaning back trying to ensure that you didn’t get crushed against the approaching vertical barrier.Not to mention the eroded black ash on the steps.
*hated hampden and often left the ground without my feet touching the ground, however, thought ibrox was worse as there was only 1 exit at the Celtic end.
Warning, absolutely horrendous language.
https://twitter.com/DrawtyDevil/status/939994547957923843
First Scottish Cup Final-1956 v Hearts.
First Glasgow Cup Final- 1950 v Thistle.
Can’t remember First League Cup Final, would have to look up previous winners to see if I remember it.
FRED COLON on 12TH DECEMBER 2017 4:51 PM
Repost from yesterday .
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Hi Fred
Wee BGFC is learning drums at school – too late for you I imagine, but if you can wait 3 years so he can get in to the pub…..
BGFC
for fun, I recently decided to take trumpet lessons (the world needs another Miles Davis) … but, sadly, I am hopeless… actually, worse than hopeless
hopefully, in three years or so, I am hoping to prrogess to the point where I will be able to mangle ‘twinkle, twinkle ‘…. perhaps in three years or so, WBGFC and I can jam … if he is into Miles or Twinkile, Twinkle.
:)
Actually, a CQN band sounds like a good idea … I know there are some right good musicians on here … something to think about for the next hoot, perhaps….
Fred C
Have you put a t on CQN FB page?
First Hampden game was Scotland v Austria 63. I think it was abandoned due to players fighting?
First cup final 65 and as a ten year old I still recall how special it was.
Best game I ever attended anywhere was Celtic v Leeds 70. The magnitude of that game cannot be underestimated, partly due to us being written off by the English media. Leeds hadn’t even conceded a goal in the tournament prior to the first leg.
Anyway I was outside Hampden Celtic end waiting for the gates to open. Loads of men milling about looking for a ticket. Guy asks me to sell him my ticket and he’ll lift me over. I agreed but as soon as the deal was done he walked through alone. In a panic I told the turnstile copper and he straight away told another fan to lift me over. Must’ve been a Tim polis. Unbelievable night, atmosphere bettered only by Seville.
THETIMREAPER on 12TH DECEMBER 2017 5:06 PM
Warning, absolutely horrendous language.
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That was brilliant :-)))) (slightly fruity language)
HRVATSKI JIM on 12TH DECEMBER 2017 10:23 AM
FOR most Scottish football supporters Hampden Park holds memories, of big games won or lost, of events that brought success or failure, with joy or disappointment. Mine include the Scottish Cup final of 1959, St Mirren 3 Aberdeen 1. I was 18, and enjoyed the event.
*The Buddies were worthy winners that year, they beat Glasgow University in the first round 15-0 with Gerry Baker scoring 10 and then in the next round it was Peebles Rovers they put to the sword 10-0 with Gerry getting 4 this time.
Allegedly we had sent a scout to watch both Gerry and his brother, future England international Joe, but he came back with Jim Conway, Jim would later move tae Norwich for an estimated 10 grand while the same year Joe would go tae Torino for 75,000, a lot of gene tunney back then, he would later break the Arse’s transfer record when they brought him back and also was the 1st player to play for england while never playing in the country, he was at easter road at the time.
Tommy Bryceland who had turned us down even though his brother Hughie was on our books scored 3, we wanted him to stay with Gourock Juniors for another year, the saints offered him a full time contract.
We also had a good run in the SC that season beating the then cup holders the Bully Wee at Shawfield after a replay and 5 days later heavy favourite’s deidco at Parkheid 2-1 with their goal being a consolation one in the 90th minute.
Although the Buddies would take care of the high flying Ancell babes with Gerry Baker getting the winner and Tommy Bryceland scoring one of the others, on the same day we beat deidco they would struggle in the quarters against lowly Dunfermline who would just escape relegation by 1 point while we were comfortable winners at Annfield being 3 up by the interval with Stirling grabbing a consolation goal near the end.
And so we were headed tae the home of Queens Park our original deadly rival. It was a bright sunny day and we were favourites based on having a much better defence, 5 internationals and 1 future one, both forward lines were prolific in front of goal but that day they were 3 up by half time with that man Baker, who tore Bobby Evans a new one scoring the 3rd, Tommy Bryceland added a 4th on time.
My main memory through tear stained eyes was seeing the main stand rocking tae the sound of “oh when the saints go marching in”. This game for me was the catalyst that ended Bobby Evans Celtic career.
Although he was still there the on the Monday night 10 months later when a Smiler nap hand saw us put the holders out while the Celtic end rocked tae the sound of “oh when the saints go marching out”.
Both Baker and Bryceland had scored in the 1st replay while Neilly grabbed 2 that night, the 2nd replay was scheduled for the following night but postponed and when both us and St Mirren requested it be played on the Saturday the out of touch as usual SFA refused based on third round ties being played that day?????
Incidentally our right half during the cup run which ended in another humiliating replay at hunden against deidco 1-4, carthorse jimmy millar tore Bobby another new one that Wednesday afternoon, was the mhan who would replace him and would also start the season at centre half with Paddy Crerand at right half. Bobby left for Chelsea at the end of the 59/60 season.
St Mirren won the final relatively easy, 3-1, against a lowly sheep side with again Baker and Bryceland on the score sheet, the sheep’s goal was a consolation last minute one. Gerry Baker would score in every round in the Cup.
M i T – great idea re: a wee band night.
Although Wee BGFC would be more into Rush and Blackberry Smoke than “Twinkle Twinkle”
He can stretch to the Clancy Brothers
HH
BGFC
Ach i was fortunate my first two finals came in the same month at hampden in 1969
Bhoys can anyone confirm that the St Johnstone game 17th Feb will be moved to Sunday 18th
I’m sure it will but club page has added Zenit fixtures but not changed anything else
thanks in advance
HH
1970 LCF v St J- wee Bertie scored in 1st minute,a lot missed the goal trying to get into the midden…