I remember singing “It’s going to be 10 in a row”, but back then 10 had no significance. Neither did 9, it was like 8 in a row, another stop along the way. But when Jock Stein’s team finished their spectacular domination of the Scottish game in 1974 with nine successive titles and four European Cup semi-finals, “Nine in a row” became a phrase with extraordinary substance.
Of course, in years to come, for others, nine in a row became a target to surpass. In the late eighties Rangers changed the financial parameters of Scottish football for some time, and set their own course towards liquidation, but on the park, they swept all before them in the domestic game. By summer 1997 they had won their won nine in a row. McEwan’s lager billboard adverts featured the club with the line, “9 out of 10, could do better”. And didn’t we know it.
Celtic were in disarray having sacked Tommy Burns and with our three most cherished players, Di Canio, Cadete and van Hooijdonk on their way out the door. The new managerial appointment “the second worst thing to happen to Hiroshima”, as our mainstream media portrayed him to Celtic fans, arrived only two weeks before the start of the season.
After losing the first league game of the season at Easter Road Celtic lost 1-2 at home to Dunfermline; they were leading at half time. 10 in a row seemed inevitable but this season was the greatest example of why the prevailing currents of football are now always evident on the surface.
Have a read at this from the Independent after that defeat to Dunfermline:
“[The home supporters] cannot be fooled – even as the teams were announced it was clear they are unconvinced by the new signings. The mention of Pierre van Hooijdonk, Paolo Di Canio and Jorge Cadete before a game was enough a year ago to raise the roof in anticipation. On Saturday, Henrik Larsson and Regi Blinker hardly registered in the approval stakes.
“Larsson’s poor touch too often saw him lose possession. The blunt truth is he is not a proven goalscorer and Jock Brown, the general manager, will have to add fire power to the team.”
Don’t be too harsh on the journo who penned this, few dissented, and Jock Brown’s reputation was pretty much set by these incredibly inaccurate reviews. Although, “blunt truth” has never been used with such laxity.
The towns of the west of Scotland can be dangerous places after big football games but not 15 years ago today, when Celtic beat St Johnstone to win the league for the first time in a decade. Celtic fans of all ages poured onto the streets as the spirit of carnival took hold.
I remember hooped fans sitting on top of a set of traffic lights in Lanarkshire; green, amber, red, then rows of green and white. I walked around Hamilton town centre that night. For an evening, every pub was a Celtic pub, with rules about wearing colours suspended, and singing was celebrated.
And sing we did.
At the end of the night I could be found singing “Cheerio to 10 in a row” at a taxi rank outside a nightclub. The ‘brave’ soul standing in front of me waited until his taxi was moving away before mumbling his offenses out of the window.
Last summer I did an interview with Tony Hamilton for Celtic TV . When we drilled into what really made an impact on me as a Celtic fan I had no hesitation on placing that game against St Johnstone above Champions League victories, qualifying for a European final or beating Barcelona. We aspire to move beyond the confines of Scottish football but for 125 years this has been our home. In all that time, in domestic or European football, there have been, at most, only two more important games.
Enjoy the memories, but don’t play that George O’Boyle leap over in your mind; just in case you imagine him a few inches higher.
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Celtic fan Paul Hamill sentenced over sectarian abuse
A Celtic fan who subjected a police officer to sectarian abuse has been given a community payback order and told to carry out 80 hours unpaid work.
Paul Hamill was stopped from entering Celtic’s Champions League home game against Spartak Moscow on 5 December as he was “severely intoxicated”.
After being arrested he later swore and made sectarian remarks to an officer.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, the 21-year-old, from East Kilbride, admitted abusive and threatening behaviour.
God bless Stilyan
BMCUW
Full bottle of brandy into Ipox is my greatest blag. Ended up in a picture in the hun the next day. BBJ scored with a header and pic has my father in law chatting up the lady next to him , wife was well peed off.
Latitude n LongItude.
3 sixes beside 2 sixes.
They wurnae kidding when they said All Roads lead to Damascus.
Noo Clear?
I was gutted that we didn’t win the title at Dunfermline.
Having got a ticket I was 2 away from the front, i was all set to get on the pitch!
I knew after the end of season the previous year, being in the upper tier at Parkhead i really felt the distance between my seat and the pitch and the players.
Having a huddle in the middle of Falkirk’s Grahams road – stopping traffic, until the police moved us on was great.
Livibhoy
Did you go on the Livi Emerald from the copper at any point?
I see STV are trying to transfer our manager to Everton. Makes me sick. They suggest he is a likely choice. Who has decided anything of the sort??
No odds for Allan Johnstone and Steak-bake boy for the Everton job; it must only be in Scotland these amazing managers are held in such high regard.
parkheadcumsalford
18:09 on 9 May, 2013
I see STV are trying to transfer our manager to Everton. Makes me sick. They suggest he is a likely choice. Who has decided anything of the sort??
………………….
It has always been the way and long may it stay the same.
We should have a manager that is so successful that others want him.
Hail hail
Parkheadcumsalford
You would expect nothing else from SevCo’s favourite brodcaster.
On STV they just said Moyes hasn’t won any trophies. He won the second division trophy with Preston.
How come STV count the Hun third division trophy but not Preston’s?
St.Stivs,
I don’t think Harald would have got a pilot’s licence if he had defective eyesight.
He did wear contact lenses when playing, I believe.
Raspberry-Got a wee whisper last night.
!!bada bing!!
18:28 on 9 May, 2013
Raspberry-Got a wee whisper last night.
Pray tell
Celtic striker Georgios Samaras says
he has no intention of leaving
Parkhead any time soon.
The Greece international, 28, arrived
at Parkhead on loan from Manchester
City in January 2008, before signing a
permanent deal the following
summer, and is now the longest-
serving player at the club aside from
skipper Scott Brown.
While speculation surrounds the
future of Hoops players such as Gary
Hooper, Victor Wanyama and Fraser
Forster, Samaras is “fully committed”
to the Clydesdale Bank Premier
League champions and will discuss
an extension to his current deal,
which finishes next year, at a time to
suit both parties.
Speaking at Lennoxtown ahead of
Saturday’s SPL clash with St
Johnstone at Parkhead, he said: “I
have one more year of my contract
and hopefully I will be here next
season.
“Six years is a lot but it has gone in
so fast and when you feel good at the
club, people are looking after you and
you feel you are part of a big family, I
cannot see a reason to leave.
“But it is too soon to speak about a
contract. When they are ready and I
am ready then we will have a chat.
“But we have plenty of time, don’t
worry.”
On the theme of possible changes at
the Parkhead club, Samaras is not
surprised that boss Neil Lennon has
been linked with the vacant
managerial post at Everton, following
David Moyes’ imminent departure to
take over from soon-to-be-retired Sir
Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
He said: “I haven’t heard anything but
all I can say is that when you are
playing at a high level like the
Champions League and doing well
then for sure people will come and
watch the players or the manager or
whoever is part of the team.
“That is normal. When you are doing
well when people will come and
watch you.
“But I don’t know what he is thinking
or what he wants to do.”
Samaras is looking forward to Celtic
being presented with the SPL trophy
on Saturday, before they turn their
attentions to the William Hill Scottish
Cup final against Hibernian at
Hampden Park later in the month.
“It is a great day for everyone, for all
the hard work we have put in all
season,” said Samaras, who was
recently voted player of the year by
the club’s supporters.
“It is day when the fans and enjoy
the game, there is no pressure, just a
celebration.
“Our mentality is to go and win every
game. I know in the last couple of
games we didn’t have the best
results but to be honest we are really
focused for the cup final.
“It would be great to win the cup.
Everybody is looking forward to that
game.”I have been six years at the
club and I haven’t done the double
and I think now is the perfect timing.”
Meanwhile, French defender Steven
Mouyokolo has been training with the
Celtic squad at Lennoxtown.
The 26-year-old centre-back is a free
agent after his contract with Wolves
was terminated by mutual consent in
January.
Arguably the top 8 post war uk managers….Stein Ferguson Paisley Clough Busby Shankly Nicholson Revie.
Four Scots in there.
Your a cruel bunch on here
I was at the ibrokes beamback from Tannadice. … gutted when word came through that celtic had won.
On my way home to larkhall I passed thousands of tims celebrating … singing …at one train station we sat in the carriage as you all sang ” cheerio to ten in a row”
One old guy started to dance a jig of joy and thankfully the train pulled away
My heart was broken … my dream of ten in a row blown away.
I went to bed that night and cried on my pillow.
During the long night however …. I had a vision. .. the mint robbing the bears … then a googly eyed lanarkshire billionaire and a delboy trotter lookalikey from Yorkshire ripping the institution apart.
When I woke I realised the future was green and whyte … so I jumped the dyke…. and now im a happy hoopy ;)
Burghbhoy
You hated my post?…..It was of Sevconian proportions?
I’ll have to have a word with the postman to see how he handled the magnitude of such accusative, venomous aggression on your part.
cc fanadpatriot
Teuchter ár lá
“to be honest we are really focused for the cup final.”
I can’t wait for the cup final.
Raspberry-Sworn to secrecy mate,but was from an agent.
!!bada bing!!
18:42 on 9 May, 2013
Raspberry-Sworn to secrecy mate,but was from an agent.
Agent Green or Whyte?
A Green one :}
Blantyretim,
Paracetamol is an excellent painkiller. Take it in conjunction with Ibuprofen. You can take 400mg Ibuprofen with Paracetamol at 500mg four times a day. That will sort you out.
RobinBhoy
ASoD
The media are working overtime trying to unsettle everything in our build up to the final.
Watch it intensify in the next couple of weeks.
I am having nightmares regarding these two “extra” sets of all seeing eyes behind the goals.
St. Stivs has a point….there may be a mistake of gigantic proportions affecting Celtic.
Teuchter ár lá
ParanoidCSC
Robinbhoy
Already on solpudol 500mg paracetamol 30mg codeine as well as oxymoron and dicofenic.
Think ill leave the ibuprofen at the mo…. O)))
Watching the two eassdale brothers on bbc ,
Am I the only one who thought REGGIE & RONNIE ? :))
Oxynorm even….
BT
Is that , as well as the “tonic” wine?
Teuchter ár lá
leftclicktic
I was thinking more of the Chuckle Brothers-“To him, to me…”
please let them get a seat on the board. Will they share it?
I thought tweedledum and tweedledee – you wouldn ‘t want those two anywhere near your business
Doug & Dinsdale ??
Teuchter ar la
Must be one of the only Lanarkshire patrons not to have tasted the ole tonic vino
Leftclicktic @ 18.51
No.
Jimbo
roy croppie
If they have a deal to buy chuckles greens shares,I have a feeling he will stick to the said deal :))
leftclicktic
They’ll no worry Chuckles, I’ll bet he’s woke up next to worse than a horse’s head! :)
BT
Awe C’mon, Not even in a sausage, pie or tablet variety :)
Teuchter ár lá
dumb & dumber or bumb & bummer who in their right mind would consider sevco shares?
teuchter ár lá
We just need to go out and score 4 or 5 then.