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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Awe can I say, do I want “Rangers” deid….. or more deider…
Are they not?
Yes…
Never ever ever
blantyretim
I assume that is not an answer lol…
Not to you micktt. O))
blantyretim
18:52
Oxynorm even….
How’s the recuperation going?
Be careful if you go onto Ibuprofen (was on max doseage for the disc damage) – plays havoc with you stomach – best taken with or after food.
Thanks for your help – making slow progress. Will email you when sorted.
H!H!
Also on the wireless they ignore Mr Moyes’ manager of year awards…mebbe they don’t count either in sevconia?
Bhoy from U.N.C.L.E
In one.
The real question is who on the deady bears board will be Spiny Norman to the Easdale’s Pirahna Bros?
Aye!
I’m old enough to remember the days when we used to score 6 against the Hibs in finals :)
TAL
If the Easdales get hold if the big house then I would suggest the fun – far from being over – is just about to begin!!
oh yes, the memories. Brilliant
KINGLuBO
Last post to ASoDan
Evening all
Been reading the blog since I got in.
15 years since we stopped 10-in-a-row. Is it really 15 years since I first used a mobile phone?
I used the mobile – belonging to Andy from Lisburn – to let my lovely Jacqui know that I might be a bit late home. She was not surprised -and sounded fairly tipsy already.
The week from the moment we drew at East End was fairly awful – but it did have one event that is my definition of ‘putting things in perspective’ . My mum had a high speed blowout on the A8 , wrote off her car and walked unhurt from the wreckage.
My three mates- Andy, Ray and Pablopanque’s bro Tony – decided to play it calm and go for a civilised lunch , Belgian beers and meaningless discussions about who would win the upcoming World Cup.
The game was hellish – actually got worse after Henrik scored- as it seemed inevitable Saints would sclaff an equaliser. And the Haraald – whom we all thought Wim’s worst signing – slotted home. The helicopter circling overhead as the game neared its end was – and is- one of those sweet moments of realisation.
Seem to remember that a certain amount of sparkling wine, beer, laphr
How come Owen Coyle is getting such abuse on here? He’s a lifelong Celtic supporter who has never uttered a word against us.
Laphroaig was consumed and that the glorious Jac wasn’t too worried when I crashed home at some ungodly hour.
H x 2
Jimbo
Almost forgot to mention. I was at the first game dearest Lubo played, Dundee if my memory serves me right. Half way through the game the guy next to me said, Hey, that£650 thousand quid guy looks ok,hmmm, if only he knew,eh.
We all love Lubo, especially wee me!!
KINGLuBO
to all you CQNers that listen to SSB what do you think about when you here the ad during the break asking “what’s the 1st thing you think about when you here ian skelly”?
Jimbo67
See whit happens when you get intae the loe Laphraoig ;)
Teuchter ár lá
I asked earlier have any of you heard that the easdales being a front for another
Having watched some clips of the league win in ’98 today, how enjoyable to see the Sportscene team picked especially hoping we’d trip up was: Dougie Donnelly, Gordon Smith and Rob Mclean…oh how they squirmed.
SmellthegloveCSC
phyllis dietrichson:
Absolutely, it’s his mum I can’t abide…
Teaucher ar la
Terrible stuff. Doesn’t agree with me. Few do. Favourite drop!
Jimbo
31003
16:55 on 9 May, 2013
WGS
16:52 on
9 May, 2013
Forgot Steve Bruce. Lot of time for this guy but doubt he’d leave Hull.
DO WE REALLY WANT A GUY WITH A BENT NOSE IN CHARGE OF OUR CLUB?….sometimes…
This is a guy without a clue. Any success he has had was purely accidental. He is an “old fashioned” type of leader and is not in any way connected to modern fitba processes. Just IMO.
HH
Gerry
The Driscoll Brothers at hateville. The world is your lobsterCSC. HH
Walter Smith for Everton with Super Sally and McDowell as assistance
So aul, Fergie’s retirement has led to a Management merry-go-round.
Well done to David Moyes who has earned, through seasons of loyalty and consistency, the right to England’s top job.
Interesting then that when Mr Moyes was connected with a return to Celtic, the blog was pretty under-whelmed
And now our Head Coach is caught in the midst of this speculation.
I hope and believe, Lenny will be our Manager next season.
But don’t want to miss out on the speculation.
SO
Say Neil wanted to go and went with our blessing…
What next…
Well if I was King I would push the boat out and secure the services of R Benitez.
A master of Europeans campaigns, just saying like.
In Lenny we trust.
Well done to David Moyes and I wish him every success.
Right Ghuys; did Sir Alex ever put in writing why he turned down the Rangers job, while he was at Aberdeen?
NL 6/4 Paddy Power,2/1 W Hills for Everton job….
robinbhoy
18:47 on 9 May, 2013
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
Co-Drydamol. The business
!!bada bing!!
19:36 on 9 May, 2013
NL 6/4 Paddy Power,2/1 W Hills for Everton job….
You are a naughty boy. Do you know the boy McGrath? Or his dad
Just logged in and scanning back. Can’t believe there is a discussion on who Lenny’s replacement should be. We slaughter the media for speculation about EPL clubs wanting our manager, then start speculating ourselves about his replacement, from Owen Coyle to Steve Bruce and more.
I think Lenny will leave Celtic eventually – obviously – but not for a while yet. Maybe another 2 or 3 seasons. He covets this job and fought so hard to get it. I can’t imagine him jumping at this stage in his managerial career.
Gretnabhoy-Probably in his autobiography?
gretnabhoy
19:34 on 9 May, 2013
Right Ghuys; did Sir Alex ever put in writing why he turned down the Rangers job, while he was at Aberdeen?
He probably did but knowing that mob, McCoist eat it. No evidence and all that.
Gretnabhoy
19:34 on
9 May, 2013
Right Ghuys; did Sir Alex ever put in writing why he turned down the Rangers job, while he was at Aberdeen?
I believe that he has been quoted as saying that he could not have faced his Catholic wife.
Tom McLaughlin
11:23 on
9 May, 2013
I don’t see how the media linking Neil Lennon with a possible move to Everton can be construed as anti-Celtic reporting. Surely if there is a top job in England up for grabs, the top managers are automatically listed as potential candidates, and if Lenny is quoted in that company, it is a compliment to him and indeed Celtic FC.
How can Lenny being linked in the media possibly have an adverse effect of how the players perform in the Cup Final? Does he tuck them up in bed at night and read them a story?
I just don’t see the problem with speculation about our manager being wanted by top EPL clubs.
Tom McLaughlin
19:37 on
9 May, 2013
Just logged in and scanning back. Can’t believe there is a discussion on who Lenny’s replacement should be. We slaughter the media for speculation about EPL clubs wanting our manager, then start speculating ourselves about his replacement, from Owen Coyle to Steve Bruce and more.
I think Lenny will leave Celtic eventually – obviously – but not for a while yet. Maybe another 2 or 3 seasons. He covets this job and fought so hard to get it. I can’t imagine him jumping at this stage in his managerial career.
Selective amnesia?
phyllis dietrichson
He made it plain he considered the SPL beneath him when he was riding high at Bolton.
On the stoping ten in a row,
Was staying in airdrie at the time
Me and my mate Neil sitting
Listening to the radio, big
Bottle of champers on the table.
Bedlam ensued, ended up
Down at. The Mint in Coatbridge
What a night, great memories.
Ms Brnobhoy came to meet me
At memory lane later that night,
To this day she wished she
Hadn’t bothered
SpeakinggiberishbuthavingagreattimeCSC
brnobhoy
Bada Bing:
Your sworn to secrecy, can you give us a clue?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
NL 4/5 for Everton job W Hills,the Next Manager betting market can be volatile…..