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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Re goodbye ten in a row – was in Bairds during and after the match. Packed to the gunnels in there, even during the game, but moved round the room, and everyone hugged everyone. Special day indeed. After the 90s, and seeing TB, who had the better of the Myth by a mile, being cheated by those bassas in every manner they could think of, it meant a lot. Always think of TB and the Maestro though, who deserved so much more from the stinkin FA.
Anyway, will never forget it. What a party.
———-
Bada Bing,
I heard Nicholas say that last year. Is he still saying it?? It makes me think that Jeff Stelling hasn’t told him because he can’t differnentiate between goblet and gauntlet when spoken by a weegie accent. But why hasn’t Jim White told him?? My theory is that Charlie got the expression from Jim White :)))
I posted here last year about SAF, he was on my flight coming back from New York, the guy next to me asked the air hostes to take a menu to him to sign for his boy who had just been to his first MU game the week before.
He got the menu back with a full letter all about the game and what his thoughts were abut the game and why he made the substitutions that changed the game, and then a really nice part to to the boy about how he hoped he enjoyed the game and would continue to follow football.
Brnobhoy
Apparently the, ahem, “independent” commission has found Green had no links with Whyte.
As you were…
Fortunes Favour Mibbes-I heard Tam Cowan saying it about CN
According to Hunmedia Green is off the hook and they want him back ..
Charles Green has been found not guilty of links with disgraced ex-Ibrox chief Craig Whyte in a report commissioned by the club.
ItaliaBhoy@20:54
Haha. No surprises there eh?
Although i’d imagine the hefty bill from PM will wait a while before being paid.
Why would Lenny want to go to a middle ranking club like Everton who will never spend the megabucks needed to seriously challenge the behemoths of English football in an overrated league? Moyes has done brilliantly there and the best his successor can hope for is top 6-8.
Lenny can build a dynasty at Celtic and compete in the Champions League every season.
A no-brainer.
All of Ladbrokes/Wm Hill/Paddy Power are now making Lenny favourite for Everton job.
If there was no link why resign?
Were Craigy’s tapes made up?
A commission finding no links is not the same thing as none existing.
I wonder how the media guys who rounded on Green will react to this commission.
Personally I’m delighted Green got a clean bill of health. It keeps the soap opera running for another few months.
Bada Bing,
Must be a ludge thing, that Charlie’s inncocently picked up from a studio somewhere in the past then :)
The winds of change eh?
A butterfly flaps its wings in Swalex’s garden and there’s a tsunami at Govan Marina and Super Mega Casino.
The ships there already ratless.
As a crumpled Gregg’s poke blows steadily past the marble steps of the Megiddo.
u
I’d be gutted if Lenny leaves, I simply hope he stays, and builds on the success we have enjoyed for the last couple of seasons.
So Green had no links with Whyte? “You are Sevco?”
The recording was fake then?
Will anything ever stick to these guys?
Corkcelt-16/1 to 7/4 fav on Skybet
iPaddy
Don’t think Lenny will leave – I’d like him to be here for the long term (AF style) – but if he does go, there is no doubt it will be down to the football establishment here. He has a family to think about. Another legacy for Salmond and Edinburgh juries to consider, though I won’t hold my breath.
I can hear Craigy Bhoy opening his large library of audio tapes……..
Re The “Green cleared” story, the guy who printed that story is a bit of a loose cannon Hun who runs a blog called CelticNewco, he is not a reliable source so I wouldn’t get bothered either way by this rumour.
“THERE IS ONLY ONE TEAM IN GLASGOW” aka “@67MOULDY67″ 20:36:
1998, what a year for Lennybhoy’s Family. We stopped 10-in-a-row. As well as her day job, Mrs. LB had a wee part-time job stewarding at CP, worked the Main Stand where I sat at that time.She worked the Lounges looking after Corporate. Her last shift was the St. Johnstone game as she was about three months pregnant. She came down to my seat at F-T, said I guess I won’t be seeing you tonight, well sober anyway. She then slipped me £40 and told me to enjoy myself.
On returning to my Hometown of ML5 I have never experienced such scenes in all my days the Streets were lined with those wearing the green and white. Whifflet was wall to wall green and white and there was a parade as well.
Nearly forgot Mrs LB brought LB Junior into the world on 10th December 1998, we love our Bhoy, we love Celtic. Thanks to Henrik and Harald we stopped 10-in-a-row. Harald’s contribution should not be underestimated by the way, without his goals, we may never have stopped them.
Cheerio to 10-in-a-row, cheerio to 10-in-a-row…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Doc.
With you as regards lenny but couldn’t blame him if he left.
No manager has had to put up with bigots, bad press and referees like lenny.
It can’t be easy constantly worrying about the safety of your family on top of it all.
Green admitted defrauding Whyte…..how on earth can they not be linked …risible
http://celticnewco.l…l.com/3474.html
Health Warning, above is the link to the “Green cleared” story. Site run by hurting Hun. Large pinch of salt at the ready.
I don’t care what the wires say about Sevco, so far as everyone who is involved makes Hedy Lamar and his band of thiefs that dont need ” any stinking badges” look honest I will continue with my jelly and ice cream weekly delivery
Brnobhoy
Busted Flush, Feldman and Hee-Haw………………
………………thick-as-thieves
Sipsini,
Totally agree. If Lenny goes, it’s simply because he wants his family to grow up feeling safe.
The hun protection racket has done it’s job if he goes, and it will be our loss.
Without that nonsense, he’d be with us for the long term I think.
Still think he’ll be with us at least another couple of years, but the factor in all this you mentioned has got to be the big one for him.
As long as he doesn’t end up at Chelsea! Wherever he goes will be my second team. Never had a second team before too :)
corkcelt
21:09 on 9 May, 2013
Re The “Green cleared” story, the guy who printed that story is a bit of a loose cannon Hun who runs a blog called CelticNewco, he is not a reliable source so I wouldn’t get bothered either way by this rumour.
Don’t know about that, he was the one who said no titles would be stripped and he was advised by a great source.
Sipsini, no I couldn’t blame him if he left, but until he does I don’t want to think about who would fill his shoes. That’s not to criticise those who do, opinion speculation and all that is what the blog is for, Personally I just don’t want to contemplate the man who has endured so much on our behalf, he has and it was, leaving.
Football is a roller-coaster
When Neil Lennon was being threatened with death – as as a consequence (IMO)not performing at the level required I was not a big fan – I wanted him to go for his sake – no man can work under that pressure
But he did
NOW however after the way he has matured and acted as a dignified manager of our club – not forgetting the results – I would be really unhappy if he left
67ECW
Of course Green is squeaky clean…….
and Sally is a top manager………..
and all their fans are handsome devils………….
I’m sure Campbell and Sandy at the SFA will rubber stamp the ahem “Independent” Inquiry.
If Lenny goes will he try to bring FF/Hooper/Big Vic with him. Will he pay top dollar for them. Come on Lenny buy the 3 for 40 million, take a years sabbatical at Everton and come back and have all that dosh to spend.
9th May 1998
Remembered well. Worked in bookies at time, but thankfully in quiet branch near Victoria rd, so as branch manager was listening to game on radio. Can remember i had a fellow Celtic fan working with me that day, a lady in her 50’s (i was 28).
Anyway, the week before, i went to work as usual wearing a suit but took a change of clothes as plans were made to meet mates to celebrate league win….only for THAT equaliser from the Pars. Went home well pissed off after work.
So, one week later, superstitious me went to work in suit…took no change of clothes…made no plans to meet anyone after work/game.
I could feel the tension build up all week…my stomach in knots as i went to work on the 9th.
Larsson’s early goal brought a loud cheer from me and colleage.
Nerves shredded as radio described open goal chance for saints!!
Biggest cheer when Harold sunk 2nd goal. Tension started to ease with 2 goal cushion…waiting impatiently for final whistle. Eventually it came.
Yeeeeeeesssssss!!!!!!!!!!
Shop closed at 5.30 in those days, i think. I remember letting colleage go whilst i locked up. Arranged to meet her in Queens Pk Cafe (pub on Victoria Rd), but by time i got there it was a lock in. No chance of getting in as it was packed to the gunnels.
Went around the corner and waited 15 mins in queue to get into billy mcneills pub on Torrisdale St.
Spent another 10 mins waiting to get served…bar was that busy…ended up ordering 2 bottles Miller so i didn’t need to wait again too soon.
I can remember standing, singing in pub…but for 1st time in my life, i couldn’t drink!!!
My stomach was still in knots front early in week…s much that i felt like being sick every time i took a mouthful. Ended up putting 2 half full bottles down and leaving them.
Being born ibm 1969, i can honestly say that was the most important day in my Celtic life to date.
Feeling of relief was as great if not greater than feeling of celebration.
Wife couldn’t believe it when i got home sober!
Gerrybhoysmemoriesof8/5/98csc
henrik, That was a fifty/fifty bet. He got that one right but he has got plenty wrong as well.
why NFL would want to leave celtic for everton is beyond me, unless he likes the idea of making more money. that is the only thing everton can offer that celtic cannot, although, it should be remembered he will be taking home 600k per year before bonuses.
NFL is young and he has much to learn, he has a job that allows him to do this and he can lay the foundations for sustain success at home and in Europe. Do that job for the next 5 – 10 years then choose the club you want to manage a more experienced, rounded and proficient man manager and tactician.
or go to the EPL with everton, fight against teams you’ll never be able to match, or in other words go make more money for being a loser in a bigger league and wait for the axe to fall.
its a no-brainer if your a true celtic man
67ECW, I feel almost exactly the opposite, if he leaves now I will be gutted.
If he had left then I would have been devastated.
Devastated to live in a society where a man could be intimidated out of his job because of his nationality and/or religion.
I think he performed admirably in that period.
He is now also maturing into a fine manager, but he needed our support much more.
It infuriates me that almost nothing was made of it in the press, but why was I surprised.
HH.
Excathedra@ 20.51
Me & MattE had a few beers with big Johann after POTY in the Higdon baiting bar.
He was very forthright in various discussions.
Thinks Lenny is a better coach than MON
Lenny stuck his neck out for James Forrest when every other coach wanted to bin him
Thinks the money we pump into the academy could be better utilised in buying players
He was No.4 in Sweden at tennis youth before choosing fitba
Said the only time you should show emotion on a field is when you score
His best goal for Celtic was a left foot volley v Motherwell (I cannae remember it masel)
Told him that his goal v Dundee mid-week prior to beating St Mirren in 2001 was mine!
MON Is made for Everton!!
stephbhoy @ 21:27
It would be a no-brainer for Lenny if he didn’t have to worry about the safety of his family. Simple as that. I think he’s more than proved that he’s a true Celt, as you say. Anyway, I still think the bookies are wrong and he’s not going anywhere-but there was hints from someone on this site, if I remember rightly, who knows him better than most I think, that he might be for the off. Hope not.
Really worried about Neil going for the Everton job. He was the only rational choice for the job when he got it and he’s the only rational choice now. Please don’t go Neil, we need you!
Craiginho