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.
[calameo code=000390171179f475cf1c0 lang=en page=1 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,078 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- »
summa
hope its a good night…
DBBIA
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobic is such a cruel word,a bit like “lisp” whose sufferers are likely to refer to it as a “withp”
Regards Lennie being ODD ON!
Did someone not say yesterday that it can only take a £50 bet on the High Street to change odds???
If that’s the case these prices do not represent ‘the bookies are never wrong’ scenario.
No7 GREENHEAD HIGH b g Statue Of Liberty – Artistry (Night Shift) must be an omen in the lucky last at Hamilton tonight FAV
swatson Neil Lennon’s 6ft skinny twin!
The bookies are rarely wrong but I think the Everton job is wide open. I can’t see Neil Lennon taking it. I don’t see Malky MacKay Taking it either. The guy who has hopped jobs most recently and is not fitting all that well at his current club is Paul Lambert. I reckon Everton could do a lot worse than trying to get him on board. He would do very well at Everton. Would depend if he has a release clause but he has shown that he will move when a bigger job is available.
LB
Kayal33
Malky MacKay will be the next one to be approached if Martinez rejects it (which he won’t).
Laudrup is out of the running due to the compensation factor.
Everton are so skint, they make SevCo look like PSG.
Now much of a buy out clause have we got for Lenny?
Am I right in thinking Nada?
If you want to keep your valuables safe, you keep the door locked.
12 month rolling contract or being taken for granted?
Now… How
I’d have O’Neil back..
TMWTL……….
Thanks.
Confirmation of what Neil and we are up against.
Horrible hurtin’ huns………
Natknow
Been lurking there….agree regarding BBC. I think Richard Gordon is reasonable and I like ‘Biscuits’ Preston.
The rest I can do without and that includes Tam (Bigot) Cowan who tries to be all things to all men on and off radio.
Anyway….off out just now. will scan back later.
Kayal33
Fully agree re Mackay.
Don’t know if this has been posted. But Lenny for Everton is 100% true. Owen Coyle’s Granny was talking to a mates Mum. Seems Owen is our new manager. Hail Hail
tictaewin
Why?
The way we work now is very different from Martin’s day..
And the danger would be that Martin would come back and it wouldn’t work and then all those memories would be diminished..
Not for me, let the past be the past..
tictaewin
We couldn’t afford the players Martin would want.
.
BlantyreTim..
Course it will be a Good Night..
I Put it on Twitter that AT will be there with stuff that will have People Foaming at the Mouth..down their Pints..
I will wait till the Q&A has statred before l say; Archie Tunnoch is Supplying Tunnocks Tea Cakes..
Ooofft..
Off Oot..
Ps..Buy Ole KevJ a Shager Landy from Moi..
Summa of TunnieRulesCSC
starry plough
I agree with that. I wouldn’t take MON back. He seems to have lost his way a wee bit in management.
I would like to see MON take a job with a big club who need to get back in the EPL. A Wolves, Bolton, Forest etc. I think that is his forte. Taking a club who are down and out and turning them around. He is all about man management and instilling belief. We are on a sound footing and need stability and consistency. I don’t think Neil will leave in any event but when he does I would prefer us to recruit from within or get someone who has a similar character to Neil Lennon. A bit like Man Utd just did with Moyes to replace SAF.
LB
I can;t believe Everton are not even looking at Scotland’s manager of the year for their job …
I’m in no hurry to change manager.
What is interesting is that thanks to the efforts of NFL the Celtic job is seen as attractive again, which is completely different than when NFL was appointed, and the usual suspects were queuing up to say how disinterested they were.
If I were on the Everton board I would see Malky McKay as less of a risk than NFL.
Dontbrattbakkinanger
Malky will get more dough to spend at Cardiff than he will at Goodison.
LB
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Kano 1000:
I was in the Queens Park Café that very same day, before and after the game. The guy who climbed the lamppost did so with a tri-colour and it was the lamppost on the corner back towards Hampden.
Proudbhoy
The fact BT are challenging Sky can only be good for the consumer.
The broadband package includes SPL,,ESPN,and football from other countries
including Germany apart from the overated EPL.
On the odds discussion.
The next ” manager of whoever market” is seldom a guide.
There were 20 favs for the Man Utd job since 2002 including Sven & David O Leary.
If the appointment process is followed correctly few are in the loop while many
will claim to have heard “whispers”.
Bookies love “whispers”.
NFL will still be Celtic manager next season.IMO. HH
Gordon_j, BT sports is £12 on Sky, but free is you have BT broadband, might be changing broadband provider soon
Lenny, if you’re lurking, don’t go.
adi_dasler
10:11 on 10 May, 2013
Natknow
Been lurking there….agree regarding BBC. I think Richard Gordon is reasonable and I like ‘Biscuits’ Preston.
The rest I can do without and that includes Tam (Bigot) Cowan who tries to be all things to all men on and off radio.
I’m amazed the BBC employ Cowan. Some of his racist remarks are shocking. A caller tried to bring this up a few weeks ago in the midst of the Charles Green remarks about Ahmad but was cut off for referring to Cowans use of the word “chi**k” in reference to a “joke” about Du Wei. So the BBC re happy to cut off a caller who makes reference to Cowan’s racism but apparently happy with Cowan’s racist remark in the first place. Go figure.
Oddschecker currently showing 14 online bookies with prices for the Everton job, NFL is favourite at all of them (joint with Martinez on one) and odds on with 5 of the 14.
As with most on here, I hope he stays. No obvious candidate to replace him.
MJM
Livibhoy- why are Everton skint?
THey’ve had big TV money for years; they’ve not spent a lot on players/ground improvement/wages.
A mini-mystery.
tom mclaughlin-not a bother mate,we can all be quick on the trigger on here at times.HH.
Any truth that Mjallby heading back to Sweden in the summer?
bada bing becomes bang bang
I would expect some of Davie Moyes’s better players to follow him which leaves the new manager the task of getting some cash from Everton to replace them with similar quality, Baines and Fellani for instance, whoever takes the job will have to start collecting cans in Liverpool straight away!!
I can’t see Neil leaving right in the middle of the re-building of Celtic’s Euro reputation, I would hope he would want to finish the job he has started..
Doc is Neil Lennon.
Is that confirmed? Was thinking of changing.
WGS
If he passes Henrik coming this way I wouldn’t mind much…
He’s started to drift out a wee bit actually.
Probably no good at the ole trotting round the paddock:)
Dontbrattbakkinanger
Walter Myth blew a fortune. I don’t think they have enough facilities for the prawn sandwich brigade. That generates the big cash. I have been to Everton for the Southall testimonial. Found their fans very friendly. Good club but their stadium needs upgrading. Kenwright is running the club but by it’s means. They are not spending huge money. Badly run for years beforehand I think.
LB
Only player Moyes will take is Leighton Baines
Dontbrattbakkinanger
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/apr/18/premier-league-finances-club-by-club
Phil Neville says he leaving Everton as a player only a few weeks ago. He would be their cheapest option!