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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- ...
- 29
- »
New supposed Celtic Shirt is a photoshop of this http://t.co/XaEL0z6WOF
Via twitter
Henrik
Was that not juve?
Still hallucinating on these opiates
couple of wee things re; st johnstone day…final whistle goes and ma wee da produces a hip flask with scotlands finest in it, am thinking fly ould so and so..when this steward comes over and say’s excuse me pal, ma da turns round and the steward whispers in his ear “gies a wee swally”,magic…also that night we went to the clada club in Westmorland st to see gary og, the place is going tonto, when gary asks for silence, you could hear a pin drop, as gary starts dialing on a mobile, he puts it to the mike as the other end answers “hello louden bar” cue bedlam…as I remember we had to fight our way all along Westmorland st from Alison st, what a night..I THINK.
hen1rik,
uproar will follow when the fans find out we have a new badge!
Liverpool FC@Anfield_Road962m
Newcastle fans have started a #PardewForEverton campaign haha! #EFC #NUFC
Away top looks great, looks like brazil yellow to me.
Where were the Easedales when David Murray began desperately looking for a buyer?
Where were they when Craig Whyte bought Rangers for one pound?
Where were they last summer when people like Hibs man Brian Kennedy and Sheffield United supporter Charles Green were desperately trying to stave off liquidation?
Have they only just become lifelong Rangers fans?
got told over the week-end that those easdale dudes are no more than a front for some other gangster from the paisley area, maybe some of our CQNers from that neck of the woods could enlighten us..
I was at the Amsterdam arena for the qualifier against ajax and who was sittin in the same row clapping away….OUR WIM..
TTTT
50 shades of green
Bhoy67
Baku/Black Isle Celt
TET
time for change
Mhark67
voguepunter…….it was flowing towards the Baltic, so it was Baltic :)
Appreciated everyone, there’s so much doom n gloom around us, stories of horrific events worldwide and closer to home so it’s good to share the positive,happy, good news stories to remind us that in an instant we’re human. My son didn’t know who this man was, his nationality, his creed or his colour were of no relevance to the task at hand……and that is as it should be….wiz aw he hid tae say.. HH
In homage to Not The View – They Embarrassed the Hoops, here’s my team based on my 40 odd years of watching……(433)
Carl Muggleton
Roy Kay Du Wei Willie Gardner Frank Munro
Stuart Slater Martin Hayes Regi Blinker
Wayne Biggins Tony Cascarino Jim Melrose
masty is neil lennon
I was at Wims first games when we played that tournament in Dublin. Beat off Derry City in the first game much to the derry fans amazement. Was like winning the league for them.
Beaten in the 2nd game by PSV on penalties. JP McBride missed the crucial spot kick. Di Canio’s last game in a Celtic shirt. He had a helluva bad start but a great end to his Celtic managerial career!
LB
Greetings once again from Benavista bowling club. Just back from Estapona. I was walking along Estapona promenade cutting a ‘fine’ figure in my Celtic top when I heard someone call my name. No one less than a mate I went to school with, over 40 years ago. Mind you it made a change from running into him at Celtic away European games. It’s a small world but I wouldn’t want to have to paint it.
Is their any possibility that Lennon could go to Everton, seriously?
Subs….
John Dowie / Rafael Schiet (sp) / Ian Andrews
http://www.managers.com can sort out the positions/roles for this team of STARS…………..
Robert Auld
William Semple Brown Wallace
Peter William Latchford
Thomas Burns
Peter Andrew Beardsley
Niall John Quinn
Dion Dublin
Adam Bruckner
Daniel Ben Murphy
Stiliyan Alyoshev Petrov
Craig Douglas Bellamy…………………………..
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
SmashingMilkBottles
I always think it is harsh on Biggins to be included in these teams. He should never have even been there.
No Raphael in your side? I would have Bangura before Biggins in my team. The boy doesn’t even look like a footballer for the money spent on him.
LB
SmashingMilkBottles
15:26 on
9 May, 2013
In my 40+ years of attendance I would go for the following players who we signed from other teams:
Ian Andrews
Roy Kay Frank Munro Willie Garner Joe Fillipi
Martin Hayes John Dowie Willo Flood
Wayne Biggins Tony Cascarino Stuart Slater
LiviBhoy
agree on Mo Bangura…
here’s ma Rangers (RIP) team,
(433)
Dob
Dobby / Dobsworth / DirtyDob / McDob
Mason / McMason / Handshake / Schooljaegotae
Referee / John “polaris” mcDonald / Linesman
Kayal33
No Gary Gillespie? How much did he make out of the club for a few appearances?
We have had some shockers to pull on the Hoops. Cascarino was a strange one. Seemed to bang them in everywhere else.
LB
…emmdy spot the mistake wae ma Deid team?
Naw?
Ok….you and RCO will be friends….
SmashingMilkBottles
I thought the extra player was part of the joke. Laughed my heid aff so a did!
LB
Somebody posted a pic of our supposed new away strip which I am told is a photoshopped spoof. Pity as I really liked it. Certainly a lot better than that black and grey thing. Whoever photoshopped it has got a lot more taste than the guy who designed that one IMO.
Paul, I haven’t read back but I’m sure the 9/10 advert was Nike and not McEwan’s liquid rat poison. The main feature of the ad was the Nike Swoosh that looks like a tick.
On the evening of that wonderful day I was driving my family on the north Glasgow side of the M8. It seemed that every window in every house on all sides were flying the tricolour, even flagpoles in gardens. Why are there so many Italian flags flying? my wife asked. She is English!
The Spirit of Arthur Lee
That’s a fake account.
Mort
Tebily wasn’t tebily good
As a Neil Lennon fan I can say that although I would be disappointed if he left I dont think it would be the end of the world. If he goes I wouldnt mind seeing some Spanish/Portugese type football at Celtic Park next season. We could afford to lose one or two games as our new “style” bedded in. Now……what’s the name of the current Malaga manager again?
Gordon Marshall was the worst keeper I have seen play for Celtic. He then left us and played a blinder every game against us!!!
LB
Mort
Removed Thanks
Just saw Wayne Rooney going into Ross Hall
SMB. TC Naylor???
3sy…
Spanish & portuguese teams play in Europe….
Livibhoy
Aye!….They called him Tony Goal in France!
Teuchter ár lá
MattE
I’m currently waitin oan Emus team whom I’m sure will have TC Naylor in it….
……….some people love showing off their “d” O level in geography education standards….
Where do sevconians buy their strips………Tevco.? ….. Bye
MattE
15:50 on 9 May, 2013
Just saw Wayne Rooney going into Ross Hall
….oooerrrr….his missus will be upset…..