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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67 H
jeezo!
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
15:54 on
9 May, 2013
Where do sevconians buy their strips………Tevco.? ….. Bye
That HAS to be the RUBBISHIEST joke I’ve ever read on here….
Big Yogi bagged by Hartlepool
Over an above the sense of unbridled joy-mixed-with-relief one will forever associate with that day, an abiding memory I have of that glorious afternoon was the almost suffocating atmosphere at Celtic Park before and during most of the game.
The outcome had that sort of significance on the lives of so many of us [and yes, I know, it’s a game of football we’re talking about].
Befforehand, my chest was so tight through trepidation that, with my seat being on the top deck, jungle side, the climb up the stairs to the concourse seemed like scaling the Himalayas without the benefit of oxygen. Every step was harder than the one before.
Worse: I have never seen so much nervous cigarette smoke as when I got to the top-tier concourse.
So glad that I will always be able to say: ‘I know, because I was there …’
FF
Smashy….you got your transport arrangements sorted for tomorrow night yet?
Some numpty just posted on facebook that everton want mcmoist and smith as management team. … need to go change my drawers.
These stoopid zombies are so deluded
dancingbhoy
14:46 on 9 May, 2013
Ref you mentioned was Bobby Tait and I am very sure the extra extra time added still haunts him! Killie scorer Ally Mitchell?
3sy….is yer tongue no’ wurkin?
Felt quite emotional watching the highlights posted earlier.
Was at the beamback for the Dunfermline game and remember the frustration at the end. Especially since the sun was shining, and it seemed like the scene was set.
For the st Johnston game we were in the Lisbon lions end waiting for our permanent seat to be built in the Jock Stein stand. The sun was shining again. Henk’s goal was stunning but the place fair erupted when Brattbak made the game safe.
Always thought Harald was a quality striker. He had a great first season then lost his confidence. He still managed ten goals though in Wims season and his place in Celtics’s history is safe.
‘The Wayne Biggins factor’ (for me) just proves and reinforces the oft missed and misunderstood gap between being a relatively good player (at local/non-league/junior) and playing/performing well at the ‘highest level’……….
Many moons ago, we had a pre-season friendly game against Kings Lynn and (I) watched the boy Wiggins warming up (whilst I am tying on my bandages), he is playing ‘keepie uppy’ from a height; killing it stone dead and immediately under control, and thought this guy is different class (think his brother also played that day)……….
Fast forward a few years, and “really TBM, that guy Biggins (you told us about, (he had just signedfor the Tic)) is gash”……. Hard to argue really……….
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
MattE
What do you call a painter & decorator who likes to pretend he’s conducting an orchestra while he’s working?
Moyes confirmed 6 year contract
Moyes just been confirmed by MUFC as MUFC manager with a 6 year deal, according to SSN
According to Alex Thompson on twitter, the sevco story will be next week now as he’s off to the Middle East.
We’re gonae have to wait!
Aaaaggghhhh!
“@Sir_Barold_QC: Still no Sevco news? @alextomo”
“@alextomo: @Sir_Barold_QC next week – have to go to Mid-East Sat/Sun”
Bayern Munich to return price of all tickets sold this season citing lack of competition as reason.
A grand gesture that was easy to make on the back of CL earnings.
Such arrogance has a tendency to blow up in people’s faces though.
Get yer money on Dortmund for the final!
Why does that fud Jim White have to shout?
Wonderfull day was a steward at celtic park that day north stand will always remember that day before i left for cyprus to live ,crazy day nearly left without my £16.back in bearsden now.aw well back to lurking.
HH
Big Davie Moyes… was he a player with the hoops or not….?
Mmmm remember him as eh no bad…!
smashingmilkbottles
Stuart Slater was no a bad wee player, just didn’t hit it off with us.
HAIL HAIL..
Moyes on a 6 year deal. Good lord.
Seems the crazies are not only to be found in the Newcastle boardroom.
If you were 6′ 4″ tall and had one leg half an inch shorter than the other, what circumference to the nearest mile would the circle be when you drunkenly set off on a walk you thought was going to be straight?
MickTT
Stuart Slater had the most amazing performance against Rangers at Celtic Park where he hit everything but the back of ther net. It destroyed his confidence.
Harald had a similar match against them when he could easilly have scored a hat trick but was thwarted time and time again by a fat goalie wearing what looking like knee pads.
These games can make or break players. Although Harald scored a league winning goal he never really fully recovered. The strange thing was that Henrik was quoted as saying Harald was one of his favourite strike partners. A very intelligent man on and off the pitch.
LB
…..sorry….that should have read “one leg half an inch LONGER than the other”
Late here…………Keep it Lit………
Martin Kane, you are in our thoughts…………
TBM
Everton new manager, who will it be? reckon newcastle will be after one as well come end of season.
GerryBhoy
16:04 on
9 May, 2013
Moyes just been confirmed by MUFC as MUFC manager with a 6 year deal, according to SSN
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A mistake in my view,cannot believe with the amount of talent available they have appointed a non achiever albeit a nice enough guy.
Not that I really care.
oh……and its the right leg…
…thats shorter…
…wait…..was it longer?…or was that the left?….
Rieperman
Read that earlier but surely it has to be made up. Here is the entire story:
——————————————
Bayern Munich have sensationally announced a plan to refund the price of all tickets sold this season, citing an embarrassing lack of competition on all fronts. Bayern wrapped up the Bundesliga title in early April with a 20-point lead over second-place Borussia Dortmund and just one loss all season. They have also reached the DFB Pokal final and Champions League final, where they will face Dortmund after beating Barcelona by an aggregate score of 7-0 in the semifinals. Now, they will return the money of all fans who attended matches this season.
“This season has already been very successful for us,” Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness told reporters. “But it has not been very sporting. When you win most every game by many goals, you must ask if the fans are getting value for their money. And since we do not see supporters as house cats to be milked, we have decided to refund their money for what has turned out to be a season of one-sided exhibitions. After all, no one should have to pay to watch someone play FIFA 13 on amateur difficulty and clearly we do not need their money anyway. I certainly don’t want it. I don’t pay taxes, so I already have more money than I know what to do with. We are not greedy like the English.”
Bundesliga clubs have won widespread praise for their reasonable pricing model and inclusive philosophy — a marked difference from the business-first approach of the Premier League. Though Bayern’s unprecedented refund offer takes that reputation to a new level, Hoeness, who had his offer to resign turned down after admitting to tax evasion, remains hopeful that things will be different next season.
“The team we built is simply too good,” he continued. “This is why we are bringing in Pep Guardiola next season. Hopefully with a manager less experienced than Jupp Heynckes who cares more about possession than scoring hundreds of goals, there will be closer matches and more drama on the pitch. If not, we will have the players do actual work by cleaning the homes of ticket holders after matches.”
————————————————
It’s bound to be made up isn’t it? If not, it has to go down as the most arrogant statement from any football club anywhere.
Mort
Mort
Would that be Rooneys wages?
Burghbhoy and his wife went to the dentist. “I want a tooth pulled,
and I don’t want novacaine because I’m in a big hurry, he boldly proclaimed. “Just extract the tooth as quickly as possible, and we’ll be on our way.” The dentist was quite impressed.
“You’re certainly a courageous bhoy,” he said. “Which tooth is it?” He turned to his wife
and said, “Show him your tooth, hen.”
Teuchter ár lá
At first I was mightily surprised at Moyes getting a 6 year deal. I still am tbh…. But listening to all the spoilt b***ard Man U fans last night, having the guy binned in December before he’d even got the job, I think the board are saying; ‘he’s here for the long haul, get used to it…..’
Harald made fantastic runs for a midfielder or fellow striker to pass the ball to,he missed a few 1 on 1s and his confidence was never the same.
Of course it’s a hoax.
There is only one club where an official would openly admit to not paying tax!
WGS
16:19 on
9 May, 2013
Everton new manager, who will it be? reckon newcastle will be after one as well come end of season.
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Your earlier question ” Could it be NL”
I would not be surprised as he was making ” family ” comments plus some of his behavior and its timing, plus the recent violation of an already imposed ban,made no sense to me,irrespective of provocation.
As someone at Dingwall said ” Is he working his ticket”.
I like him as a fan like me,and he has a huge connection with the Club,however I think he believes he is better tactically than he is,and his inability to see the need to change is a failing.
I would prefer he stayed and learned,but his ego may determine he wants to go.
This profile is not dis-similar to MON,although family illness was always a factor in his case.
Martinez for Everton odds drifting, not odds on any more. Lennon, Neville & Pereira odds shortening.
31003
Enlighten me…..