Celtic went into the home first leg of their European Cup semi-final against Dukla Prague at 1-1. Two second half goals from Willie Wallace added to Jimmy Johnstone’s opener were enough to ensure a British team would eventually reach the final of Europe’s premier tournament. The return leg finished goalless.
The clubs met 14 years later in the Feyenoord Tournament, when two first half goals from Murdo McLeod secured a 2-1 win. Since then, European football has been robbed of its meritocratic principles, which allowed talented clubs a route to the top, no matter how rich or poor their domestic TV contract was. Nowhere has been so brutally robbed as east/central Europe.
The 1960s-through-80s saw teams from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia and Poland regularly dominate clubs from Scandinavia, south-eastern Europe, France, and occasionally, all comers. Eastern Europe remains one of the world’s most productive areas for developing talented footballers, but even the average ones are stolen for a pittance while still in their teens.
In the 60s, Dukla were a genuine leading light in the game, producing seven of the Czech team who collected runners-up medals to Pele’s Brazil in the 1962 World Cup, with peerless midfielder, Josef Masopust, picking up the European Player of the Year award that year. They would have fancied their chances against Celtic in ’67.
Where great tradition and sporting affection exists, so too does commercial opportunity. The people of east/central Europe just need to figure out how to harness it. Uefa are Europe’s maker of competitions. Their job is to establish the structures which allows great and successful sport to take place. A modern-day Jules Rimet is needed.
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hrvatski jim,
They’ll just add it to their existing debt, after all, were Barcelona not originally banned from signing players for two transfer windows?
whoneedsrulescsc
hamiltontim
13:22 on 11 July, 2014
Neymar will arrive a little later than the others …. \o/
HT
Efe will be knackered…Izzy should be ok
FF…he’ll be sold …I’d be surprised if he plays on guessed …I’m could be wrong..I’ll be surprised if I am
Barca got £35 mil for Sanchez
Suarez set to sign up at the ole Camp Gnaw.
Embdae know if any Celtic minded bars in Los Gigantes area in Tenerife?
Hamiltontim – I think Emilio and big Fraser are already there, not sure about Efe.
On the huns coming back, I really can’t get upset one way or the other about it. I just don’t think about them much anymore, they are beneath us and will be for a long time to come. The peeple they have in charge will bleed them dry and long may it continue. My only concern is if Celtic go along with the Old Firm thing, then I have decisions to make…
Los Gigantes
-100% celtic minded.
Fraser is there
Greenpinata
“We know they are deid.” then you go on to write “Normal service will resume one year from now, the “Old Firm” will be back open for business”
Are you trying to promote the lie?
There is NO old firm it died along with Rangers 1872 (IL) por cierto
Paul the Dukla Prague club we are playing this evening are in the same position as Sevco. The old Dukla team folded some years ago and I believe this team is a new club taking their name and colours, so I cant allow myself to relate with your comments about Masopust and other players from the team we played against in the sixties as it is like acknowledging that Sevco is the same club.
BSR- Love it :))
Dontbrattbakkinanger
13:44 on 11 July, 2014
Los Gigantes
-100% celtic minded.
_______________________________________
Shockin’, absoutely Shocking, but in a good way.
Something Fishy about this, IMO.
I know, I know… Genesis 1:28 is not at play here. All knowledge will be put onto the smallest chip possible, including all the findings from the Fish Shockers.
Hate to be pedantic Paul but did you not mean that we went into the second half of the opening tie 1-1 against Dukla.
Also, Brasil had to play without Pele in the tournament in Chile after he was injured against Czechoslovakia in the second game.
His replacement was called Amarildo who was one of the stars of the tournament and even scored in the final. After the tournament was over he went on to play for AC, Fiorentina and Roma.
Incidentally, for what it’s worth the Czechs only qualified after beating Scotland 4-1 aet in a play off in Brussels, Scotland were twice in the lead. Listened tae that game on my tranny in a science lab in St. Pats.
All 3 of the deid team wingers withdrew from the Scotland squad, henderson, scott and wilson, back up left winger Hugh Robertson of Dundee replaced the wee kilbarchan diver, however, instead of playing the official back up right winger Stevie Chalmers, former deid team and national captain mccoll now manager of the national side played deid team inside left ralph brand.
As my da said that night on hearing the result and circumstances “hell scud them”.
In preparation for the weekends WC games.
Have a laugh at this great wee video from Canada.
Worth watching to the end.
Music by Grieg too. :o)
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/07/09/330133378/flop-life-what-if-we-all-acted-like-we-were-in-the-world-cup?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social
Neymare Diving CSC
Bada,
And I’m guessing Fabregas wasn’t a bosman either.
meant to say Scotland lost 4-2 aet.
Tontine Tim
“Incidentally, for what it’s worth the Czechs only qualified after beating Scotland 4-1 aet in a play off in Brussels, Scotland were twice in the lead.”
Twice in the lead? That’s cleverer than getting pea and ham soup from a chicken
***LUNCHTIME QUIZ***
Since WWII seven Celtic players have played with the hoops in two spells. Name them.
***The rules of the game are always the same.
No search engines please, you’re only cheating yourself***
HamiltonTim, yes maybe for a half max go with intended team for Tues, or near enough.
67Heaven, I hope you’re right.
HH
Tontine Tim
14:01 on 11 July, 2014
“meant to say Scotland lost 4-2 aet.”
now you’ve gone and spoiled it 0;-)
GM -25 mil for Fabregas i think
-Tojo-
12:39 on 11 July, 2014
Twice in your post you state “and that cost Neil his job”
Its like reading a headline from the DR. For your information , Neil Lennon, if indeed you are referring to Neil Lennon and not some other Neil did not get sacked.
IGC
I think I remember Mo Johnston signing again buit I might be wrong
Charlie Nicholas
Bobby Lennox
Vic Davidson
Charlie Nicholas
Charlie Mulgrew
Frank MacAvennie
Andy Walker
Bertie Auld
Auld, McAvennie, Nicholas.
Can I cheat now?
And the Buzz Bomb makes 7
Cha Mul Grew
Jock, Bertie, and then I’m stumped.
Either that or its too early.
Paul67 is correct to point out the seismic changes that have occurred in European football in the last 50 years. It was a different world then with many impressive Eastern European teams being military teams from the soviet block. Since the collapse of the USSR, we have witnessed more than free market capitalism spread through all aspects of life, media, business and sport. I think the term is globalization. It is unbridled capitalism, with individualism trumping community, fraud trumping ethics and cover ups being the norm. The bottom line being the bottom line….At any price.
Scottish football has clearly been infected by such traits…
The bottom line being the bottom line…
At any price.
Any objective analysis of Fifa, Uefa, and the SFA must lead to the conclusion that Gordon Strachan hit the nail on the head when he said, “football has no morals’.
The question is do they exist in Paradise?
Time will tell..
When Celtic do meet the dead club I feel for the person that has to write the copy for the program. A no win situation thanks to the redefining of rules and the absence of ‘sporting integrity’.
Interesting Times CSC
Is the wee frightened woman deid yet?
And here is a wee 1 Timothy 2, for me and you. It is the Celtic Way
67H
I’d rather have wee Jamesie :-)
Pfayr
I suspect you could well be right but only time will tell.
west end of east end
Some form of Hun was always going to play against us at some point. Yes their football club is in liquidation but that doesn’t mean ‘they’ are dead. The bigotry, hatred, sectarianism and anger was never going to disappear, I’m just horrified at how soon it may darken our door once again.
Jeez My mind was in the 1950s/60s.
Same as every other day then, said Mrs RWE
For all you “fans” of Neymar, Robben, Suarez ..just watch this short video & laugh.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/07/09/330133378/flop-life-what-if-we-all-acted-like-we-were-in-the-world-cup?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social
HH
Now I misread the question.
The strain is too much.
Lie Down CSC
Latest Goverment brainwave
Give local councils the power to stage motor races on britains streets.
mon the potholes