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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TRC
The beach is absolutely spectacular on that coast. Luck to be a horse-man who has galloped on the hard-packed sand there. Best feeling I’ve ever had.
Jobo Baldie
01:07 on
13 July, 2014
Gincher67 –
a weather WHAT? Grrrrrr. I’ve never given a forecast in ma puff. I deal in facts and merely REPORT the weather. Tut tut…..
Jobo
PS ;-) sleep well…
correct. sorry ;-(
correct Jobo. sorry ;-(
The lovely Judith does the forecasts!
Jobo doesn’t predict weather.
He tells weather.
MosesCSC
Night!
HH jamesgang
macjay1 for neil lennon
01:06 on 13 July, 2014
Never mind petitions.
Evidence.
2 mins. : Still ” up to the knees.”
4 and 5mins in : F.T.P.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylr_lAtw7vU
…………………
The Famine Song belted out loud and clear there a few times.
No arrests I take it?
Gincher,
A horseman eh?
http://youtu.be/qD0LgAPJx-s
TCR &MacJay
Don’t hate those neanderthals.Pray for them, and be glad your parents were Tims :))
Delaneys Dunky
01:31 on
13 July, 2014
Absolutely right.
I`m afraid my overriding sentiment is one of pity.
Which is also unacceptable.
DD,
Our fans are getting targeted 7 days a week ,night,noon and morning.
Lifted unjustly from their beds in the early hours, charged and being subsequently found not guilty for the simple crime of being ..Celtic Supporters ..aided and abetted by the Celtic Board.
This shower of scum are belting out The Famine Song and police officers are accompanying this vermin along the road actually stopping to more or less listen to them as they stall under the bridge to hear it at it’s loudest..and then march along with them when they decide to move on.
Vomit inducing.
For no reason .
Aye.That`ll be right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0D80EyyhRQ
DD,
Really hope you and Petec come over in September.
Have to try and get 16 roads on the case.
Will have a full slap up and swally for you on the Sunday here in good old Republican Galliagh! After Mass of course..;-)
macjay1 for neil lennon
01:49 on 13 July, 2014
For no reason .
Aye.That`ll be right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0D80EyyhRQ
……..
My son had previously watched the Hun beat/steal victories over us in two previous games.
He was there that day.I was so,so glad for him
Celtic///…\\\Celtic
T.C.
Nothing quite like the next generation.
My first hun game was the 7-1 game.My ten year older, late and lamented brother said to me after the game.: ” I`ve waited all my life for this and you get it in your first game.”
My son is 21 yo Ozzie and a full-on Tim.
We watched this game together live on T.V.
A bonding. To ourselves and Celtic.
Incidentally,I`d have Hoops back in a heartbeat.
TCR
I will return to Doire in September wi the Rock fae the Rock. Canny wait bro. :)
Thanks,Fred.
Enjoyed that.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon,
When we’re good…:O).
Hun pity by timdom is interpreted by the board as wanting their vanguard back at Celtic Park.
No pity
No quarter
It’s Huns you’re talking about
MacJay
2017 the 50th anniversary, will be our year. :)
Macjay,
My maw and da both at the 7-1 game as ma Auntie Lily babysitted me.5 months old.
My first zombie game was at the Big Hoose and Persson scored for the Hun.
I remember it as if it was yesterday.
A massive sea of blue from the Copland Rd end as the ball hit our net.
I was distraught.Totally.
Little did I know what was in store..
tricoloured ribbon
02:17 on 13 July, 2014
Just think
You should never have to feel so distraught again
Remove the variable
Delaneys Dunky
02:16 on
13 July, 2014
MacJay
2017 the 50th anniversary, will be our year. :)
——————————————————————————————————————–
We live in hope.
Particularly for the boay.
Celtic have given me more than I could ever have hoped for.
The `60s generation had it so good in so many different ways.
Any more is a bonus.
TCR
My first game v thems was Hampden 1980.Fought my way home fae pitch tae Knightswood.
Tricoloured Ribbon
02:17 on
13 July, 2014
Almost sure I was at that game.
Oranj (sic :-)) Persson.
The hun crowd knew how to belt it out then also from their covered ends.
I know exactly how you felt.Distraught.Yes.But probably defiant.
“You can stick your orange banners,……,,etc.etc”
Happy birthday ya auld bastert. Aye you, you know who you are………..some of the time.
Have a good day auld yin and keep smokin that blacky whacky.
Hail Hail from deepest darkest angus.
T.R.
Now,I was at this game.As was Orjan.
The route to the 1969 Scottish Cup Final saw Rangers dispose of Hibernian, Hearts and Airdrieonians before meeting Aberdeen in the semi-final. In the final, with Stein suspended, White opted to play Alex Ferguson rather than Sandy Jardine, purely because of the aerial threat of Billy McNeill at corners. Ferguson was blamed for a goal that Rangers conceded only two minutes[2] into the match in which he was designated to mark goalscorer McNeill. Two horrendous mistakes from Örjan Persson and Norrie Martin minutes before the interval, were both seized upon by the 20-year-old George Connolly, resulted in two goals to give Celtic a 3–0 lead at half-time. Rangers lost the game 0–4 and Ferguson was subsequently forced to play for the club’s junior side.[3]
Actually I didnt realise that game at Ibrox was AFTER I had saw us beat the Hun..
First game against the Zombie was League Cup Final 1966?
Huftae shoot the craw.
Great chatting,lads.
Tricoloured Ribbon
Bobby Lennox, start of an new era for us kicking their erses
Aye first wan was 1966.Bobby Lennox swept the ball into the Hun net after my hero Joe McBride headed it back into his path from Bertie’s free kick.I was in the old North Stand.
Goal was at the Celtic end.
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine
02:36 on 13 July, 2014 Tricoloured Ribbon
Bobby Lennox, start of an new era for us kicking their erses.
………..
Magical times mo chara.
McBride could have been one of the best, some goalscorer. Seems to me he was forgotten after 67, pity
http://youtu.be/KrbfyZ2lRkQ
Lennox has always been one of my favourites, how many caps did he win, 15 or something ? Says it all.
Twentyfirstofmay,
Joe was my favourite Celt ever..and I was very young.
I had the great privilege of meeting my hero in Ballybofey in Donegal when Celtic played Finn Harps a couple of years ago.I sat beside him in the wee stand and couldn’t believe I was talking for a good wee while to a man I adored.A more humble fella you could never wish to meet.
Jimmy McGrory described Joe as the greatest striker Celtic ever had and when I mentioned that to him he genuinely was embarassed.Sleep well Joe.RIP.
http://www.memorabiliacity.com/images/A102501_600/A102556s.jpg
Bobby Lennox..10 caps…laughable
Tricoloured Ribbon
Great you got to meet him, and 10 caps for Bobby is indeed laughable, or sore !