Queens Park (twice) Vale of Leven, Rangers (twice) and Aberdeen have all won the Scottish Cup three consecutive seasons. The latter were the last, in 1984. Celtic have won the old trophy 38 times, more than any others, but have never won the Cup three time in-a-row.
They successfully retained the Cup only eight times, the first time in 1901, when they beat Queens Park in the final, having despatched Rangers in the previous final. It looked good for three-in-a-row the following season, when Celtic faced Hearts in the final, but despite goals from McOustra, Quinn and McMahon, Hearts scored four and the trophy went to Edinburgh.
The record could then have been put right in 1909. Celtic got the better of Hearts in the 1907 final, and St Mirren a year later, but 1909 was the year the Cup was withheld after a riot, a fire and many injured Celtic and Rangers fans.
Celtic dominated the Scottish Cup in this era. Dundee won the Cup in 1910, the only side apart from Celtic who won it between 1906 and 1913. And without wanting to write too much about them getting the better of us, it was Hearts, again, who in 1913 stopped Celtic, after successes against Hamilton and Clyde in the two previous finals. That loss to Hearts also cost Celtic four-in-a-row, as they won the trophy again in 1914.
Fans in this era would have grown used to retaining the Scottish Cup, but it would be an incredible 60 years before Celtic would do so again. Celtic beat Rangers in 1971 and Hibs in 1972, but lost 3-2 to Rangers in 1973’s Centenary Scottish Cup Final. That loss actually denied Celtic five Cup wins in-a-row, as they beat Dundee United in the 1974 final and oldco Airdrie in 1975 (my first Scottish Cup Final). The 1976 attempt at three-in-a-row ended at Fir Park, when Motherwell won their third round tie.
The closest we came to three-in-a-row was 1990. Having beat Dundee United in our own Centenary Season Cup Final in 1988, we denied Rangers a treble to beat them in the 1989 Final. Celtic had a miserable 1989-90 season, but a fourth round win over Rangers cleared the way for a run to Hampden and Aberdeen. 90 minutes and extra time came and went without a goal. 18 penalties could not separate the teams, but after Anton Rogan missed Celtic’s 10th kick, Aberdeen scored to win.
Martin O’Neill’s Celtic won the cup in their imperious 2003-04 season, with Henrik Larsson bidding farewell by despatching Dunfermline, then Martin bid farewell after a far-from imperious 2004-05 season with a Cup Final win over Dunfermline.
Celtic’s next opportunity to win three consecutive Scottish Cups came in 2006, but, alas Roy Keane and Du Wei’s debut, also the latter’s final game, is remembered warmly by Clyde fans. Which brings us to tomorrow. After completing the Invincible Treble by beating Aberdeen in the 2017 Final, Celtic achieved the Double Treble last season when they overcame Motherwell in the Final.
In our long and illustrious history, on only eight occasions have we retained the Scottish Cup and we have never achieved what will be attempted tomorrow. If it helps you contextualise how much an achievement the Treble Treble would be, the Scottish Cup treble alone has been an as yet impossible task.
For as long as Celtic’s history is written, these days will live in legend. Let’s make it happen.
No pressure now, Celtic.
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Paul
A nice, timely piece on the acheivements of our team & our club.
Infantile jibes from other fans about the opposition being less than stellar because of the self=destruction of the club formerly known as “Oldco”. and thus the acheivement being tainted is laughable.
In their alleged glory “9inarow” days they reallky faced no serious opposition from us for the league, or indeed much opposition from other teams. Further, their supremacy was itself asterisked by DOS/EBT and skulduggery at the SFA.
Celtic, whatever faluts we as fans may find, have achieved success legitimately, legally & without the taint of collusion, corruption & malfeasance. That in itself deserve to be positively asterisked.
HH
Jeezo… that was a hard read back on the previous blog.
Thanks for the positive feedback and comments on my pre pub posts.
After the pub….. ?? well. …
I apologise if any of the deleted posts were mine, they could be….
I don’t have any recollection of posting anything after 7pm, yet there are posts of mine there…
Hail Hail ????
Celtic By Numbers
I was on vacation until yesterday & couldn’t/wasn’t allowed to free roam on CQN by Mrs FTW.
Wanted to compliment you on the great work you do in breaking down into manageable & easily understood data/numbers how Celtic do what they do/or don’t in some cases.
Great stuff & once I start, it becomes compelling/addictive.
Bravo & HH
And for the record…. I’m going for a ‘curer’ before the real hangover sets in…
That can wait til Monday… and last til June ?
Mon the Hoops
Hail Hail ????
Michael Kollner???
Sorry for DR link. But surely not:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/michael-kollner-holds-celtic-talks-16194713
Looking at his record, not a fecking chance!
HH
The German Paul Hartley….
A wee Friday conundrum to mull over.
Let’s take the improbability of Rafa, Mourinho or Martinez taking the Celtic job, and set them aside (although why Martinez is quoted alongside serial European trophy and Big 5 league winners seems incongruous).
Now let’s factor for the sleepless terror that haunts the Celtic Executive team: Failing to continue the x..In a Row sequence, while having some ridiculous bank balance. I said previously that there isn’t a desert island remote enough for PL and his guys if we drop the ball before 9 and 10, while hoarding cash like a latter day Smaug.
We can say with some confidence that, given the circumstances, they are keenly risk-averse. Accordingly, it is highly probable that they have approached the highest quality candidates as a priority; those whose experience and expertise, combined with a (relatively) huge dollop of transfer and wage budget, reduce the risk of failure to sleepful night levels. Let’s assume they’ve said ‘No Thanks’. Rafa and Mourinho have said No. Martinez and AVB (fall backs) decline too. It’s just not the right environment for them at this stage of their career.
In the absence of what seem to be low-risk appointments, to whom do they turn?
Currently (well, as of 5 minutes ago, but these things are changeable) Moyes is the bookies’ favourite at evens or shorter. Earlier in the week it was AVB, but he’s now drifted from odds-on to 12s.
Lenny’s tied with Rafa as 2nd favourite at 2s, but Rafa was favourite on Wednesday.
After that, there’s a longish list of long odds candidates ranging from Bilic to Cocu, to both O’Neills, to Hughton, Howe and Dyche, Bielsa, Hiddink and Rangnick. Marco Rose flowered then wilted.
You can add Jack Ross, Alex Neil and Paul Lambert to John Kennedy for local interest, and Lampard, Keane and Henri for some EPL aristos.
WGS and Henrik maintain the Celtic connection, while Sagnol is quoted too.
Gus like Coleman, Bruce and Allardyce have odds but few takers, while some folk have actually deposited a shilling on Gerry Adams.
And that’s the field. That’s pretty much every football manager anyone has figured was worth a punt on getting the job.
Now, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to pick one of them. Remember; Rafa, Mou, RMz and AVB have declined.
Choose wisely, and you will deliver 10 in a row, be written into a new legend, and reset the club’s historical high water mark.
Choose unwisely, and you will be socially ostracised, professionally ruined, and emotionally eviscerated. You won’t be able to venture out in daylight in western Europe, and you’ll be scared of the dark.
Of those mentioned above, in whom do you place your trust to deliver the Nine and then the Ten? Of those mentioned above, who do you trust most to avoid the fate of waking death?
Important Note- there is no Ronny Deila card available to be played in this round. Those considering appointing a Ronny Deila profile candidate in these circumstances will be stripped and dipped until their madness has abated.
One other thing, and not insignificant to the above: In the six seasons before he left Everton, David Moyes averaged 60 EPL points and 6th place finish. In the six seasons following, Martinez and Koeman between them averaged 9th place and 55 points.*
*See earlier note on Martinez above.
Right, who’s your pick?
The Battered Bunnet
You pick Neil Lennon and go after a forward thinking DoF type to upgrade the club’s infrastructure on a par with the direction the Rat was taking us – science, diets, scouting, recruitment, youth, academy, pitch, training, etc. Helps Lenny in the long run.
The answer is Arsene Wenger….
Heard the Kollner story last week.
Michael Kollner is not being interviewed with a view to getting the manager’s job.
His CV as a manager is less impressive than any of the candidates named thus far. As usual, the media knows the sum total of nil about anything because Kollner’s career hasn’t been spent in management but in background positions; he’s been involved in football co-ordination and the youth game in Germany.
More than likely that he’s been interviewed as part of a redevelopment of the backroom team, especially with Rodgers having taken half of the previous team with him.
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 24TH MAY 2019 2:11 PM
Indulge me with who I think and who I want !!!!
I think Moyes
I want Michael O’Neill
67ECW
BW – Interesting idea. Lenny certainly has the track and distance experience. I’d wonder though if a new manager working together with a new DoF, and a new group of players doesn’t increase the risk, rather than reduce it.
Uh-oh…
Incoming…
As for our priorities…
Like the man spinning plates at the Kelvin Hall circus when I was a boy..
We need to keep at least three plates from falling off those canes.
– Win on Saturday.
– Appoint the BEST man to take the club forwatd
– Update our playing staff with the quality that has sometimes been missing in the last few years.
Watched NFL’s media session yesterday & a couple of things occurred to me.
He looked very tired & as if he was sick with hayfever/allergies.
He had a look of resignation on occasion.
I always felt that when he stepped in to take charge in February that he was on a hiding to nothing.
If the team won the trophies, then it was because of the work & legacy of his predecessor.
If the team faltered & didn’t win then it was always going to be his fault (in the minds of some/many?)
By stepping in without any of his own backroom staff to help him cope it was always a huge ask.
Does anyone know what happened to his staff from Hibs? Parker etc?
I know of very few modern managers who take over a high profile managers role without having their OWN people around them. Neil had to cobble together a backroom staff from the remnants that were left after the midnight flitting of his predecessor.
I met Neil in 2012 at Celtic Park during his previous tenure. It was a very short conversation but I told him how proud we all were of what he was doing/had done. He got embarrassed & just said “Thank you”.
If I spoke to him today I would say the same thing but with more feeling.
If he hadn’t stepped in then who knows how things would have worked out for the team/club/us.
I want the club to establish a proper football dynasty based on continuity & consistency of approach as to how we are run as a club. Managers will come & go – just like players, but as with player turnover, we need to have replacements lined up before existing staff move on. Simplistic I know, but sometimes it seems that doing this is beyond us.
Cheerio ot all those players who will leave without getting a chance to wear the hoops again.
Hello to all the academy players pushing for a place in the first team.
HH
BIG WAVY:
You really are a tosser, aren’t you?
If you don’t like my posts ignore them instead of acting like such a w@nk.
Win
67ECW – Barring Brechin City and Shamrock Rovers, Michael O’Neill has no experience in club football. You obviously don’t sleep at night and don’t care to :¬)
Erik ten Hag for me, failing that, then Dick Advocaat. :-)
In David Moyes i trust if given the job and full backing from PL but like most
folk Rafa would be my 1st choice . We need to back the new manager whoever he is
to get 9 and 10 in a row.
Hail hail and good luck be with the team tomorrow.
TBB
Certainly full of risk but we appear, having staggered around with a degree of uncertainty under Rodgers in the last year, with putting all our eggs in the big summer basket – management team ripped out, dozen or more players going, squad rebuild and a new manager (and probably footballing philosophy).
We shouldn’t have exposed ourselves as a club to this level of risk on players and management. That’s poor oversight on the board’s behalf.
And he’s off and running……
BIG WAVY:
I came in and posted some information. That’s what I did. If you don’t care for that information scroll by, instead of behaving like a pathetic bitch.
Yeah, I’m off and running f@cknut, and that’s your fault.
Once again, you couldn’t help yourself. You had to behave like an attention seeking twat, and screw what it does to the rest of the discussions on here. Honest to God, get a grip on yourself.
James
If the circumstances were right, and the mood mellow, would you consider writing something that didn’t use hyperbole?*
*Asking for a friend
THE BATTERED BUNNET:
I haven’t been on since last night. I came on this afternoon and posted a piece of info to help inform the debate over Michael Kollner, and one of the resident ar@eholes decided he would start right away. What do you expect me to do about that? I’m not one of these pitiful wretches, I’ll stand my ground.
Jaysus JF,
That’s one short fuse young fella….you really should get that seen to.
Seeing the world like that, can’t be healthy.
Facts only ruin good speculation
I am resigned to Celtic not appointing a category one manager Rafa Jose AVB ect
So the conclusion is we will get a category two manager – Moyes, O;Neill, Lennon, ect
Put michael O’Neill up against Rafa no brainer – but Rafa is category one so I do not think we will get him
Put michael O’Neill up against Moyes ???
Could Moyes have taken NI to the Euros ??
Then again could O;Neill have kept Everton in the top 6 ??
Moyes has been out of work for a year there is a reason for that
O’Neill has been making good progress with NI
If O’Neill resigned tomorrow would he be out of work for a year
I love the debate shame it’s not in a bup with a couple of pints Hail Hail my friend
BTW I sleep easy
67ECW
BIG WAVY:
Ram it where the mice won’t get it.
BIG WAVY:
Look, I couldn’t give a good goddamn what you think of me. Really, I don’t care.
But the rest of the guys on here are sick and tired of this garbage.
Do them a favour and ignore me. Scroll by. Because every time you post one of your snide remarks I’m going to do the same, and before long one or both of us is going to get booted.
And the thing is, I don’t care if it’s me.
So for the good of everyone else – if you have any respect for THEM – don’t engage with me again.
67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS:
Interesting points. I posted a video on Moyes’ tactics last night, and it’s not terribly impressive.
But I do respect the fact he’s had a career at the top level in the game and must have learned a few things along the way. His experience at Manchester Utd wasn’t great, but it’s a level far higher than most people in the game will ever be able to reach.
Michael O’Neill, as the guys have said, has only really done it at international level and I don’t think that’s a good qualifier to be honest. His club record is not stuff to get the blood pumping.
There are a lot of guys out there who could do this job and do it well. It doesn’t have to be a box office name, just something with a little imagination. For the record, yeah I thought Ronny was an imaginative appointment and but for a bad refereeing decision he would have certainly won a treble.
The pressure of the job sucked the life out of that guy.
JAMES FORREST on 24TH MAY 2019 2:40 PM
I like reading your stuff, it’s either factual or arrogant – I do not know which
I digest it and make my own mind up
BUT if you want to be taken seriously – why react to every little bit of criticism or sarcasm
Take your own advice – scroll by
Before I go to bed on Monday night I will post a comment to you, applauding your good journalism if Moyes has been appointed
If he has not been appointed I will assume you are arrogant
Hail Hail my friend
67ECW
James
I don’t think anything of you. That’s the problem. You’re overinflated view of yourself sees the world in a very entitled way mucker.
This place is just a bunch of fellas with odd names passing the day on all things Celtic. Stop taking it, and yourself, so seriously. Life’s too short.
According to research published by The Economist, club success is feck all about the gaffer:
“After analysing 15 years of league data, we found that an overachieving manager’s odds of sustaining that success in a new job are barely better than a coin flip. The likely cause of the “decline” of once-feted bosses like Mr Mourinho is not that they lost their touch, but that their early wins owed more to players and luck than to their own wizardry.”
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/01/19/managers-in-football-matter-much-less-than-most-fans-think
If that’s the case, I nominate mysel’ as a candidate with a few CQNrs as my backroom team;)
67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS:
You’ve mistaken me for someone else entirely … where did I ever say Moyes would be appointed?
I’ve never made any prediction on how the manager will be.
To be honest, I strongly suspect I’m going to be writing the most venomous piece I’ve penned in years by the time we know who the manager is, because I have a bad feeling , especially reading Lennon’s comments in full today, that is’ going to be him.
But that’s not a prediction either, just a sinking feeling that this board has squandered three months and actually hasn’t moved on us very far.
BIG WAVY:
Your opinion is of no relevance or importance to me at all.
Ignore me. Scroll by. I don’t want to hear from you.
BIG WAVY on 24TH MAY 2019 2:22 PM
The Battered Bunnet
You pick Neil Lennon and go after a forward thinking DoF type to upgrade the club’s infrastructure on a par with the direction the Rat was taking us – science, diets, scouting, recruitment, youth, academy, pitch, training, etc. Helps Lenny in the long run.
The answer is Arsene Wenger….
******
Where I find the flaw in your case is, that the functions of the DoF do not rate highly in Neil Lennon’s priorities.
Sports science, lifestyles and tactics are strangers to his footballing philosophy.
He is old school……..unless he has reinvented his management style from previously.
Recently read an etims article quoting the president of legit Warsaw pointing out that only about 100 European clubs have a turnover of over €50 million whereas Celtic last year had about €114 million if I remember right, I would suggest that puts us in maybe the upper half of that group, our attendances are regularly in the worlds top 20 as we all know. So what I hear you ask, the what is that I find it inconceivable that what must be considered a plum job is being talked about as a toss up between Neil Lennon and Davie Moyes, At the same time any vacancy at a Hamilton, St Mirren or Kilmarnock is apparently see as an opportunity by a host of famous names ( I give you the latest odds on Roberto di Matteo for Killie today) if those in the boardroom at Parkhead have not spoken to numerous candidates that we are unaware of then it speaks of a level of incompetence that would never have seen the club get to the position of strength we are in. I read James Forrest highlighting his concerns that the absence of strong rumours suggest nothing has been done and no one sourced for the managers post. I like James,s posts and am actually something of a fan,however for him to conceive it possible that those behind a multi-million pound company show a level of incompetence that see the local golf club committee run out of town just baffles me. In summation I think we should all enjoy our day at Hampden or wherever you are in the world tomorrow and then look forward to an appointment at the start of the week.
TomTheTim
Lenny as manager
Someone else (enlightened and more progressive) as DoF..