Usually we head straight home, but that day we stood around the front door of Hampden Park, waiting to see the players emerge with the trophy. It was big Billy’s last game, it also provided an enduring memory of Paul Wilson, but it was the unused Jimmy Johnstone who engaged the fans most. In the days which followed Jock Stein had ‘the chat’ with Jinky. Celtic’s greatest ever player, still only 30-years-old, was released from the only club he’d ever been at.
Jinky later acknowledged he expected the news. Jock had been using him increasingly sparingly, and mostly as substitute, and these were the days before clubs supported large squads. It was the end of an era, a sad time all round, but this is football, and football is ruthlessly harsh to everyone eventually.
Georgios Samaras has come through the wringer at Celtic, often target of the boo boys and denied the support and encouragement he needed to flourish. His languid style implied a lack of urgency, for some, but Georgios stuck to his beliefs on how the game should be played and had a late spell in the sun during the last two years.
He was instrumental in the incredible league win in 2008 but the Champions League campaign of 2012 will be his most memorable contribution to the club. Goals away from home against Benfica, Barcelona and the last minute winner against Spartak Moscow, for our first away win in the tournament, are his hallmark goals.
It wasn’t just the goals during that campaign, Celtic were fourth seed, up against three considerably stronger teams. Neil Lennon set out to defend and used Samaras physical attributes, as well as his natural desire to hold the ball, as his first stage in building attacks.
Celtic tried the same in this season’s Champions League but, not surprisingly, Sami more often than not, found three defenders around him whenever the ball approached. He was ineffective, as was Celtic.
In domestic football, Georgios, our main Champions League attacking weapon, was often regarded as a blunt instrument. Scottish teams defend deeply against the champions, who would, therefore, never ask Samaras to hold the ball up and bring others into the team. On these occasions his languid style frustrates those wanting a more urgent approach to their football.
The lack of an offer from Celtic will be a blow to Georgios, but I’m sure Peter Lawwell can more than stand the ‘blame’ for this one.
Very best wishes, Georgios. I hope you have a great World Cup and have your choice of next destinations.
The Celtic FC Foundation badge sellers had enormous fun before yesterday’s game. Many thanks to all who joined in, and who bought a badge. It was an easy way to feel part of this great club’s reason for being.
Issue 20 of CQN Magazine, CQLisboN, is out and enjoying great reviews. Click here to read for FREE.
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Geordie- yes, the so-called musical experts over ruled the wishes of the people.
This has left ole Dick Byrne to resort to the beard/ milkmaid combo look for next year.
Bognor
My sis says that I’m the ‘latest’ person she has ever met. Ho hum! Glad you got to Partick…….. Eventually :)
Leicester planning to spend 180m of someone elses money to become regulars in Europe within the next 3 years?!
Is there no end to this madness and what can we do as a country to get ourselves onto a more even footing?
Continually losing your top players may sometimes may good business sense(eg. Wanyama) but when you are losing first choice players to Crystal Palace and Norwich it is demoralising.
Sunday was a great day but its not a party every week!
Time to think outside the box…
HH
Neil Doncaster in the BA Lounge in Glasgow. Useless twat.
Get a sponsorship deal ya plank!
My own view is that the new assistant manager will spend a season getting his feet under the table and getting to grips with the workings of the club,etc.
He will then assume the manager/coach role this time next year.
prostituting himself to the EPL again.
time to move on
Paul67 et al
A more accurate parallel would be a player recently of this parish, John Hughes. Sammy did not spend as many seasons at Celtic as Yogi, nor scored as many goals, but he shares similar traits, as a big time impact player who could divide the Celtic support. And, it seems, fail to meet the criteria set by their respective managers and boards. We know now, what we thought before, that John Hughes was forced out of Celtic, and we know now that Celtic are in effect forcing Sammy out of Parkhead’s Gates, on Neil Lennon’s watch. As with Gordon Strachan, Neil Lennon is finding out that, when it comes to the crunch, Peter Lawwell picks his team.
T3
Ian Murray?
BRTH,
I feel very strongly that you are so right about Sammi and especially about our European games last season. I was saying to my mate yesterday precisely the same, that the problem wasn’t Sammi but that we had no alternative strategy to using him as the outball. We need to keep him, if it is not too late and develop that alternative. Imo, we only have 3 players who are CL quality: Foster, Lustig and Sammi.
By the bye, I hope we don’t lose our manager to a team like Norwich or WBA or any other, come to that.
THE EXILED TIM
These were all filled in when Fergus took over.
LB
Name one EPL club that would want Lenny.
Seriously.
Celtic mac,
I believe big yogi has given his thoughts on that very comparison.
TET
Demolition rubble from the M74 development in South Lanarkshire, filled
RRDH – a bit unfair, possibly.
He may just have been asked ‘would you like to manage in the EPL in future ?’, which is different from him turnin’ up and sayin’ please save me from my Parkhead hell’, which is how the ole hunguffers would twist it.
The Celtic Park holes
ttt
I hope you are correct.
Problem is if Lenny gets an offer he finds hard to refuse in the epl.
HH
DBBIA
I would like to manage in the EPL!
thomthethim for Oscar OK
12:10 on 13 May, 2014
I agree. Steve Clarke?
Great record as an assistant and did a good job as head coach of West Brom
Gary67…
Why did WBA sack him?
Spurs are looking for sumbdy.
TET
That was very scientific.
Wow!
Cheers. I’m going to be bringing a safety harness to game with me in futre. oh and a hard hat. Oh oh oh! Do you reckon I need a spade in case it colapses?
MWD
That tax haven site is a gas, yer man is wired to the moon, some of his past stuff is side splitting, well worth a gander if you have the time.
HH
Folks
Very much worth a listen.
Radio 5 Live discuss footballing finance and where it is going.
Declan Curry with On the Money — many contributors pulling no punches.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0435hvj
Geordie Munro
Spurs coodny afford his security!!
:-)
Philbhoy- I shall send you out an ole application form.
Do you have any coachin’ badges?
Don’t worry if you don’t, in house training will be provided.
MWD
Finally made my mind up………………………..and it’s a Yes from me!
Philbhoy,
Same reason Cardiff, Norwich and Fulham did.
And all ended up lower than when the previous managers left the post.
Geordie Munro
I haven’t read Yogi’s book yet, but I did read his Q&A on here and any number of interviews or extracts from it. As his near namesake Yogi Berra had a habit of saying;
“It’s deja vu all over again!
Philbhoy,
Lol
I was only breaking the news ;)
Trigger happy owners who think they need to ‘act’ after a bad run of results, Clarke led them to 8th, their highest EPL finish and highest top flight finish for over 30 years.
They got worse when he left and only just missed relegation before his successor got sacked.
DBBIA
I have 5 Cub Scout Badges.
One was for First Aid, canny remember the rest.
dbbina and philbhoy
lol…i suppose when i look at like that…
id like to manage in the epl too.
his statements are always on the lines of “my ambition is to manage in the EPL”
if he added in my ambition is to manage celtic in the epl id have no problem with it…we are bigger and better than all that lot put together
Philbhoy- 5!? very impressive- you should get a tattoo, with a star for every badge.
It will help us with your nickname- instead of ‘Big Phil’ you could be ‘5 badge Phil’.
Philbhoy
There is no other way. :thumbsup:
MWD says Aye still too. ;-)
TET
Ha! Ha! Hilarious!
Know the Structural Design Engineer who worked on the re-build.
Wee Fergus was going mental about the escalating costs of piling – a lot disappeared down the olde mineshafts!
Ally McCostly is being torn a new one on hun media over the rumour the zombies are on the verge of signing KM tomorrow.
Eight pages of bile and hatred towards their own personal money pit of a manager. I suggest any tim with a hun media login should get over there pronto and defend the chubster.
Royaume-Uni deux points
BSR -sun shinin’ on ole Shangri La, no wonder wee Judith has let down her hair.