Heart of a Lion, the autobiography of Lisbon Lion, Willie Wallace, went to print this morning and will be out the day before the Cup Final. It is a joy.
Willie starts with a remarkable 17 days in April 1967 when the takes us through five games, Dukla Prague, home and away, in the semi-final of the European Cup, England v Scotland at Wembley, a tense league encounter with Aberdeen and the Scottish Cup final. Before you get into the substance which made the man, or his more famous achievements which were to follow the next month, you are immersed in sense of possibility, of sheer wonder, and of incredibly hard games of football, that encapsulated these times.
His story is genuinely unique, being the only Lisbon Lion Jock Stein went out of his way to buy, for good reason. His pace was unparalleled in the game. His scoring rate at Hearts was excellent but at Celtic he outperformed his peers – and that was an incredible team of peers.
We learn a valuable insight into how a team who had won nothing in seven years before Jock Stein’s arrival were transformed and swept all before them. Willie gets right into the detail of tactics and preparation.
The Great Event is there in all its intricate detail. Neil Lennon should make every player in the squad read it before Champions League duty commences next season. It would inspire the most desolate soul.
Willie asked CQN to publish the book, which we did. There are contributions from our own Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan, who believe me, does not disappoint. Close friend of Jock Stein, and the most influential broadcaster in Scottish football history, Archie MacPherson, wrote a chapter giving historical context to this extraordinary career. Archie’s range and insight is priceless.
We tentatively asked our very own A-lister, Rod Stewart, if he would write the foreward. Willie has been away from Scotland for a long time, a lot of football has been played since, and Rod’s been busy in the intervening years, but he was delighted to be asked. Rod explains his father’s Hibernian roots and through his “star-struck eyes” tells us Willie “might as well have had a four-leaf clover as a heart”.
Rod finished by saying “Bless you, Mr Wallace”, which I’ll echo. I can’t tell you the sheer joy it’s been in participating in this project. My enormous thanks, Willie.
You can order online NOW by clicking below. Willie is coming over this month and we’re getting a pile of books signed by him, so fill your boots.
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….PFayr
14:47 on
10 May, 2013
DBBIA
Had the pleasure of meeting Lambos…
You’d have been in good company with that pair
Re Aberdeen.my boys at Uni there …dear hole
——————–
I beg your pardon!!!!!!??????????
HT
Behave yourself …..some of us have standards btw
hen1rik
14:32
Wow.
Priests aren’t God.
Who knew?
BT – Yes i heard that oldtim, PFayr and BMCUW are all fully paid up members of the temperance society:0)
Enjoy yer couple of pints mate and i hope it enhances your recovery.
slainte
tony
celtic_first
14:56 on 10 May, 2013
He’s lost his marbles that yin :)
Good curry in Aberdeen.
The Succulence of the Lamb, as wee Clarice might put it.
HK,
cheers
BBC Scotland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22482593
England
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22461232
Oh dear “they day before the cup final”Paul67,have you ever heard the expression…if you know your history……and considering the books title and author…I bet you’re at the wind up h h
HC even :o)
Sauchiehall Street – captured moments later than ole JohnnyClash
The last direct train from Capital, Foreign to Wigan tomorrow is at 8.30. If the Foreign cup final goes to extra time and penalties, Wigan fans may have to get home via Manchester and then Preston.
“Football without the fans is nothing”
Tell that to the FFA
TrainspottingCSC
PFayr
Are the standards determined by how ‘dear’ it is :-)
Outta here and hardly been in!
Welcome back Broony!
Scott Brown is expected to make his return for injury in Celtic’s final home game of the season this weekend.
Cadizzy
Good of you to care, but I think the Wigan fans are headin’ down to Capital in a car.
Wasn’t convinced by Lenny’s body language at the press conference. Unlike Laudrup, or Martinez, no declaration that he will stay at Celtic. If he get’s the offer, sadly I think he may take it. Not that he will win anything there, with their relative lack of buying power..
HH
Gerry
JohnnyClash
you have a point. In fact, if you put all of the Wigan fans and their extended families into a phone box, you’d still have room for a Volkswagen
Neil canamalar –
You’re welcome. :)
This one should be quick. Shouldn’t take any more than a fortnight once it’s under way.
Ole St Johnstone are the only SP Hell side Celtic haven’t defeated this season.
Everton CSC
What’s a ‘phone box’?
GerryBhoy
I agree. The best you could read into this is that he is merely keeping his options open. If he was totally committed to staying, he should/would have said so. The absence of a definite “no” is not good preparation for the cup final. Remember the effect on Celtic with all the speculation on Black Sunday re MON leaving?
Cadizzy
Será lo que será, amigo.
The same speculation didn’t affect Wim.
JohnnyClash
15:16 on 10 May, 2013
“What’s a ‘phone box’?”
it’s what your new mobile comes in.unless you buy it from a guy in a pub.
(I take it you know what a pub is)
What’s the consensus here ?
For me it’s black and white. The chance to say i’ll be next season was there rather allow this speculation to drag on. Speculation could have been quashed.
C_F (the Spanish Doris Day@)
agreed but if he really wants to stay, the best thing would have been to squash all speculation now. Maybe he’s looking for a pay rise.
WGS
If he gets offered it I am convinced he will go.
I’m not convinced he’ll be offered it though.
I’d rather he didn’t get offered it.
Lenny will be going into negotiations about extending his rolling contract for next year plus getting a budget for new players. Its only common sense that he would play his cards close to his chest. He is hardly going to say I’m staying at Celtic ahead of his own negotiations.
to be fair to lennon he has done three seasons. Celtic job has a life span and whose to say he wopuld get abteer offer say next season. Moyes has left him a decent squad.
WGS
you say quash, I say squash. Potato tomato
Let’s call the whole thing off
Guy could head back to down to England no hassle, challenge of overthrowing Liverpool
Vincenzo Monetella for me if Lenny calls it a day.
WGS & Cadizzy.
Indeed! He chose to avoid commiting himself to Celtic. Speaks volumes really and won’t help maintain stability and/or focus prior to the Cup Final. Not sure he will get the offer though. Everton fans don’t seem sold on him and that will be a factor with their Chairman.
Blantyretim,
Not to be a killjoy but if I were you I would stay off the beer, having been in your situation the very last thing you need is accidentally putting your foot on the floor due to having a couple.
Best to be safe rather than sorry and with the meds you might be affected by a couple of beers. Also walking upstairs with your crutches would be potentially dangerous when you get home.
Its only six weeks enjoy the sobrietary! You will have a great time tonight regardless, wish I could make it!
RobinBhoy
reliably informed that the Main stand debenture , and corporate seats are a complete sell out for the Hibs allocation.
GerryBhoy,
Moyes likes Lennon a lot and so does SAF. I think both would recommend him.
WGS
That Everton squad will be severely weakened come the summer.
Highly unlikely they will be above or close to Liverpool next season.
corkcelt
15:24 on 10 May, 2013
‘Lenny will be going into negotiations about extending his rolling contract for next year’
I think the point about a rolling contract is that it always has a year to run so doesn’t need to be extended.
Saint Stivs
Hibs fans I know are toiling for tickets.
Gold dust for them. They might not make another final for decades.
LB