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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Sandman,believe me, I am no Hun but as I said, I realised there would be polar opposite views. Difference is, within the Celtic family, I respect those views and don’t call posters who disagree with me Huns.
Thanks for the recommendation Paul.
Book ordered.
Dan
Ernie Winchester has died. One for us oldsters (Hearts, Aberdeen….)
Cadizzy
Doris Day?
No, no, no.
JoséFelicianoCSC
Jeez, Neil Lennon doesn’t lack grace, class nor commitment.
A child whose parent was killed by the 9/11 attacks receives $1 mil, a child whose parents are killed by the U.S. military receives $3000.
Twitter.
WGS,
supposedly being the operative word, another barganing chip maybe eh, pay more and I wont go.
and if he does, then Lenny will have to make the position attractive for his chosen replacement, the more money he has the better the replcaement.
WGS
15:56 on 10 May, 2013
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
Johan is supposedly off back to Sweden in the summer
His family are making plans to return home and not hiding their intentions
C_F
I knew that would light your fire
This is what happens when you let huns have an opinion…
THANK YOU AND GOODBYE
Published on May 10th, 2013
Written by: The Editors
We at The Celtic Blog are
saddened to announce that we
are resigning from the site as of
today.
Since taking over from Kevin in
late 2012, we had taken pride in
maintaining the site and
appreciated being given a
respectable platform for our
opinions, no matter how
unpopular some of them may
have been.
The site had many talked about
articles on News Now and this
was mostly down to the diverse
and non-generic topics posed by
our regular and guest
contributors.
Despite this, we came in for
some criticism, mostly because
we happened to be upset after
sub-par performances from the
team or question the actions of
the manager and most recently,
daring to publish someone’s
thoughts on our fans conduct on
Twitter, which weren’t the view
of The Blog as we mentioned on
the disclaimer of the article, but
regardless, this went right over
many peoples heads.
However, recently this criticism
has got worse, and recent events
have lead the editors to realise
that it’s not worth getting worked
up about something as
meaningless in the grand scheme
of things as football is. It’s only
a game, and not worth getting
personal about.
Tommy Burns daughter, Jenna,
approved and thanked us for
publishing the article about her
late father, and this meant the
world to our contributor Paul,
and ourselves.
This was the last positive word
said about The Blog. There’s
worse ways to bow out.
On behalf of all the editors at the
site – Thank you for reading The
Celtic Blog, and we hope you
enjoyed it as much as we did.
Hail Hail.
jimmci
Are you here all week??
……………………………..Celtic have won the last 11 SPL matches at Celtic Park
bournesouprecipe
16:01 on 10 May, 2013
SSN……………………………………’Gary Parker fancies a return to Painting and Decorating’
Brilliant made me lol
The SC semi final victory aside, we’ve won one of our last 8 away games.
Yes there have been extenuating circumstances but that is very, very poor.
Danny Finkelstein, free-marketeer journalist and Tory cheer-leader, was on Newsnight as one of the acts in the Swalex circus. But he did say something interesting. He claimed that the overwhelming majority of managers make not a whit of difference to their teams’ final league table position. His thesis is: ‘It’s the money, stupid.’. The money made Man City champions a year ago – Mancini had very little to do with it. So Danny Bhoy says.
But he also said that there was a tiny group of managers who were ahead of the money consistently. Swalex is one and, strangely, Allardyce is another.
scratch that, the more money he has the bigger the selection to choose from
So if Mjallby is leaving what does that suggest?
I just believe all this could have been nailed today and put a stop to his hysteria. Just made it worse now with peple trying to guess what’s going to happen.
Eurochamps – see you there. Due to First Holy Communions and other flimsy excuses the ranks of the ole Babbity Bowster Martyrs Brigade were lookin’ mighty thin.
Lookin’ forward to catchin’ up.
wgs
15:36 on 10 May, 2013
Ten Men,
Ayway we should be concentrating in getting new blood in ourselves.
Raul Jiminez
Eduardo Vargas
Jurat Bullit
Henry Forrester
Liam Bridcutt
—
Who are these players ?
Never heard of any of them.
proudbhoy
Wee Guessing Strachan’s?
WGS
Don’t take this the wrong way old thing, but is not your every post a guess at what’s going to happen?
Vincenzo Montella, Henry Blofeld or whoever it was …
Name after name.
And Raul Jiminez is definitely made up.
Unless he’s Brazilian, where making up names is de rigueur: Welliton, Wellinton and Welligton are all real footballers’ names, I think.
Celtic_First ,
:) :): ):Not at guess at what is going to happen. Opinion at what we should maybe be look at or similar outlook.
viewfaethewindae
If Johan is for the of I would love to see John Collins take his position.
LB
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Vargas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%C3%BAl_Jim%C3%A9nez
jimmci
As one who has taken issue with NFL’s tactical nous, this will probably suprise some on here …. but I have to disagree in the strongest terms with your comments about NL’s “lack of grace” and “letting us down too often”…..
I think I am a fairly patient, even-tempered kind of guy… but had I (and more importantly, my family) had to put up with the kind of hatred and bigotry that NL has suffered, my behavior would make NL look like Mother Theresa! And, of course, there is the day to day cheating that goes on the the SPL… If anything, there are times when I think his comments/behavior have been too restrained.. particularly, given what he is dealing with.
As a tactician, I agree that sometimes NL has been lacking. However, as a person, I think Celtic have been and are lucky to have him represent our club.
Frankly, when Sevco was in trouble, you knew that they would do anyting to save Sevco, and dump on Celtic and NFL, in particular …. Very few men would have had the guts and the fortitude to handle the crap with the class that NFL has had, and fight Celtic’s corner as effectively as he has …. and even fewer would have loved Celtic enough to put up with it.
All things considered, he has handled the crap with more class and dignity than anyone had the right to expect. So, I’ll take issue with anyone who says NL is the best coach… but even more so, I will take issue with anyone who calls his character into question.
LiviBhoy,
Good shout
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jelle_Vossen
WGS
Fire away, my friend. I am determined to have a go at writing the great Tim Diaspora novel one day and it’s brilliant having lots of potential characters’ names to choose from. Plus, as a novelist, you can mix and match.
If NL wants to go, for whatever reasons then so be it, we just have to get on with things
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurica_Buljat
To me it suggests he and his family want to go home but I’m a simple lhad.
If he’s no leaving it suggests he wants to stay, the fact that viewfromthewindae, says the family are making it obvious might suggest they are going home and he can join them if he wants.
I mean, Lenny playing his cards close to his chest is the right thing to do IMO, as for people trying to guess whats going to happen, its hardly worse, its better, you are looking for snaw an theres nane fawin, yer trying to find problems that dont exist, just take your wee tangent to the Johan as a point and hopefully you’ll see you cant help yourself, and we know you love it, just like us :o)
Mike in Toronto
Well said that man.
Awerabest PJ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du%C5%A1an_Tadi%C4%87
Hysteria
Dusan Tadic
Behrang Safri to replace Izzy
I missed this place. Good chit chat on here :)