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You are at:»»Men against boys: how did that turn out, Graeme?

Men against boys: how did that turn out, Graeme?

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Celtic have played Blackburn Rovers 19 times, 17 friendlies and two very memorable competitive games.  The English side travelled north for the first leg of a Uefa Cup tie, on Halloween 2002.  Manager, Graeme Souness waited until after kick-off before walking out of the tunnel, an indication that he expected a hostile reception.  His players were less intimidated.

Blackburn bossed the game, so much so, that Souness felt comfortable enough to overlook the fact that Henrik Larsson scored the only goal of the game in the 84th minute, to declare the match “Men against boys”.

That was a decent Blackburn side; Champions League winners, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole supplied the cutting edge, with Damien Duff, ex-Rangers Tugay in midfield and a host of solid internationals and Premier League professionals.  If football success was about unconverted chances and unproductive possession, Blackburn won hands down.  Souness was blind to his side’s failure.

Celtic shredded Blackburn in the return two weeks later.  Chris Sutton didn’t mind celebrating his opener on his return to the ground he became an EPL champion at, while Henrik scored a peach to secure the tie 3-0 on aggregate.  The game went out live on terrestrial TV across the UK, allowing Henrik to tell the nation, “We knew we played s### in the first leg.”

We tasted Champions League football for the first time a year earlier, then felt the disappointment of elimination in qualification to Basel.  That win over Blackburn gave us hope that we may be able to remain in Europe at Christmas for the first time since 1979.

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  1. bigrailroadblues on

    SFTB 4.50. The only thing I can predict is Mrs BRRBs mood when I come rolling in tomorrow night. 😳. Well done T for setting it up again. 👏👍

  2. TheLurkinTim on

    Good mhan T, gotta ask…will the points totals be reset for the Jan-May run-in?

     

     

    H.H.

  3. Celtic Mac on

    Paul67 et al

     

     

    As pointed out on here by others, Tom McL etc, it is the season tickets that have sold out, and the two friendlies against Blackburn and Norwich are included. It is inaccurate, I’d like to say disingenuous, for Celtic FC to claim that both friendlies are “sold out”. Not that I begrudge ST holders access to the game, far from it, I’ve made the point before, they are the main investors in the club after all, but I would be very surprised to see 60,000 supporters turn up at Celtic Park tomorrow. Thing is we have far more supporters than most clubs, not all of whom can go to all of the games, all of the time, and without some kind of flexible system, or capacity, or policy we dont get that increased data base, wider and potential support, casual or otherwise. Used to be called the opportunity cost, of doing something else. Course we could always develop the aul stand.

  4. Tom McLaughlin on

    CELTIC MAC

     

     

    I wouldn’t say it is disingenuous of Celtic to say the game is a sell-out. It is a means of advising prospective buyers that there are no tickets left to purchase.

     

     

    I agree that there should be a ticket exchange scheme, but until there is one, if all public sale tickets are taken, it’s a sell-out.

  5. Tom McLaughlin on

    PAUL67

     

     

    You’ve got the Ewood Park goals arse for tit. Henrik scored the opener and Chris wrapped it up with the second goal. Not the other way round.

  7. Celtic Mac on

    sftb

     

     

    Just rejoined the Pool there, and submitted predictions for the first SPL games, didn’t seem to be any option to make a payment though?

  8. garygillespieshamstring on

    St Stivs

     

     

    As a wee dig at the Huns, your marketing slogan could be “going for ninety nine”, one of my ice cream products of choice.

  9. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    Celtic Mac

     

     

    I will announce details of the payments due very soon. Posters can join the pool without paying, if they wish, but pizes will only be in play for those who paid in advance. We will use the Walk With Shay account but my treasurer is on holiday at the moment- I will provide an update on payment shortly

  10. Tom McLaughlin on

    Good afternoon, Celtic ticket office.

     

     

    Hello. Is the Blackburn game sold out?

     

     

    No.

     

     

    Ok, I’d like to buy 2 tickets.

     

     

    Sorry but there are no more tickets left.

     

     

    I thought you said the game wasn’t a sell-out.

     

     

    It isn’t.

     

     

    So can I have 2 tickets?

     

     

    Sorry. No tickets left.

     

     

    Are all tickets sold?

     

     

    Yes.

     

     

    So it’s a sell-out?

     

     

    No.

     

     

    Fine. I’ll have 2 tickets.

  11. Celtic Mac on

    tom mclaughin

     

     

    Tom, I didn’t say it was disingenuous, said, ‘I’d like to say disingenuous’ ……..

  15. Aipple on

    SAINT STIVS on 15TH JULY 2022 2:16 PM

     

    The repeat of Bhoys From the Blackstuff the other night had the iconic Yosser meeting Sounness scene.

     

     

    As Yosser appears, Sammy Lee and the host sink into the seats while Yosser slides in, their faces etched with fear they make signals to Souness not to engage.

     

     

    People say you look like me ………….

     

     

    Years later in an interview Souness said he got genuinely frightened.

     

     

    ——————————-

     

     

    “Better looking by far.”

     

     

    “Gies a job, I can do that.”

     

     

    The kid headbutting the Social Worker, am I right?

  19. Sargassosea on

    AN TEARMANN

     

     

    Is it still Fair Friday Night in Glasgow? The men spending their wages and holiday pay in the pubs before staggering home?

     

    Getting on the Lairds Loch, looking for a place to lie down that some drunk wouldn’t fall over you or onto you later in the night.

  24. Saint Stivs on

    GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 15TH JULY 2022 5:18 PM

     

    St Stivs

     

     

     

     

     

     

    As a wee dig at the Huns, your marketing slogan could be “going for ninety nine”, one of my ice cream products of choice.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ————–

     

     

    A mcCallum surely ?

  25. bournesouprecipe on

    Strachan will not turn to Capone

     

     

    Andrea Capone was at Celtic Park on trial

     

    Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has dropped his interest in Italian trialist Andrea Capone.

     

    The former Cagliari midfielder is reportedly considering contract offers from Bologna, Bari, Livorno and Lecce back in his homeland.

     

     

    Capone scored against QPR in Celtic’s pre-season friendly and also played on the club’s tour to the USA.

     

     

    However, the 26-year-old will not be joining fellow Italian Massimo Donati at the Scottish champions.

  26. prestonpans bhoys on

    Celtic Mac

     

     

    Neither my daughter or I will be at the game tomorrow, no interest in friendlies. Celtic should put in a system to sell those unwanted seats, personally I would have no interest in benefiting and would rather the cash went to Celtic foundation.

  29. An Tearmann on

    SARGASSOSEA on 15TH JULY 2022 5:41 PM

     

     

    AN TEARMANN

     

     

    Is it still Fair Friday Night in Glasgow? The men spending their wages and holiday pay in the pubs before staggering home?

     

     

    Getting on the Lairds Loch, looking for a place to lie down that some drunk wouldn’t fall over you or onto you later in the night.

     

    ===============================

     

    Oh changed days bout Glasgow

     

    Whereas in the past the the ‘works’ would close and.

     

    a swally would be had on the big pay,now in town a fair few work from home and there is no big works left

     

     

    We used to leave the cases in the train stations the night before,going into Central before going along to the Derry boat.

     

     

    I was chatting to an older friend whose folk came from same parts,my aunt ran asmalldigshouse,men/woman coming over from Termon would write telling of arrival,my friend said it was his job to go down and meet off the boat,take to my aunts were

     

    they would either settle or get their own place,uncles would try get them a start on the navvy teams working on the hydros,most settled bout the gorbals.My aunts house was a bay window looking out Norfolk St towards gorbals X.many friends from there and donegal would visit my folks for years to come.

     

    “Raking’ – was the term given when visiting neighbours and friends from home.

     

     

    Ps.another friend and extended family left by car at 5.30 boat today in home/ on beach by midday lol,shows the changes,all I wanted to do was get the cows In lol :-)))

     

     

    HH

  30. bournesouprecipe on

    Entry to non competitive friendlies doesn’t make you buy a season ticket, and only around 50% attend anyway, summer holidays etc and crowd figures will bear this out. A lot of season tickets are ‘passed on unofficially’ and this is rubbered by the club.

     

     

    8,000 or so floating tickets sometimes isn’t enough for league games, the answer is to scrap ST weld ons that aren’t incentives anyway, return to pay at the gate.

  40. Coneybhoy on

    As i keep saying

     

     

    It is not about fitness; it about cohesion and up for the manager

     

     

    We should look good tomorrow; not Lennonesque

  41. garygillespieshamstring on

    St Stivs @ 5.56

     

     

    A McClallum.

     

     

    Of course! Although i would guess it would be a bit more expensive now than back in the day.

  42. JIMDOM on

    Celtic Park kiosks now cashless payments only.

     

     

    Not sure about the new ice cream guy outside.

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