Boavista v Celtic, 24 April 2003, was one of the most frustrating games of football I’ve sat through. Needing to score, for 78 minutes Celtic were moribund; they made not a single attempt on goal. Instead, they did what most teams do away from home, condensed midfield and defended, while Boavista, who would qualify for the Uefa Cup final if the game ended goalless, did much the same.
The goal appeared to take place in slow motion. Henrik Larsson moved forward to the end of the D and tried to pass to John Hartson, but a defender intercepted. Unfortunately for Boavista the ball was returned from the interception to an unmarked Larsson on the edge of the box.
It spun from his preferred right foot onto his left but the shot gently arced inches away from the goalkeeper’s grasp. The goal was a deflection, although we didn’t see it at the time. The keeper was moving his weight from right to left as the ball drifted to his left.
It may have been a turgid game of football decided by a deflection but it was also one of the most intense sporting occasions in our 125 year history. The sheer release of tension when the goal went in was incredible. 15 minutes, and one generous refereeing decision later, Celtic were in a European final.
Since then we have become accustomed to our position as a credible European team but it was very different in season 2002-03. This was the first Christmas Celtic were in Europe since 1979; each milestone along the way, Blackburn Rovers (a far more credible team at the time), Celta Vigo, Stuttgart and Liverpool, was celebrated with something close to astonishment.
The triumphs of this season, qualifying for the Champions League group stage instead of losing to Basel, then progressing to the knock out rounds, are greater than the achievements of April 2003, but they will never feel that way. That game, that season, trophy-less though it was, changed our entire landscape. Nothing would ever be the same again.
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The honest club…that’s the Celtic Football Club.A shining light in a dark environment.
Boavista- is it really 10 years since that night ? I suppose it must be- one of the worst games I’ve ever endured but as happy as I can ever have felt. Watched it in the IB in Edinburgh which was absolutely jam packed- only had one pint during game – made up afterwards though. Abs
An abiding memory of that game was that, prior to the goal, the ballboys all looked to be on valium or sleeping pills while after the goal they all looked to be on a racy mixture of cocaine and red bull.
Goldstar for 2013-14 first £10,900 of capital gains are tax free so you’re okay.
Apart from my 10% commission.
..they may need to rebrand themseves as Sevcoavista.
Ten years – OMG!
The Boavista home leg was also forgotten when a lot of fans expected us to just roll them over after beating what many people thought were better sides in the previous rounds.
I was embarrassed at the booing (by some fans) of Neil Lennon that night for having the audacity to keep the ball by passing sideways and backwards.
On a seperate note.
How Neil Lennon and the other players managed 120 mins in the final in Seville was astonishing. I was out of breath just getting to my seat.
LB
Celtic_First @13:49 very well. Ah’ll shut up.
If you agree to do the same.
Auldheid,
Was it your good self and HamiltonTim I caught up with in the Lounge on Sunday?
Terrible memory so I have.
Does that mean it’s 10 years this Sunday to beach ball Sunday “watching the bill when we’re Seville “
Celtic U20s have kicked off against Hearts. Three points and the title is ours. Come on the baby Hoops.
The Boavista game?
Terrible – but the result was the important thing. Boavista were one of the most negative sides I have ever seen – and they were at home.
First European final in 33 years.
One of the longest 90 minutes I have had to endure in watching Celtic.
Celebrations at full-time were mental.
HH!!
I was on a train from Manchester to Leicester (oh, the glamour!). I got off at Nuneaton and went into the pub next to the station to catch the result. Miraculously the TV was showing the game and I saw the last ten minutes. Not a soul in the pub was taking any interest whatsoever, nor did they register the result. This taught me that the globalicity of our team is considerably less than tremendous ((c) Hurree Jamset Ram Singh). Still, we won.
lionroars67
From yesterday,
Also had the pleasure of attending Holyrood with the FAC group. This was my first visit in what was a thoroughly worthwhile journey to see a few raw nerves being touched with the gathered MSP’s.
Mr Mason and Mr Doran squirmed almost throughout the well articulated ‘barrage’ of pertinent questions and points raised by the group……………… still smiling.
Purely by chance, the age demographic of us appeared to strengthen our cause and soften the misguided beliefs held by the above two. Think they were genuinely taken aback that, not only do the ‘auldheids’ still attend regularly but also at their depth of wisdom.
Me ? ………don’t know if we spoke together but I was the guy talking to the polis at some length prior to the bus leaving from George Square……
Anyway regardless………..well done you for having the courage of your convictions and doing something about it.
HH
Great memories, Paul.
Poignant too. I went to the game with my Wife after she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. God rest her, she died young and never made it to Seville (survived by two vibrant wee tims). The abiding memory was being in a Restaurant full of Celtic fans down by the water and a table of Scots running out without paying their bill. Within seconds our table and two others chipped-in and paid the bill much to the relief and astonishment of the owner. Remember the Daily Ranger scare-mongering about heavy-handed policing and a generally unwelcoming stadium and environment which never materialized. The Porto fans were on the streets and as always, it was good to be a tim.
Hail Hail.
livybhoy
earlier regarding the internal upgrades to celtic park,i was told by a coach that no matter what we do to the stadium footprint, we are VERY UNLIKELY to ever get a european final,he explained that it is the association that recieves the final not the stadium and as such the SFA would never take it it away from humpdump…
Boavista played for a win on away goals..
If I was a Boavista fan I’d be raging about not being given a penalty. When Agathe missed the ball and got the man , I thought aaaargh ——- and then experienced absolute joy when I realized that the Ref hadn’t awarded the penalty..
A game that was an endurance test for my nerves.
2 lapsed season books in the masty houshold now registered as “can we have them back please?”
Shades of Fergus McCann about that Craig Mather guy
Paul
Surely the worst ever rhyming for any Celtic song would be “Boavista ” with “just after Easter”
id put up the rest but its a family show!
masty is neil lennon
I agree that they wouldn’t take it away from Hampden at the moment but times change and the selection process may change with it.
It was just an observation that we don’t have the facilities to host one at the moment even if we were offered one.
Hampden is the only 5 star stadium in Scotland for the reasons I listed earlier. Took a group of kids to the hampden tour and our guide who was a Queens Park fan (Tim) was excellent and explained all the things that class a stadium as 5 star or grade 1 as I think they are now called.
Rangers fans will claim they have a 5 star stadium but they do not. Neither do Celtic though. They can take the 5 stars off their jersey now. Their stadium no longer qualifies IF it ever did!
LB
What a night that was!
I think that the feeling that night was probably the greatest I’ve ever felt as a Celtic supporter!
The extra factor for me was knowing I was already booked for Seville (flights, hotel and tickets) and was just floating that night……….even almost getting the very real possibility of getting lifted on Wishy Main St (for singing Celtic songs, probably unsurprisingly, getting away with it because of an understanding copper, perhaps very surprisingly?) could not and did not dampen my spirits that night.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E and lionroars67
Great stuff. Accountability in action.
notthebus
Fergus had complete control, a blank canvas and a plan.
I don’t see what this guy can achieve to be honest. They have a few years worth of court cases to get through. The penny as only dropped for me this week that they really are finished. Any Rangers fan putting money into that club is throwing it down the drain. I suspect it will take them decades to get back to our level. Their fans will lose interest in the next 3-5 years if not before then. They will not accept a sustained period of not winning top league titles.
LB
livybhoy
was not getting at your factually correct points mate, just pointing out that we would be very lucky to ever get one, never done the humpdump nor celtic park tours, but knew we did not qualify, although i do believe the tunnel area has been comprehensively upgraded.
Boavista……
trial by television………….then hangover from hell.
…same old, same old!
:)
HH
gcctim
god rest her indeed…
the wee tims are part of her legacy
Candygram Graham slots a picture of Craig Mather into the frame on his ole bedside table, while Charles Green’s photo goes under the bed into the same box as Craig Whyte’s old picture.
I bought Mrs BT a private reg for my trip to Seville..
planes trains and automobiles for Seville not forgetting a sleepover at seville train station after the match..
The Blue-Eyed Boy is being promoted heavily to cover the blushes caused by yet another dodgy duo…………
bear-faced chicanery amid blow-torch proof brass necks………
hell mend thum!
It’s a shell game…………….but the pea remains in the same position.
HH.
Boavista – My son was abroad and was keeping him up to date by text – i had composed a text saying we were out and was ready to send it when henrik hit his screamer!
Pure agony ending in ecstacy
Celtic_First
Thanks …………much appreciated.
HH
Tony Stokes will be the main mhan next season,the top Bhoy.Spends all his spare time in west Belfast,is a proper Celtic gentleman.I dare say he loves Dublin & Glasgow,but he calls this place home now for some reason.Stokesy is safe and sound in these parts,probably like a king.He now appreciates & realises how lucky he is to wear the green & white.
gcctim
14:07
A great moment to have in your collection, and a great one to share with the wee ones. Not so wee now, of course.
Sorry for the duff information. The U20s are playing ICT in Inverness. I’m not going to say how I thought it was Hearts as it’s too embarrassing.
I was at that game in Porto Paul. what a surreal experience it was. 10 minutes before the end a message came over the tannoy asking Celtic fans to stay in the ground for 15 minutes after the game. Eventually another message came over the tannoy asking us to leave, as the players were heading back up the tunnel after a lap of honour. And the bus back into the city centre was special as all the Porto fans were waving at us as they had made the final too while we had beaten their city rivals. A special night in Porto. Great memories.
The game was awful, but after we scored the guy in front of me turned round and told me to tell him if anything interesting happened as he couldn’t watch any more, while my pal kept muttering that he thought he was gonig to have a heart attack (BlantyreTim will know who I mean. Not JC, the other one!).
The image of Henrik after he scored wheeling away while Crhis Sutton ran after him laughing will live long in the memory. Also Bobo laughing hysterically all through the lap of honour.
On the way out of the ground a policeman marched straight towards me and I thought ‘oh oh’, but he held his hand out to shake mine, saying “Well done.” He was a Porto fan.
We were staying in a hotel in the City Centre with a bar on the top floor with views over the city. All night we could hear car horns blaring.
Steinreignedsupreme
14:22 on 24 April, 2013
:))
masty is neil lennon
I think Celtic are always improving facilities. I made that in my prior post mate. They are in no hurry. I think they are being very patient and are putting the work in when they are able to do so which is the short summer months. Patience is the key all round. We will get there. The stadium is light years away from the old ground. As much as I loved it the new stadium is breathtaking. I took Mrs LB there (she is a Hibs fan). She was amazed at the size of the ground and how good it looks.
A stadium for us all to be proud of.
LB