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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Roth
The player who scored the only goal of the 1967 Cup Winner’s Cup final against our former closest rivals.
SOf Tunis -also lovely Nina and her 99 Luft ballons.
Another good read is ‘Keeping Up with the Germans’ by Philip Oltermann.
They bombed my Grannie’s chippy.
Morning all
Good things German?
Kraftwerk, Koln Cathedral, Heike Drechsler, Fritz Lang, Albrecht Durer, Wagner, Jutta Hipp, the film Downfall, cakes
Good Germans?
Andreas Thom
He gets the ball, he scores a goal!!
…and not forgetting the spellbinding Nena…
……..and her amazing balloons…………………………
Bomber is a former Tim?
Anyone ever hear the guy who phoned Clyde years ago and slated Derek Johnstone?
He lived next to him when BFDJ was a kid and he said you probably won’t remember me but I was your neighbour. He then went on to say I remember you leaving the house as a kid with a Celtic tammy on. Do you remember that BFDJ? he said no I don’t remember that but was clearly squirming. I remember you playing for the local boys guild as well. BFDJ was clarely in distress and said you would take a game wherever you could in those days. The guy was cut off pretty pronto.
Hillarious! It must have been late 80’s or early 90’s.
LB
Good things German? It has to be Bier!
Abends Bit
Morgens Fit
Not always true
Mr Johnny Clash wishes to point out that Boney M were German.
Studs up tackles.
Well practiced elbow to the face.
Ankle stamping.
The tackle by Bobby Zamora on Jordi Gomez.
Ditto Ionel Ganea on John Kennedy.
What Luis Suarez did was unusual. That’s all.
I’m always suspicious when the likes of David Cameron is putting the boot in.
Pogmathonyahun aka Laird of the Smiles
11:37 on
25 April, 2013
Good things German? It has to be Bier!
i will second that , it for me is the best . finding it very difficult not to have some in this glorious weather :)
Good Germans ——–
Henning Wehn
brilliant comedian, saw his Preston gig last week, jaws ache from laughter
TOSB………..
They bombed yer grannies chippy…………..
…..ahemmmm.!
Boris Becker, Steffi Graf, Karl Marx, Heidi Klum, Marlene Deitrich, Mr Mrecedes and Mr Benz, Heisenberg, Einstein, Kepler, Adi and Pum Dassler
Off oot to see if local offy has restocked it’s supply of €0,99 a bottle
Tap 6
bankiebhoy1@11:05 ‘Auld Scottish Proverb –
” He who way pays the paper…………..calls the tune”’
In my house it was always he who pays the paper gets to read it first. Because of constant and rebellious challenges to this rule that usually meant sitting in the toilet for a few hours.
wicklowbhoy
11:40 on 25 April, 2013
Where in Bayern are you?
German sausage…….(not square)
*controversial*
Good things German.
LIDL, ALDI …
Stein…..
Neil Lennon says Celtic were interested in Lewandovski when he was at Lech Poznan around three years ago.
Bummer
If we had signed him and he hadn’t scored in 3 games we would be calling him a waste of space
dbbia,
A bit of medical opinion.
Do you consider the affliction caught by Charles, Rangersitis, to be a terminal condition, or is there an effective treatment?
Gordon J,
I’m sure you meant Adi and Rudi Dassler :-)
1 LEIBNITZ
2 I. KANT
3 HEGEL
4 SCHOPENHAUER
5 SCHELLING
6 BECKENBAUER
7 JASPERS
8 SCHLEGEL
9 WITTGENSTEIN
10 NIETZSCHE
11 HEIDEGGER
Gordon J- can you be certain Heisenberg was good?
Celebrity Death Match Special
Norman ‘bites yer ankles’ Hunter v Luis ‘bites yer arm’ Suarez
Pogmathonyahun aka Laird of the Smiles
about 10 mins away from rosenheim . it is quite a lovely place called rohrdorf
That Stefan Effenberg was German or as he was known if he scored against you
That Effin Stefenberg
Must be close to the anniversary of my best day as a Celtic fan….. The ibrox beach ball party….. What a day
German durability,
The VW Beetle, The Trabant, BMW R75 WWII motorcycle and sidecar … The Mullet Haircut
…….All the Germans in Hogan’s Heroes………….
Porsche, VW, Bavarians, not to keen on the people in this part of NRW mind you.
joe_joe_john_bobby_teddy
Saw a guy walk from his bus to the stadium in a pair of flippers that day. Other guys I saw had a boat with oars and everything.
When we entered the ground guys had inflated a paddling pool and filled it with water.
The funniest day I have ever had at Ibrox. The amazing thing was that our supporters bus had 50 guys on it and I don’t think there was one beach ball on it!
LB
joe_joe_john_bobby_teddy @11:50 I took a couple of women to the St Germain’s in SE23 to see that game. They thought it hilarious. It won them over forever. To Celtic that is, not to me.
Lewandowski could have been a Celt if Celtic PLC would have met Poznans 4million asking price, BTM tried to sign him on a couple of occasions. How much is he worth now?
DBBIA .
Yes —— I enjoyed —–Keeping up with the Germans ..
Think – Bear Family Records —should be on that Good Germans list too [ despite their early days insistence that you could only buy their choons from the German store or Mail Order from Ernest Tubb in the States ]
Wicklowbhoy, I haven’t been there but I think I probably drove past it on the Autobahn, looks like that was a mistake. One for the future. I notice you are near the Chiemsee, very nice.
BTM was given £4m to spend on a striker.
He chose Fortune.