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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lionroars67
I was expecting this late this afternoon.
Share price will plummet today and tomorrow. It’s all going wrong again. Much more to come.
LB
Add Spider Murphy Gang to good German things!!!!!!!!!
Finally a game last night were the referee didn’t affect the outcome.
Sevco the gift that just keeps giving…………
Celtic_first –
Schubert for his Lied alone. Mahler for symphonic greatness. Mozart for his haircut.
WITTGENSTEIN has to be top Honorary German in Ernie’s list purely for his comment to Bertrand Russell who was his dissertation viva voce examiner – “Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to understand it”!
:-)))
yorkbhoy 12:08 on 25 April, 2013
“Stein… I remember one game at Celtic park where a “fan” behind me was giving Henrik dog’s abuse… He wanted Maloney instead. Henrik scores 3 and he starts shouting that Maloney would have got 4. Everyone was in hysterics at the guy.”
That must have been back in the days when ole KevJungle was still attending the games.
#Onlysayinglike
Who or what is DCK? I haven’t a clue!
Continuing the German theme – “the worst ever famous fan”
Adolf Hitler (Schalke 04) FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04
The Fuhrer had a soft spot for Schalke, who, funnily enough, were German champions six times between 1933 and 1945. “Winning a match,” Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda chief, wrote, “is of more importance to the people than the capture of a town in the East.
==
Somewhat surprised he didn’t follow follow ‘Die Hunnen’
Re: The Lewandowski bidding war
I thought Dortmund paid £3m for him – maybe they had “expert poker player Craig Whyte” negotiating for them right enough…
Steinreignedsupreme
12:25 on 25 April, 2013
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LOL :)))
Hmmm…..
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy
12:25 on
25 April, 2013
Dave King. Took me a while too.
new article posted.
Blixa Bargeld
Corkcelt
I think he may have me confused with someone else.
Ye sure it was me??
Logged on just in time for a N A?
Afternoon bhoys from a cool hun free mountain valley.
Corkcelt
I see you have met Robert from the Cunard bar.
Another good thing from Germany, Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft
(Der Mussolini – an absolute dancefloor classic)
Pogmathonyahun aka Laird of the Smiles
ah you are quite close to bielefeld , paderborn, osnabruck . do you go see any of them play ? and more importantly whats the beer like up there :)
http://johnpilger.com/articles/dance-on-thatcher-s-grave-but-remember-there-has-been-a-coup-in-britain