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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Ntassoolla
Madrid 1980 was my first trip abroad to see Celtic.
I went with life long Celtic pals,
Davy Fotheringham, his wee brother James, and a West Wemyss Celtic diehard called Davy Bell.
All of us still season ticket holders and as fanatical now about the Hoops as we were then.
After the match a 16 year old me ran behind the team bus as it left the Bernabeu.
I can still see Frank McGarvey’s face looking out the rear fire exit door window.
I discovered this match on you tube 2 weeks ago.
The whole 90 mins live recording.
Just type in the Real Madrid v Glasgow Celtic 1980.
It was defeats such as that one that made beating Boavista , and Henricks winner, my happiest adult moment as a Celtic Fan.
My happiest childhood moment was beat Oldco 4-2 in 1979 when 10 men won the league.
TT
C_F
so your dad kept that loft?
Cadizzy
I wish I could start that post again.
Len Brennan
Good.. We need tae Gie oor Youngsters a Chance at the Brass Ring.
And..
We .. Don’t gie.. Enuff of them a Chance tae dae that.
Of Course, A loat of oor Promising Youngsters.. Do Remain.. well.. “Promising”.. and do not go any Further,than that.
Howevannnnnnnn..
Ah still maintain that we do not… Bleed..or Blood.. Enuff… of Our Youngsters.. Enuff..
If Ye Know whit Ah mean??
Ye dae?
Ah’ m Impressed!
Kojo
Still.. Laughin’
C1st
bring back the bins…. o))
BT as much as I’d love too I’m flying out on sat morning for a week in the sunshine. Chris’s family joining us. Looking forward to the break.
Iain Davidson@SnideRogue39m
JLS will be back playing before Suarez is.
enjoy TnT
looks like October for me..
Tried to post this earlier but it didn’t appear
Boavista v Celtic
I was there. We had a wonderful afternoon singing about Cadete. When Henrik scored it was sheer bliss followed by the longest ten minutes ever. Then the lap of honour. As we arrived back in the city centre the Porto fans were touring around with horns blaring. It was electric.
Later in the hotel I heard an unmistakable voice behind me, speaking in Portuguese. I asked my buddy who was facing him if he was a big guy with a beard. It was. This guy had been a few years behind me in school (the establishment attended by the late Dwyer O’Hagan alias Lurgan 53) He graduated at Queen’s University Belfast in geology. The last time I spoke to him was in 1972 when he appeared drunk at a Dance which I promoted in Belfast. After several coffees he asked my advice about whether he should go to Brazil the next day to a job on a diamond mine. His mother was a widow and he was worried about leaving her. As his mother wanted him to go I agreed with her.
He married the daughter of a famous Kerry fiddler – he used to holiday in Boston where she lived. By this time he had settled in the Glens of Antrim and had brought three sons to the semi-final. He had travelled to Porto independently. When our club organiser realised who he was he wasted no time in asking him to talk to the hotel manager. He explained that many of the Porto fans would not be able to afford the trip to Seville. A deal was struck and two weeks before the final in Seville I flew back to Porto and collected 36 tickets which the manager had purchased. The Ponc – he explained that the Brazil version of Portuguese which he spoke sounded to the locals like a New Yorker speaking English in Dublin and was not greatly liked by the locals – was offered four tickets and flights to Malaga for himself and his sons but as two of were involved in exams he refrained.
The only downside to my memory of that trip is that Barry Kerr who whose son Barry, a top Irish traditional musician , entertained us all afternoon on the flute, passed away a few weeks ago. Barry owned The Ceili House bar in Lurgan and rarely missed a European away match for years.
I watched the Boavista game in the San Francisco CSC bar Fiddlers Green. It was a wall of sound the entire game up till Henrik’s goal at which the entire bar emptied, with everyone rushing outside onto the pavement and the street outside. Through my hazy, Guiness infused memory I remember one rather portly gentleman jumping up and down in passing traffic. Passing cars sounding their horns as they passed, which to them it must have looked like a street carnival and I suppose it was.
Celebrations continued long after and a sober American mate who had a convertible was roped into driving myself and two other Tims back and forth across the Golden Gate Bridge. At the time the toll was $5. We must have spent the better half of $100 that day on the bridge, waving and jumping about in the car.
Jimbo67,
I was there – right behind the goal, where King Billy scored the winner. I remember it like yesterday!
Hail! Hail!
Yogi
Houl yer wheest
great post hope it doesn’t get lost at the bottom of that page..
Kojo@16:19
You read my mind mhate.
I think the one thing that must discourage the youngsters is the raft of new player that come in every window and they must think that their chances diminish of breaking thru.
So IMHO it would be good as the league is wrapped up if Lenny could give a few 20 mins each game or something.
Just saying like.
HH
/Bishop B
theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E
16:12 on
24 April, 2013
lionroars67
Yes my pals in blue………………think I’m going to the staff dance
Just think bud if you put on twitter details of a FAC fundraiser dance, the event would be surrounded …………..
Houl yer wheest
16:21
A fine tail, amigo. God rest Dwyer O’Hagan, an excellent CQNer.
Nial McGinn player of the year.
Derek Adams manager of the year.
I could live with that as a bellwether of where Scottish football is at this moment.
However the absence of anyone who got to the last 16 of Europe’s best teams in the CL and more than likely will win the first double in four years in Scotland is more of a bellwether of the state of Scottish football.
Houl yer wheest
Enjoyed your tale apart from the sad news at the bottom.
StumptownBhoy-(ex-SanDiegoBhoy)For_wee_Oscar
Great post. A friend of mine has relocated to San Jose recently. He hasn’t been up to the CSC yet I don’t think.
LB
I said to the doctor, “Every time I close my eyes I see a spinning insect”. The doctor said, “Don’t worry its just a bug going round”.
Silly question time,when the huns were cheating their way to titles,was there a season Myth wasn’t MOTY?
TT I wasn’t in a position to go to Madrid but I did go to the Raith Rovers game where the tickets went on sale for the first leg. No limits on what you could buy. I nabbed four of them. In the thirty three years since I’ve never had anything approaching the number of pals I had in the 6 weeks that followed.
On the way to the game my 13 yr old brother was offered one of life’s pleasures by a tidy twenty something in exchange for his ticket. He went to the game. When I heard of this I asked him if he was tempted
“Of course I was. But she wanted me to hand the ticket over first” Yes. His immediate thought had been “I could outrun her.”
lionroars67
I could be on the door welcoming………..’evening all’
Celtic_First
16:11 on
24 April, 2013
We’d never have fitted the 108,000 into our loft.
—————-
and thats where the popular saying comes from
“it wis packed tae the rafters”
i will get my coat
Good Afternoon Bhoys,
The stories / tales of the Boavista game have fair brightened up a boring afternoon in work.
I watched the 2nd leg in a pub called Thrums in EK which was part of the Stuart Hotel (very recently demolished). The place was bursting at the seams as it was the only Celtic boozer in EK at the time. No that there’s many now right enough.
As has already been said, the game itself was pretty dreadful but the explosion of relief when Henke ‘sclaffed’ the winner is something I will never forget. My heart was literally pumping out of my chest.
Unfortunately, I never got a ticket for the Final but I travelled nevertheless. No way was I missing out.
Anyway, a funny (nearly heartbreaking) story about a friend who did have a ticket. Six of us flew out but only two had tickets. One of the two was in a Celtic strip, shorts (with pockets), sports socks and a pair of trainers. That was it, no bag or anything.
He had his ticket, passport, credit card & Euros in his short pockets. Not the wisest idea I’m sure you’ll agree. We urged him to give his personals to those with bags / backpacks for safekeeping but he wasn’t having it. Especially his ticket!!
We told him that there was a fair to decent chance of being ‘dipped’ given the tens of thousands of people in a small area. He had a brainwave (or so he thought). He proceeded to take off his right shoe, hide the ticket in there, stuck the shoe back on and carried on with the singing, dancing, drinking etc. . . . . . (you all know what’s coming. don’t you??)
Come game time my mate approached the stadium and was stopped by the officials who were scanning the barcode on each ticket to ensure they were genuine. Off came the right shoe. Now, given that it was over 100 degrees for most of the afternoon and we had been singing & dancing like loonies, you can imagine what the ticket looked like! A used hankie was his description. There was barely any ‘print’ on the ticket at all. His heart sank.
The official tried to scan what was left of the ticket. Nothing. Tried for a second time. Again, nothing. My mate pleaded with him to try one more time. he did. Miraculously, a beep & green light signalled the go-ahead for my to get into the stadium. He said it equalled the feeling he had when the ball hit the net against Boavista!!!
Sorry for waffling on a bit but memories like this remind me of some terrific times!
Uncle Fester
cant beleive boavista is 10 years ago tonight??like every other celtic fan i watched in total frustration as we created nout until the king of kings poped up with that bit of magic…through my dads ceiling i nearly went went it eventualy the ball crossef the line…the dream was on..we were going to a euro final in my lifetime..something i didnt think i’d see..but later that night i got a call on my mobile from whom i thought was my friend who sat next to me..it was his brother stevie..letting me know that john had passed away..47years young!absolutly gutted..massive heart attack from the excitement no doubt? so tonight i’l raise a glass to my friend John Stevenson and to my dad who are in paradise as we remember that special night..hail hail to them all!!
The 1965 final was the eightieth in the competition. Celtic won it. We also won the ninetieth, and the hundredth, and the hundred-and-tenth, and the hundred-and-twentieth.
sorry about the typos..tears are blinding me…well done to our young hoops Champions again..what a week what club
h.h
I really liked ole Lurgan53 – there was a Celtic Supporter RIP.
Afternoon bhoys and ghirls from a warm hun free mountain valley.
This is interesting…………
Worthington Group Plc
24th April 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Worthington Group Plc (the “Company”) – Conditional Fee Agreement
Conditional Fee Agreement
The Company is pleased to announce that Law Financial Ltd (“Law Financial”), its 26% owned associate, has now entered into a Conditional Fee Agreement in relation to claims that Law Financial, through its subsidiary Sevco 5088 Ltd and separately, has to all of the business and assets of The Rangers Football Club (“Rangers”) which were purchased from the Administrators of RFC 2012 Plc by Sevco 5088 Limited, or Sevco Scotland Ltd, in June of 2012.
The principle terms of the Conditional Fee Agreement are as follows:
Solicitors and Leading Counsel acting for Law Financial will share 7.5% of the recently issued and to be issued unsecured convertible loan stock and up to 18.5% of any successful claim in relation to the business and assets of Rangers.
The Company notes the announcement made on 22 April 2013 by Rangers International Football Club Plc (“RIFC”) in which, contrary to other recent public announcements and statements by Mr Green and RIFC, RIFC now, five months after the publication of the Admission Document published for its flotation, claim to own Sevco 5088 Ltd.
We also note today’s announcement by RIFC, and would like to confirm that solicitors, acting for the Company and Law Financial, are in a position to provide compelling evidence that Messrs Green and Ahmad received a letter before claim in December 2012, having received previous correspondence, and chose to ignore it.
In the light of recent public admissions by Mr Green, including his admission that he and Mr Ahmad deceived Mr Whyte, a fresh letter before claim is being prepared against, inter alios, The Rangers Football Club Ltd and Messrs Green and Ahmad. This letter will include additional or alternative causes of action to those already particularised in the December 2012 letter.
The shares in RIFC purportedly owned by Messrs Green and Ahmad will also be the subject of this claim.
During the course of the Company’s due diligence process, relating to its purchase of a stake in Law Financial, information has been discovered relating to the conduct of Mr Charles Green and Mr Imran Ahmad, this has today been reported to the Serious Fraud Office.
Enquiries:
Douglas Ware, CEO Worthington Group Plc: dougware@worthingtongroupplc.co.uk
Anne Alesbury, PD Cosec Limited,
Company Secretary, Worthington Group Plc on 0208 940 0963
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
jimbo67 @16:02 a little remembered fact. That ’65 Scottish Cup win was the platform for the Squad to gain the valuable European experience which served us so well 15 seasons later.
It also marked the start of Jock Stein’s transcendence to immortality.
But I’m sure you know all this.
HH
BT is the Old Tim who brought the port to the dinner before the Juventus game OldTim67 or are there 2 different Old Tims. Only asking cos I met up with a lovely Glasgow couple last Sunday watching the Title clincher in a pub in Spain. The man in question loves CQN but doesn’t post himself. He obviously knows ye well and asked me in particular to send greetings to OldTim & HamiltonTim on his behalf. So to both of the above mentioned a big Hail Hail from Barry Quinn.
livibhoy
16:29 on 24 April, 2013
Tell your mate to get on up to Fiddlers Green, it’s on the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, so not too far a drive up Highway 101. The owner is a Glaswegian and fine Tim. He’ll put your mate in touch with all things Celtic in the Bay Area. Monstrous burgers made right in front of you on an open flame in the bar.
Uncle Fester
I was behind a Bhoy in the queue with the same problem. My mate had a brain wave at Manchester airport flying out to seville to buy money belts to put our tickets and cash in. Quality idea. Cash and ticket in the wee belt tucked just below the shorts and a wee holiday money sleeve to keep the ticket dry.
No such issues for us at the turnstyles but there were a few who were struggling with the heat and the state of their tickets.
LB
“I wish they all could be Greggsy’s Steakbakes ” to the tune of the Beach Boys – California Girls
Allez LeCoist
I like this bit the best……….
During the course of the Company’s due diligence process, relating to its purchase of a stake in Law Financial, information has been discovered relating to the conduct of Mr Charles Green and Mr Imran Ahmad, this has today been reported to the Serious Fraud Office.
Worthington Group Plc
24th April 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Worthington Group Plc (the “Company”) – Conditional Fee Agreement
Conditional Fee Agreement
The Company is pleased to announce that Law Financial Ltd (“Law Financial”), its 26% owned associate, has now entered into a Conditional Fee Agreement in relation to claims that Law Financial, through its subsidiary Sevco 5088 Ltd and separately, has to all of the business and assets of The Rangers Football Club (“Rangers”) which were purchased from the Administrators of RFC 2012 Plc by Sevco 5088 Limited, or Sevco Scotland Ltd, in June of 2012.
The principle terms of the Conditional Fee Agreement are as follows:
Solicitors and Leading Counsel acting for Law Financial will share 7.5% of the recently issued and to be issued unsecured convertible loan stock and up to 18.5% of any successful claim in relation to the business and assets of Rangers.
The Company notes the announcement made on 22 April 2013 by Rangers International Football Club Plc (“RIFC”) in which, contrary to other recent public announcements and statements by Mr Green and RIFC, RIFC now, five months after the publication of the Admission Document published for its flotation, claim to own Sevco 5088 Ltd.
We also note today’s announcement by RIFC, and would like to confirm that solicitors, acting for the Company and Law Financial, are in a position to provide compelling evidence that Messrs Green and Ahmad received a letter before claim in December 2012, having received previous correspondence, and chose to ignore it.
In the light of recent public admissions by Mr Green, including his admission that he and Mr Ahmad deceived Mr Whyte, a fresh letter before claim is being prepared against, inter alios, The Rangers Football Club Ltd and Messrs Green and Ahmad. This letter will include additional or alternative causes of action to those already particularised in the December 2012 letter.
The shares in RIFC purportedly owned by Messrs Green and Ahmad will also be the subject of this claim.
During the course of the Company’s due diligence process, relating to its purchase of a stake in Law Financial, information has been discovered relating to the conduct of Mr Charles Green and Mr Imran Ahmad, this has today been reported to the Serious Fraud Office.
Enquiries:
Douglas Ware, CEO Worthington Group Plc: dougware@worthingtongroupplc.co.uk
Anne Alesbury, PD Cosec Limited,
Company Secretary, Worthington Group Plc on 0208 940 0963
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
StumptownBhoy-(ex-SanDiegoBhoy)For_wee_Oscar
Will do mate. I think he may have actually been there for a St Paddy’s night already. Need to check back my emails. I know he hasn’t watched a game with the CSC yet.
LB
POTY Kris Commons
Celtic POTY Georghious Samaras
The Five Way Agreement Petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/publish-the-five-way-agreement/