After writing a piece on our European season for the forthcoming CQN Magazine I read the excellent contribution from SFTB this morning. It is only natural that we live in the moment but for the last 70 years of the 20th century Celtic fans, more than anyone else, viewed each day in its historical context.
Older generations would have had little choice but to keep their history alive during the lost decades between the mid-20s and mid-60s. 7-1 and the Coronation Cup, each magnificent and modest in their own way, were the highlights, while the legend of Jimmy McGrory more than anyone established what was known as the Celtic Way.
Then came Lisbon. In an instant, all that history was eclipsed. New heroes, one of whom recalled to me he was told Celtic would amount to nothing with him in the team by a ‘fan’ a few years earlier, changed everything, but for this most historical of clubs, the inheritance was not all positive.
If Jimmy McGrory established Celtic as a remarkable goal-scoring team, the incessant attacking that afternoon in Lisbon cast an unattainable shadow. It proved Celtic could win the European Cup by playing fabulous football but set a template we were cursed to attempt to follow.
The rules of the off-field game have changed often since those days, no more so than this season, when Celtic grew from a team who were penned into their own penalty box by HJK Helsinki, who needed a goal to knock us out of Europe in August, from a team the Turin media were joyous when Juventus beat home and away. Thoughts of ‘Maybe we could win this” have since emerged in Turin.
I’ve loved every minute of this season, from the last minute header in Moscow to the last minute header in Dingwall. Adding context to it is a joy for one of our tomorrows.
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Didn’t we go out of the European Cup against Milan because of a poor shy from Big Billy?
Parkheadcumsalford
I can go back to the 50’s and we were rotten then too. Vince Ryan cld shy a ball 50 yards but still never found a teammate . lol
Yipp.
Row z
As I understand it these proposals allowed for implementation season 2014-15… Huns won’t even have made the top division by then
An utter nonsense proposition which gives Newco a position in Scottish football which it doesn’t merit.
Kojo –
assuming that was a serious question then, of course we can lose it! Not difficult to work it out to be honest!
3-0 villa
3-0 Villa
3-0
PCS
did John Clark not throw it too Billy who messed about and allowed the Milan player to sidposses him and run in on goal..
after a great nilnil in snow covered /milan
goal villa
Brilliant
3-0 Barca
What a(nother) great goal!
Yahoooooooooooooo
belter!!!!!! 3-nil
No extra time. Damn!
Briiliant Barca. Ghod, we must have been brilliant in the Nou Camp.
Wish I had bet them @ -3 (instead of -2)!
Paul67 et al
Yes! Villa at his best.
Falkirk chairman Martin Ritchie has
criticised Scottish Football League
proposals to introduce Old Firm colt
teams in a new league set-up.
SFL chief executive David Longmuir has
argued that Rangers and Celtic reserve
sides should join the lowest league in any
new structure so that the Glasgow clubs
would remain in Scottish football if their
top teams move elsewhere.
This idea was outlined in a document sent
to the 30 SFL clubs and it emerged just
24 hours after the Scottish Premier
League announced their clubs would vote
on plans for a merged 12-12-18 structure
on April 15, with a view to introducing it
next season.
SFL clubs have not set a date and have
also been discussing plans for a
12-12-10-10 league, which would require
two new teams.
Ritchie believes the suggestion of colt
teams will cause a rift amongst clubs and
hinder talks about league reconstruction
at a crucial time.
“The problem I have with it, I think at this
stage it’s just a total distraction from the
key issue that everybody is discussing,
which is reconstruction,” he said.
“There are pros and cons with it but it is
clearly going to be a contentious issue.
“It’s going to divide the clubs and it’s
going to divide the supporters and to
introduce it at this stage of the
reconstruction debate, I think it’s
irresponsible.
“I got it absolutely out of the blue this
afternoon when I opened my emails.”
Ritchie added: “Maybe there’s an
opportunity after reconstruction to look at
the pros and cons and decide if it’s a
good idea, but at the moment we have
very tight timescales.
“The SPL have said they are going to vote
on the 15th of April. The SFL are behind
that, partly because it was the SPL that
were drawing up the documents.
“But the SFL have got quite a lot of
catching up to do and to suddenly put a
new variable on the table, and one that
will certainly divide the clubs and the
supporters, all that is actually doing is
putting the whole process into further
disarray.”
The plans do not appear to have been
shared with the SPL and St Mirren
chairman Stewart Gilmour expressed his
club’s opposition.
“Our view has never changed on colt
teams from when it came up the last time
– if there are to be colt teams, then fine,
we have everybody in a colt league,” he
said.
“We have no desire to have some clubs
having colt teams and others not, it’s as
simple as that.”
Heard some guys waiting on 4 nil for 49K
SFTB@20:41…..
By Jings…!
You Sure Do Lead An Exciting Life….
Even Owen Coyle’s Granny Would Consider You Exceedingly Verbose…
Still….Laughin’
BT
You are spot on, re Milan game
Goal Barca!
RRC
wonder why? o))
blantyretim,
You may well be right. It was certainly the 2 of them who were involved. As you say, that was after us doing the hard part in the San Siro and getting a 0-0 draw, Pat McCluskey played the game of his life that night, if the old memory isn’t playing too many tricks.
Was on the verge of posting that I never see what David villa brings to barca, shows what I know
tsoal
Mare goals?? Canny be!!
TSD
How’s the campaign to hang Nelson Mandela coming on?
This is wonderful ……..nearly as good as good as the feeling you get when Celtic take the field…..
Just realised I was 2 minutes behind as had paused telly earlier. lol!
ambrosini has aimed twenty kicks at messi in about 3 minutes, all of them should have been at least yellow
Celtic and shies have been a bugbear all last season and all this season.
Years ago i was a coach with Eastercraigs. I sat down the Under-14s and explained to them that, simply, shies were a way of retaining possession, just like a pass to a team mate during normal play. Then I set up three simple functions that involved a few players from the ‘right’ side of the team and from the ‘left’ side of the team. We practised these three moves for just a few minutes EVERY training session and I did this with them for the three years I worked with them from Under – 14 to Under – 16. Result? We hardly ever gave away the ball from a throw in, allowing us to start an attack from our possession.
If kids that age could master the simple act of retention why oh why can’t paid professionals?
How the hell did we manage to beat barca?
msm answers on a postage stamp!
pggtips2
probably why he is being replaced
bt
Perr chance did you see big Andy Pirrie at the KSC?
Evening all.
My mate Tony has just likened Messi and Martin Hayes. He’s off the drink for Lent as well.
This is one of those nights that make me realise why I like football.
Magnifico
Jimbo
Iniesta is some player…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jude
fraid not buddy, ill look out for him next time i am in..
emeraldbee
I played with Eastercraigs 1980 till 1985…