The script was written for George O’Boyle. Henrik gave Celtic the lead in the opening minutes but this was a team on its knees. If we thought that early goal would lead to an easy afternoon we were wrong. St Johnstone were our match all over the field.
O’Boyle met a near inch-perfect cross from the right with Jonathan Gould stranded, but the St Johnstone striker could not get high enough (pun intended) and Rangers’ best chance to win 10-in-a-row was gone.
Like the entire decade of the 90s, the game was torture. With Rangers winning at Tannadice we needed a win to ‘stop the 10’, but more was at stake than that. If we had let this one slip through out hands, needing only three points from our final two games, it is difficult to conceive how we would have recovered.
In truth, it is hard to imagine how we got close to the title. The 11th hour appointment of Wim Jansen produced a stuttering start to the campaign: a defeat at Hibs before an embarrassing capitulation at home to Dunfermline. Meanwhile, Rangers new prolific striker, Marco Negri, was breaking records.
With two weeks of the season left, we drew 0-0 at home to soon-to-be-relegated Hibernian. This was not a fantastic Celtic team, but they were made of strong stuff and would not be denied.
With around 15 minutes left against St Johnstone, the world’s most magnificent misfit, Harald Brattbakk did what he did best – got between defence and goalkeeper – to sweep the ball home. Grown men cried. This title was celebrated like none will ever be celebrated again.
The subsequent 20 years have seen many great successes. We have had Seville, The Beating of Barca (twice) and many Champions League triumphs, but that game against St Johnstone is without doubt the most important victory in my Celtic supporting life. Nothing in my entire relationship with the club comes close to that 90 minutes.
During the previous decade Celtic fans were effectively foreigners in our own land. Our streets were filled with celebratory blue jerseys; men had died blonde hair, aping (pun intended) Rangers players. They laughed at us, often with good reason.
We all have our memories of that night’s celebrations, but my most vivid memory is driving through the towns and villages of Lanarkshire. Green and white hooped fans were everywhere, some even waving flags sitting on top of traffic lights. The streets were ours again and we’re not giving them back.
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Natknow 12.23pm
Was in the royal, Royle that day, night and then at the dancing upstairs the next morning :-)
The Royal was then called the Blarney Stone then back to the royal, always was a Cektic boozer, when Phil Coles bar closed some punters then drank in there …. the Phil Coles supporters bus left from that boozer for a few years, now a Tesco express but whit a day that day :-)
Cheerio ten in a ……..
Changed days indeed
CELTIC at CELTIC PARK …………………….
herts v HIBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES on tv.
ok BHOYS N GHIRLS enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.me, well i’m of to see CHRISTIE MOORE IN BARBICAN YORK.
so there nah nah na nah na.
Word on the street is that Celtic, as well as completing the laying of the new hybrid pitch, will also be installing new state-of-the-art LED floodlighting – courtesy of Philips – which is one of the elite criteria laid down by UEFA in order to host a European final.
HH!!
Bain; Hendry, Simunovic, Ajer, Miller; Brown, Armstrong, McGregor; Forrest, Roberts, Sinclair
Subs: De Vries, Rogic, Ntcham, E Henderson, Tierney, Johnston, Kouassi
looking forward to tonight’s football
Gary67 on 9th May 2018 5:10 pm
The Tory racist MP, Douglas Ross, that was screaming for Jozo to be sent off at Ibrox is one of the linesmen in the Cup Final.
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Good.
Gives that snivelling, servile, forelock-tugging wee unionist Hun rat bastard a close-up view of the Celts lifting the Double Rebel treble. He’ll be vomiting into his butcher’s-flag toilet bag back in the changing room.
The 31-year-old Scotland international faces a two-match ban, with a fast-track panel scheduled to hear the case on Friday.
GERRYFAETHEBRIG on 9TH MAY 2018 6:21 PM
Natknow 12.23pm
Was in the royal, Royle that day, night and then at the dancing upstairs the next morning :-)
The Royal was then called the Blarney Stone then back to the royal, always was a Cektic boozer, when Phil Coles bar closed some punters then drank in there …. the Phil Coles supporters bus left from that boozer for a few years, now a Tesco express but whit a day that day :-)
Cheerio ten in a ……..
Changed days indeed
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You’ll remember the street party outside Gerry – cars couldn’t get down the road! What a day/night that was.
Phil Coles – there are plenty of Tim shops in Coatbridge but Phil Coles was the creme de la creme! What a bus that was :-))))))
Referee Bobby Madden took no action during Sunday’s game, with Celtic going on to win 3-1 at Tynecastle.
LIVE UPDATES UP
Fred C. Dobbs on 9th May 2018 6:18 pm
On Iron Horse heading to Paradise.
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Watch oot for the commanche’s aroon’ Duke Street :-)
BSR earlier,
We do indeed have a lot to thank ole Harald for……. the celt who sent ole David Murray into overdrive, and we all know now how that ended ;-)
GFTB & NATKNOW
The feeling of relief and joy that day was immense ,but the Green & Whitest, I(an interloper) :)))))) have ever seen Coatbridge was the day we sealed the treble under MON in 2001,my da passed away days before we won the league cup and Celtic more than helped me overcome that, to be standing in the brig that day watching thousands take to the streets will live with me forever.HH
Ah what a blog p67! Really hit home the importance which was lost on me (I was 17)for a while… of our Henrik Harold Gould Boyd Rieper Stubbs Annoni McNamara Burley Lambert O’Donnell Donnelly Weighorst Blinker. True heroes in every sense of the word. I had always loved Celtic through heritage and supported my team with my ticket and away support. HOWEVER this shown me that Celtic loved me too… Through the eyes and joyous behaviour of our family… long into the summer. Good bless Tommy burns. That season was for him