In the months afterwards I made a trip to the Celtic Superstore to buy the DVD of the match. I wasn’t ready to watch it but needed to have it nonetheless, for when the time came. I’ve still not opened the box.
I watched the game from high up in the Porto end. The Porto fans were great, allowed us to celebrate with all the enthusiasm you could muster for goals in a European final, then wished us well as we made our way through them and out of the stadium. Had Celtic won while dropping like flies whenever an opponent coughed, it might have been different.
Porto were favourites and would go on to prove how good a team they were by winning the Champions League 12 months later. Their players would demonstrate their prowess across the world for the next decade. They had fabulous talent, so much so, that they should have aspired to better than the gamesmanship used during their run to the Uefa Cup and Champions League wins.
On the field it was a tale of great goals and heroic defeat, off the field, it was one of the most spectacular events in sport.
80,000 Celtic fans made the pilgrimage to Seville and treated the world to a carnival. The city became the scene of one of the largest parties the game had ever known. For me the pre-match schedule involved a two hour trip north before a panicked dash across the city collecting match tickets. What a stress!
There was 10 in our party and collecting the tickets took priority. Once we had them we could afford time to eat, but what? Several restaurants were sold out, we eventually found a café with frozen chips and a meat-based slab of something or other. No choices. No beer, wine or cola either, it was diluting orange juice or water. An entire city was pretty much emptied of food and drink.
You could forget about motorised transport to get to the game, we had to walk from the city to the stadium on the very outskirts of town. It was hot and dry. An enterprising local was selling a retained stash of cola at the side of the road at a hugely inflated price, no one passed him without buying.
This was a journey to a football game, but not one any of us were familiar with.
The long walk home from the game was memorable for the incredible reaction we got from the locals. They applauded each of us as we walked past their homes in recognition of what took place in their city throughout the day. Things like this don’t happen but that day was different. Seville, like Lisbon, will always remember Celtic. Fifa and Uefa made their Fair Play Awards the following year to Celtic fans, a nomination normally reserved for clubs.
I met a German couple in the hotel elevator. “Are you disappointed?” they asked. “No. We were beaten by a good team”. I had celebrated two Celtic goals in a European final and watched as we pushed a tremendously talented team to the brink. Disappointment comes a lot worse than this, although time brought regret.
Seville 2003 was not Lisbion 67 but it was a wonderful occasion in our very proud history. Let’s do it again.
For those who prefer their nostalgia with a bit of silverware, 10 men won the league, 24 years ago today. Big Billy was back and the Celts were in control.
Speaking of Lisbon 67…… Willie’s book, pre-order your signed copy now!
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auldheid- If non-execs like Smith and that other legned Greig had not deliberately looked the other way when the club was being bled dry then things would never have got this far.
But they did and for that, well done to them.
TBJ
That is a truly amazing story. Just proves that it doesn’t matter that we didn’t win the match.
There are far more important things .
God Bless You and Your Bhoy and your wee Ma as well .
HH
Tell you what, there have been some brilliant posts on here today.
Joyous, emotional, passionate, wonderful stories each and every one.
The Bhoy Jinky,
I cant add many words to those already said, but all I can say is you Bhoy is in very good company tonight!
GBNF!
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
My permanent framed reminder of Seville. The weird thing was I was kind of swithering whether to go or not! Mental. Gave my sombrero to a wee laddie at the game. He’s probably about 20 now….
https://twitter.com/Gincher67
Coorslad that my friend is a step 2 far, the two serious looking policia were scared of the two Derry ghirls ✊
Has anyone posted links to the new home and away kits for 2013/14
Vmhan
That is one mental pic…
raspberry-tuned in for 2 minutes and thought it was that runt Billy Brown,turned off.A class act on and off the park.
Can someone please direct me to TBJ’s post of his son, Jinky if your reading, before I read I know I’m going to be feeling it pal.
One love.
V
The Boy Jinky @17:25
Hi The Boy Jinky. Out of many amazing reminiscences of Seville, yours immediately brought tears to my eyes. (As did the tale of the Porto Supporter who drowned before the match.) God Rest his (their) soul(s) and God Bless you and your family.
———————————————
My own story is much less poignant. From the Liverpool Game I thought “If we can beat Liverpool, we can go all the way…” and so I managed to get 2 tickets from UEFA; I wish I had bought 8. My now ex-girlfriend and I had an amazing week staying about 12 miles just outside of Seville on a campsite and bussed it in to town every day.
The support on matchday was just unbelievable; definitely a history-making day, everywhere we went there were just Celtic Supporters, …and more Celtic Supporters.
I am fortunate enough to have seen wee Jinky at his Red-Star-Belgrade best, and I remember with fondness Tommy Gemmel’s thunderbolt against Benfica. However I am now also blessed to have witnessed not one, but 2, World-Class goals from Henrik. Memories like those are to be cherished! :-) (I have a signed Celtic top with only 2 signatures on it; Tommy Gemmel and Henrik Larsson. The only 2 Celtic players who have scored 2 goals in European Finals; how cool is that? :-) )
It is incredulous that there was not one arrest… I recall cringeing twice when I heard the phrase “Durty Orange Ba***!”. The first was when someone took a kick at a stray ginger tom cat looking for food on our campsite (he, of course, ignored the other strays!). The second was when the unsuspecting orange-uniformed bin-men of Seville were innocently going about their work in the wee small hours after the game…
Much more edifying was walking through Seville after the match, (still wearing the Hoops of course), and coming across a beautiful School Month-of-May procession where the kids carried a statue of Our Lady on a stretcher-type arrangement. I just grinned from ear-to-ear and applauded as one of the kids just couldn’t stop himself from shouting out “Celteeeeec!!” Similarly, whenever we passed a bar we were met by a raised glass and an invitational shout of “Cerveca?!” I like to think that the locals were keen to talk to some of the remnants of the magnificent Celtic support that had so joyfully taken over their beautiful city for a day. Then again, it may have had as much to do with the gorgeous hoops-bedecked ghirl that was strolling along with me. :-)
Yours in Celtic,
TB&F.
!!bada bing!!
19:16 on 21 May, 2013
raspberry-tuned in for 2 minutes and thought it was that runt Billy Brown,turned off.A class act on and off the park.
Podcast it, a real gent with a genuine respect for us.
Let down with tickets by friends of spanish inlaws who had tickets, an then suddenly didnt – inlaws werent chuffed
Train to bristol day before the game, evenin in the bristol csc pub (cant remember the name) and off to the airport for a 5am flight to Faro. Airport chockers with hoops, couldnt get a sleep for the bams.
Hired a car and mad belfast wummin drove us to Seville. It was on the road from Faro to Seville that it struck just how big this thing was goin to be. Ot seemed evry second vehicle was rammed with hoops. There were cars, vans, buses, campervans, even a fleet of scooters. Magic
Seville was even more jawdropping, and i do remembrr the guys with the green mohican. He was wanderin about with a set of plastic five a side goals last time i saw him, looking for players – he didny get many takers
tallybhoy-Swansea players said Michael Laudrup was the best player in training every day.He’s 49.
BT, you started it this morning with your question about the skirt lol
Vmhan
Its almost as sad as me and my sister diving in the sea at cleveleys on garys anniversary … lmao
Some really fantastic stories on here today – CQN at its best.
Apologies to go off at a tangent but I have to get down a few brief words.
Today was a very sad day in The Baldie household as we learned the very unexpected and tragic news that the most magnificent Cannon Michael MacNamee of St Leonards EK has gone home to God. An inspirational parish priest as well as a dear personal friend. Loved by all and from all faiths and none.
He had an earlier spell in Rutherglen and up until around the millennium he was a season ticket holder and on first name terms with many of The Lions. He shared many a tale, particularly of Big Jock and Bobby Murdoch who were his own as a former season ticket heroes.
But Michael was a real hero to me.
Rest in Peace Fr Mac!
Joe
Link to the BBc prog about Hillsborough.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/hillsborough-never-forgotten-the-full-documentary/
Justice for the 96.
Channelislandcelt
When I got the call … I thought it was bad news about my mum. She was 77 at the time. She lived another 8 years but when she was told she didnt have long on this earth she said ” its ok … gary will be waiting at the gates for me”
Loved the headline Paul.
I understand the Sevconians are already working on a piece for the 10th anniversary of Manchester titled
“They cowered as we tore up their homes”
Jobo
Is st Leonards the big square church with the really high ceilings
God bless your son Jinky, and what you done for your son would make any son proud of their dad, it’s what my two sons would have wanted, “Seville in the sun” now takes on a brand new meaning.
KTF I know you do.
Vinny
Jobo
Canon Macnamee must have been a good age. I remember him from St Mary’s in Hamilton when I was a right wee bhoy. I seem to remember that he had done some boxing and was a keen swimmer in his youth. He was certainly a character.
True story.
A guy I know very well, a season ticket holder at Celtic Park, was offered the chance to fly with the official Celtic party to Seville, with hotel and ticket Included. For a very, very reasonable price.(I.e. regular price for flight to Seville, face value ticket and hotel room at whatever rate Celtic had block booked them at).
He was married to someone who worked for Celtic and they (the staff) were taken over for free by the club. They had the chance to bring their partner for, as I said, a very reasonable price.
This offer was made in the week before the final when tens of thousands were doing all sorts just for the outside chance of a ticket.
He knocked it back as he didnt (not couldn’t) want to take two days off work.
True story.
Jobo
Thought about you when it was mentioned on here this morning..
TbJ
Thats st brides.
St leonards is cakderwood at football parks where old scotbeef was years ago.
Jinky you’ve got me with tears now…….
You know how how much I love my 2 bhoys.
HH
TBJ
I am certain he was there mate .
HH
Saint Stivs
Thanks for the kind words my Mum thought you were a “nice boy”
pedrocaravanachio67
Mini being Son or Brother?
10 years ago.
Apologies for the video quality, didn’t know where to point the camera.
Kick off approaching!!
How pissed do you have to be to get on Snyde?
I estimate the Celts in Seville to be at least 100,000 . There seemed to be 6 ticketless for everyone lucky enough to have a ticket. And in the stadium it seemed be at least two thirds Celtic fans.
Too lighten up the mood I was explaining to my son Jonathan a few minutes ago about the 4-2 game ie 10 men won the league, I told him that the Huns went berserk at the end, ala Huns berserk or if you like exactly how they couldn’t accept defeat in Manchester, …….. He was mostly tickled with the word “berserk”, he also laughs and thinks I’m kidding him when I talk about the wee buzz bomb Bobby Lennox.
V
Apologies. Hillsborough prog has multiple advert breaks.
sad news jobo..he’s in a better place by God side h.h
aldersyde avenue
18:21 on 21 May, 2013
your right – point taken :-)
Vmhan
You know how much I care about your boys … always look for their facebook posts and keep in touch with them. And it was great to meet up earlier this year.
As for lightening up the mood ….
Just stopped at tebay on way home from telford. .. latte … muffin and a mars bar
Said to the guy.. sorry ive only got a twenty pound note
Guy says… thats ok – just put the mars bar back ;)
Very sad news indeed. No doubt he’ll be up there watching the bhoys and telling his stories. I really liked him,, my other fave priest was from St. Brides…Father Curley. There are few like them. May he rest in peace.
A thought occured to me last night when watching that Hillsborough programme although there was no mention of it in the programme.
What part did the Masonic brotherhood play the collusion of these high ranking police officers, judges and politicians ?
A significant part ,I suspect.
In the bar in Glasgow watching UEFA cup final, girl cheering for Porto when they scored. Turned around to Chinese guy wearing his Celtic scarf and she to him ” why do you support that Fenian mob” Him “because Celtic fans don’t call me a F****** C***** B****** when I walk down the road” Certainly put her in her place. She was totally anti Celtic but he certainly showed her up for the ignoramus she was.