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!
[calameo code=000390171179f475cf1c0 lang=en page=6 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,062 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- ...
- 28
- »
Terryo’neill its yours.How will we get in touch.
OG
No I am not.
Seville…after match ended ,tears in my eyes ,pride in my heart for our team and our fans.
ItaliaBhoy
21:08 on 21 May, 2013
‘Charlotte Fakes latest…
CW private dinner with Campbell. “No need to worry about being disqualified as a director, Craig.”
Dynamite if true. Wonder if he taped it?’
###
Those attending will know if it was said.
If it wasn’t said they’ll deny it (assuming anyone bothers to ask them).
If it was said they won’t deny it because they fear it will have been taped.
Tom McLaughlin asked what I asked.
I await your answers
Tbj.
Ye jinky, I got similar treatment when my ma passed.
I’ll say a prayer for your bhoy tonight.
HH.
Today I received a application form for a season ticket.what do I do ?.i would love to go back I think I can afford to,but I don’t know if I can trust the Celtic board.Is Sevco more important than me,that is the question I can’t get my head round.
Thanks david yiv madema night.
Al find out how to email you ma phone number and then al arrange tae meet you at your convenience.
Terry O
Feksake pops up oot of nowhere and blags himself a ticket …..good on ye mhate ,good
On ye David.hh
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
No problems terry.
MSM “Traitor Commons turns his back on Scotland “
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae 22:39:
If you both e-mail me I’ll forward each other;s e-mail addys
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
voguepunter
22:39 on
21 May, 2013
He’s not got it yet :-)
HH
CRC
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae David:
lennybhoycfc@gmail.com
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Andy Murray out of French Open
Sipsini
Thanks for prayers
They said I had to bring in his death certificate or would not get paid my bereavement pay. Then told me I was getting paid off and not to bother returning to wisconsin. Said they would enter my apartment and ship my stuff home to Scotland
Aye right numbnuts… dirty masonic bar stewards
lennybhoy 22.34 how do ah email you ? :) av did it before but cant remember.
Tom
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
You really need to stop watching so many crappy movies. Or at least stop believing they’re all real. So spill the beans. How do the authorities go about stopping RTC and Charlotte Fakeover? Oh that’s right. they didn’t and they haven’t. But that just proves your point of course, does it not? Jesus wept!!!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sorry, I didn’t realise you asked me a question, I thought you were making an observation..
My point was, they don’t want to stop them, that is what I posted.
But if they did, a text, a tweet or a call can be traced, an exact location can be established, and if the authorities wanted to catch someone they could.
I realised that people can be sent to jail for life due to their mobile calls, I was a wittness in court in Dublin a few years ago, and a bloke sitting next to me in the canteen was up for murdering his wife, a totally unrelated case to mine, anyways, he was caught out cos he was traced through his mobile calls, where they were made from, the times etc, he got life.
CRC
There’s a couple like you on the blog……….thinking bad of good fholks :0)
The Boy Jinky
22:43 on
21 May, 2013
Scum-bags
!!bada bing!!
22:40 on 21 May, 2013MSM “Traitor Commons turns his back on Scotland
Spot on, that will be the msm spin.
Your ailment easing up yet?
The morning after the game we drove from Seville to Malaga and stopped of en route in a wee village in search of food and drink. walked into a wee non descript bar only for us to realise it was a Sevilla supporter club. We had the hoops on so got a great welcome, the barman said do you want yo see the back room? Aye ok we said so he took us through to a shrine to their team, signed photos of past players including Maradona, Suker etc. brilliant to see this stuff and they just wanted to talk about Celtic.
Went out in Benalmadena that night, 24 hour sq was rocking, got talking to two Swedish brothers, Hammarby fans, who were travelling round europe and decided they wanted to be down there for the final to see what the atmosphere was like. thry couldnt believe the noise, the atmosphere and the party despite our loss. They were massive Henke fans and just loved the party.
Terry O- I can hear that wee Countdown tune in the background….
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae:
Just send an e-mail to lennybhoycfc@gmail.com
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
the boy jinky
Shocking stuff mate ,don’t know how you managed through it.
Sipsini- aye slowly but surely cheers.
Seville,
Las Ketchup and the ketchup song :))
voguepunter
22:46 on
21 May, 2013
I was thinking about nicking the ticket for myself :-)
HH
CRC
Great stories on this site tonight.
Moisteyescsc
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae:
Well done, in like flint!!
Cheers lennybhoy av sent you my email address.
TET,
I am not upset in the slightest.
Living within 20 minutes of Paradise gives me many advantages.
Being a Celtic supporter for 50 years, within the same locale, IMO, gives me some perspective.
They are currently fighting a backs against the wall struggle that they will ultimately survive.
( aided and abetted by usual suspects ).
That notwithstanding, they are crippled, and unless an Abramovitch type character takes them over, they are an irrelevance, in real terms, for the foreseeable future.
MSM etc can perpetuate the myth, but we hold the real power by denying them the oxygen of our recognition.
Scottish Cup Final Sunday. Two best in form teams in Scotland in a showpiece final.
I love this Armageddon.
EC67
CRC
Serious question….roll n sausage or cup final ticket ? :0)
Dead and loving it
As expected ..
VP
On this day ten years ago I was unemployed after 18 years .. flown home from usa.. couldnt get a mortgage.. homeless.
But losing my son made all that insignificant.
Now ive got a good job .. money.. my house .. but not my boy
I have got my faith .. thanks to BT and pauls dad martin… and ive got Glasgow Celtic ;)
Trains to be disrupted between Edinburgh and Glasgow this weekend. The fat controller must be a Jambo!
VP
Roll n sausage with cup final ticket for dessert
Good Mhan Jinks,proud of you mate.