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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TerryONeill Neil ah love yae:
Got your e-mail and replied, will forward DAVID’s if he e-mails me.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!!
Tbj.
I heard you were treated terribley after losing you’re son.
They gave me a verbal warning when I got back to work after 3 weeks off when my ma passed and not payed.
As you know my ma was a big part in bringing my kid’s up on my own.
They reap what they sow as my ma said.
Eurochamps67
Enjoy the game.
HH
Jinks
Have you seen that wee bugger snaffling rolls?was expecting finger transplant.
I have such a passionate dislike for the corrupt sfa that I wish there was a concerted effort by both sets of supporters to walk out of Hampden at some point in the live game, FTSFA doesn’t quite do it IMO.
54 yr old radical CSC
V
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae
I also have another e-mail addy for you, which one is the best, latest?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Lennybhoy have sent E-mail address. Cheers
Vmhan
You’re never 54……………thought you were older.
voguepunter
22:52 on
21 May, 2013
Make it 2 lorne and you have a deal :0)
HH
CRC
lennybhoy ad got a ticket in the ballot but gave it to ma bhoy so ad resigned masel tae watchn it on the telly.
As the weeks gone on the desire tae go has increased.
Ad literally just looked in oan the sight an saw davids post, so hoachy :)
Sipsini
Your ma and my ma knew their stuff. God rest their souls.
I took £40k from them … and got a better job were the cabal don’t really influence.
Never let the bar stewards grind you down
Seville,
Per match entertainment:))
http://youtu.be/h5D5N8TgBFw
VP
I’ve got a ticket, so any chance of a Buchanan’s Square at BSR’ s gaffe room aboot 11.45 Sunday?
EC67
Seville, I’ve told this before some time ago I’m sure but I’ll tell it again since today’s the day for these things.
I handed in my ST application for the final at the ticket office and having seen the queues put it in for postal return rather than going to collect it. They were to go out by certified mail.
Then someone scared me by suggesting that a ticket of such immense value would likely go missing in the post. I pointed out that it was going certified, and he said ‘aye, but would you not do a few months in jail for the chance to go to the final?’. And I realised that yes, I would, happily.
I tried all the following day (sat) to get through to the ticket office but couldn’t – a weekend with very little sleep. I finally got to talk to them on the Monday and explained my angst, they tried to reassure me that it would be ok but I was having none of it. A very nice lady called Janette said she’d dig out my application and I could collect it at the ticket office. I have no idea how easy or how difficult that might be with the ticketing system they had but I was sooooo grateful.
Janette, if you’re out there, you’re a star.
lennybhoy either email address is fine.
VP
I must have blinked
Looks a bit cliquey tonight,
Looking forward to the drunken drongoes from marsupial land coming on, it’s always nice to see an alternative view, even if its an upside down one :>)
V
DAVID
22:58 on
21 May, 2013
Lennybhoy have sent E-mail address. Cheers
TerryO , huge sigh of relief.
SEVILLE!
http://wp.me/s1G95H-seville
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae & DAVID:
Got both your e-mails and replied to both, you should each have the other’s e-mail addys.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Eurochamps n VP
Our pal Estadio Nacional will hunt you both down… cup final and buchanans of burnbank lorne… if you mention crispy mortons rolls too he will go radio rental
Lennybhoy. . Aka… cilla black
:)
the tv, stv and the beeb tonight was right,
it all the fault of seperate schools,
so, stop them non-dom schools
eurochamps67
Heard Burnside Greggs opening this Sunday for bsr.
Wee tip never ,never try their rolls n sausage ,,you’ve heard of pulled pork…..these are more
Pulled rat.
Before the day passes,remember.
Raymond McCreesh.
Patsy O’Hara.
Goodnight Celtic world
Wonder if we get an early post from Paul67 tomorrow ?
Hail hail
questions for Campbell Ogilvie.
Why Would Craig Whytes Lawyers suggest that you had said the SFA would have no issue in passing Whyte as a fit and proper person?
Just what constitutes a fit and proper person for he SFA and do these rules apply in every case or only to one club?
Why do you think the SFA saw fit to have a ‘conflicted’ person as the figurehead?
What made you think it was acceptable practice to be a former employee of Rangers, receiving non contracted inducements, to then become the main administrator of Scottish Football?
Do you beleive in Sport Mr Ogilvie or are you only interested in lining your own pockets and that of your firends?
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae
Gave DAVID the one you sent tonight. Gave you both my seat details, if near say Hail Hail!
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
One more thing. Cheets.
The Boy Jinky 23:04:
Only younger and better looking…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
TET –
So you are comparing the police investigation of the source of a blog and a twitter account for posting negative information about a football club to them doing the same to catch a murderer?
I am well aware that the police can do those things. My question as to how, was not about how they would do it from a technical point of view. I was asking . . . how would they justify it? Which leads on to the question . . . why would they?
I am honestly not looking for a fight. I am no lover of the police and the establishment, but we sometimes overestimate their powers, and their motivation.
fanadpatriot
23:05 on
21 May, 2013
Before the day passes,remember.
Raymond McCreesh.
Patsy O’Hara.
——————–
noted,
the boy jinky
23:00 on 21 May, 2013
VP
I must have blinked
…………………………….
:0)Aye think Wimpey from Popeye.
Great stories guys its a pleasure to read everyones adventures . Ours started when we beat liverpool. We booked to stay in cabanas portugal for a week 1 hour from seville we were 2 couples and my 2 year old son who is now in the intermediate academy at celtic . On our flight over 1 of our cases got lost and our boys buggy went missing any one who has had kids knows that the buggy is a life saver so we needed to go buy a new one to seville :-). This was on the tuesday of we head park up and then all you hear in the distance was the singing as u get nearer the cathedral its jumpin. There are hoops evrywhere singing dancing it was awesome u just cant explain in words how happy u are to witness such happiness in so many people my mrs and my mates misses and my son get sent to get a new buggy my mate and i have a few beers ( cruzcampo) and soak up the atmosphere. We meet guys we know from school i meet my cousin my cousins husband it was so surreal at times and the heat was stifling but so proud to be here knowing you had a ticket for game. Was offered a 1000 euros for my ticket but there was no way i would have sold it. Anyway the girls return with buggy they have a few drinks and we head back to cabanas. The next day me and my buddy set off early for seville get there around. 10.30 and party right thru until game time. I bought a small bandanna from a guy who was selling them next to the cathedral still have to this day vaguely remember walking to stadium saw tosh mckinly and Darren jackson outside the stadium. Sat bevvying till the gates open and went in early. Then met all our mates who had tickets we were high up ar the end ere henke headed his wonder goal and the thing that stcks with me is there were a number of empty seats behind us then the stadium start to fill up the banners all getting laid out the fields getting laldy and boom the tears start to flow my dad was having his lung removed diagnosed with lung cancer but he wanted me to go to seville and not to worry about him. Old school you know but the emotion of it all had me in tears I finally got my act together and the game started thought we played okay up until porto scored. Then the kok changed the game imo. The we lose a bad goal and eqaluse there was only one winner surely it was our time again. Even down to 10 men my heart sunk. But no we deserved a pen shoot out. Then big rabs dreadful error i have watched the game a few times and rabs mistake was criminal but thats fitba u take the good with the bad. Anyway me and my buddy were to gutted to party so we drove back to cabanas when we left on the sunday as we boarded the bus to the airport we were champions when we got off the bus hunfermline had lay down . Sorry for rambling on but the memories of seville are with us to our grave. Ps my dad passes on 1 year later but loved the stories we had about seville
Lennybhoy is a good looking younger male version of cilla black
Abso blooming lootly…
Terryo’neill….. I will E-mail you my contact details
VP
I shoulda noticed the silence
Definitely away this time…up at 05:00
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!