Looking back it’s easy to spot; that moment when an imperious manager peaks before tumbling over the edge, but at the time this moment is almost impossible to see. The moment Jock Stein peered over the mountain was absolutely impossible to identify at the time.
Celtic qualified for the 1970 European Cup final by beating English champions, Leeds United, home and away, and were hot favourites to lift the trophy for the second time in four seasons. They were about to win their fifth consecutive league title and would go on to make record a world record nine-in-a-row, meaning there was a mountain of ‘evidence’ obscuring the peak from view.
We were the most feared side in football in April 1970 but that team’s time as a European heavyweight was over. Stein remained a further eight seasons but he never beat another team from one of the large European leagues. A 1975 win over a relatively obscure Boavista was his best result* in the period before he was replaced in 1978.
The reverence Jock is rightly held in by all Celtic fans now was tested during the 70s when I remember tactics and even minor decisions, like substitutions, were being questioned by large sections of the support. It all ended in ignominy in 1978, fifth in the league and sacked in a clumsy and misleading fashion.
Jock was still a good manager and did well with Scotland but he should have moved on from Celtic years earlier.
Fans of other clubs will always see the moment of inflection before those too close to the event, but even Arsenal fans are now politely making the case that their once-supreme manager is no longer suitable for purpose. Anyone suggesting that Arsene Wenger was finished in 2004 would have been certified. His team had just won the league undefeated, the first team to do so since the 19th century. They won the FA Cup on penalties the following season and reached the Champions League final a year after that, but they have not lifted a trophy since 2005. Wenger was a fine 2004 vintage but has disappointed since.
After a slow start at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson has managed to remain at the top for 20 years. His most important ability appears to be to know when to change coaches, players and tactics. It has long been said that the best managers were not great players as they needed to acquire a conscious insight on the game which gifted players inherently knew. Perhaps enduringly great managers are not even tactical geniuses, it’s more important that they can just spot a few.
Ordered the CQN Annual yet? Get it here in time for Christmas!
Remember being a teenager?** The excitement of waiting for news of the latest pop charts was big news for some. You can relive your youth buy BUYING ROD STEWART’S single before Sunday.
* In European competition, between beating Leeds and when Jock left in 1978, Celtic eliminated Kokkola, Waterford, B1903 Copenhagen, Sliema Wanderers, Ujpest Doza, Rosenborg, Turku, Vejle, Basel, Valur, Boavista and Jeunesse d’Esch. They lost to Ajax, Inter Milan, Ujpest Doza, Atletico Madrid, Olympiakos, Sachsenring Zwickau and Wisla Krakow. And Feyenoord, of course.
** CQN demographics suggest for most of you, your teenage years are now a distant memory.
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johann
look out,, ht in da house tomorrow…o))
Vmhan
You out after the game next week?
Just had wee glimpse at BBC Football website. Sub headline ‘Miller backs Celtic in last sixteen ‘ As I clicked on the item I asked myself which Miller that would be ? Liam ,Willie ,even Alex ? No its the bold Kenny ,who then proceeds to tell us how great the sevco fans are and how fantastic the FPLG is ! You know what you can do with your backing Kenny !
HH.
Bhoys/Ghirls
I’ve now got 2 tickets for tomorrow’s game.
Freebies to any good Tims!!
SFTB
It’s just heart breaking.
Christmas just around the corner, the wee yins would have been looking forward to the holidays.
Surely the US must adopt some sort of gun law now? Surely!?
Hello World
Happy Birthday to my old mhan and Happy Birthday to my lovely niece who is a big 5 today
A Lee
Foggy dew BT ach I could do wae some o that!
This one goes out to the one I love……. for my dad.
http://www.martindardis.com/id217.html
V
Soal
happy birtfday to the soals..
Bt
Keep the faith… You taught me well
Sipsini
I stood toe to toe with them… Never back down
Vmhan
Thank feck you didnae say wait till midnight… I dont look good as a green pump ken ;)
Bt
Doggy few… Strathy … 7pm sunday … Im there
Maybe hit the kosc first … You washing tumblas ;)
jinky
think martin42 deserves more than I will ever do mate…
BT
tumbla washer, found my niche…
Unfortunatly, the pro gun lobby in America are too strong, too corrupt would be closer to the truth.
I would very much doubt they will change the law there.
Their stock argument is it’s the people who kill.
Thoughts with the familys of them poor souls who perished, and thoughts with all who have died unjustly.
if no tumblas washed no tumblas to drink from…
Happy birthdays to SoAL’s Da & Niece.
HH
theweegreenman
Of course it would be the right thing to do.
But we both know they will not.
As someone who loves living in the USA ‘im heartbroken at this senseless carnage.
Hopefully this will be a tipping point for the ridiculous gun laws.
God bless all the victims.
Jock Stein was always a great manager and man.
I know this may go against the grain but in a strange way I want newco to keep oldcos history
It means when they had the chance to reinvent themselves and they said no
Obviously a retrospective philosphy is more important to them than a propsective one
Which means a newco with oldcos baggage is ideal for those of us who have progressive inclinations
Bit like the business model that said steam was the future until petroleum came around
Johan
I will look forward to some “Al ” chat.
(:-)
A67
ET its a sad state of affairs mi amigo and to think the western world tend to copy what goes on “over there”…….
V
BT/TET
Cheers
Now what about Minecraft?
WTF
I think Celtic should always try to improve the team, after Fraser Forster’s dodgy game against Arbroath I think we should seriously look to bring in someone even better, hard I know but anyway here is a youtube video of a goalie who could make the team stronger, Europe might be harem scarem though. ;))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRL9K6Z7UwQ
Thanks to all the contributions last night about the music I should put on a CD for the wee chap. I have downloaded just about them all on to my phone, unfortunately G Tunes Music doesn’t specify if they are mp3 or mp4 files so a few crackers didn’t make the 1st CD tonight for the wee man. Needless to say, he didn’t like a lot of the tunes tonight on first listening, apart from the ones he had heard before. I dropped in Bob Dylan’s Tambourine Man and his comment was “that would shatter glass”, I sensed by the end of the song he was starting to appreciate it, lyrical genius.
I made a CD of 16 songs (all it could fit) and going to play each in the order they came off with each comment tonight.
I’m hoping, and I’m delighted with this App as I can get back into music again, I will hear amazing stuff so I can make many CD’s again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnnHprUGKF0
The boy jinky.
Was called pj by thems for a reason.
Still standing tall as i watch with laughter fall.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A-G3LTeCUAIm_x0.jpg:large
Vmhan
It’s catching up over here.
I always remember when I was a kid, my Da always said that we were blessed that the polis in britland don’t carry guns.
Pity I couldn’t say the same to my kids.
Over here, even the security guards carry guns, and the security in the supermarkets have huge batons and cuffs, all very sad so it is.
HH
mini bt home from cinema, not well, mrs bt at christmas night out..
ole bt needs to remain sober..
god bless the children..
Sipsini
Pj and proud
Bt
A very important cog in the machine…
BT
How very dare you mention that Starry could get way laid in my company!
He is going back to Swiss Land on Sunday early….
I am suited and booted tomorrow in the number 7, going to try and drink what I spent being daft today! Heading out around 11am so will be a messy day.
Kikinthenakas
On a brighter note.
Started giving all the guys at work a hard time concerning the receipt of bottlesmat Christmas that isn’t shared out with the rest of the staff. So there’s a drive o. To round all the presents up and raffle them all off.
The proceeds go to a localmkids charity called Anerlour.
It’s good watching’ TFOD squirm, cos they know that I know what they should be donating.
These kids have F all and these scumbags won’t donate a thing………
nakas
say hello to the holy goalie,
not the priestly one but the real one.. o))
Excuse the spelling
= IPhone
= lack of glasses
=.1st bottle of wine done.
:-)
SKYARTS1 now
Wife can complain its art afterall
HH
re KANO
I sent this message earlier to Kano’s great friend in Perth Aus, I’m hoping that Ramie can take this up to Martin his wife Carolines pad to share a few messages between the Kane family and us CQN’ers, below is what I sent to Ramie in Perth Aus.
*************V****************
Ramie, a wee birthday message and accompanying note for Martin, Caroline and you. I don’t do lengthy communications like this or blog posts. But I thought I’d make the effort for Martins birthday. If possible can you or Caroline read this out to Martin on my behalf.
Many thanks Ramie, I hope your well and I’ll see you in Australia soon.
Vinny
***********
Martin, all the very best to you on your birthday.
It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to you or Ramie, apologies for that as I’ve had a rough year, I won’t burden you with it, things are better now my friend.
I do hope this message finds you well, or as well as can be expected, I think of you often and pray for a miracle cure whether or not that miracle happens it’s important that you know, there are many people around Planet Celtic who support you, and we collectively wish you and the family all the very best for 2013.
Martin, remembering back to the day I met your dad and your cousin Kingo (late 2009) for the first time, It was beside the souvenir shop at Celtic park and earlier that day we met up in BB’s and had a discussion on how (and what) to send out to you in Australia, Celtic pictures fitba tops all were offered and duly made their way to you. The main aim was to let you know we were supporting and thinking about you, we had some photies taken of the day, maybe you and Caroline have seen them on facebook?
Oldtim67, kind man that he is, volunteered to arrange the postage etc. and we discussed how we would need to organise ourselves in order to really make a difference, and try and support you and Caroline, as we walked up London Rd Jinky and I spoke of perhaps arranging a fundraising night at CP, I would get a band booked (spirit of 67) and we’d try and get some Celtic players along, I also spoke about doing a 10k sponsored run barefooted, specifically the Glasgow 10k/ half marathon……. Jinkys reply “away and don’t be so effin stupid” or similar words :¬)
My thoughts were that we all needed to do something, anything to help, and in my case I wanted to feel some of the pain that you and the Kane family were feeling. During that 10k run …..every step of the way I was thinking … I wish Kano was doing this run along with us, not lying in a hospital bed in Perth Australia, thanks to support from my fellow CQN runners especially The Token Tim, I got through it ok and my fellow Kano runners and I, raised a substantial amount between us.
I had a feeling somehow that wasn’t the end of my links with the Kano family, a year later my youngest son Jonathan decided to up sticks to Australia along with a mate from Blackpool, my sons pal had a relative in ……… Perth Australia. It wasn’t long before Ramie had Jonathan up at Kano’s house where they shared a few laughs and the craic was had, I guess after that Jonathan realised a lot more about the Celtic family than I could ever teach him, thanks Kano, Caroline and Ramie.
Talking of Ramie, he made it over to visit Scotland in Aug 31st 2011, I think it was Dundee Utd at CP when we met up in Glasgow and had a wee session with Martin Kanes great friend Ramie, what a pleasure that was and some great folk (CQN’ers) there to meet and greet a great AussieTim.
I’m rambling a little here Martin but stay with me, as you know the Kano movement progressed and became more organised when the likes of MWD, CRC and Gordon_J, got involved, we achieved our aim the following year, Kano home for Christmas, what a wonderful effort was made by the Celtic family not least the Celtic players themselves who donated to the cause.
As the main objective was achieved there was no need to continue with the Kano movement or so we thought, there were those who had an idea of a way to continue the work and effort that went into the Kano movement and in so doing the KANO name (in a Celtic charity fundraising sense) lives on.
The KANO Foundation was borne, CRC (initially) wee Joe, Sannaboy, Kingo et al, continued on in the same vain, and now children who would otherwise not get to see Celtic fc on matchdays can now do so…….. Kano you should be proud.
Well, as I finish writing this I don’t believe that it’s the end of the story, there are more links to be forged, more add-ons to this story of events I’m writing. Next year I hope to be in Australia to visit my sons, I look forward to meeting you both Martin and Caroline, and will let you know my travel plans nearer the time. Ramie charge up the Barbie!
All the very best to Martin and the Kane family, have a great Christmas and happy New Year.
Keep the Faith
Yir pal Vinny, fae Blackpool
As well the Republican parade and the monkeys congregating in George Square I also believe that there’s a separate demo to highlight the ongoing treatment of Republican prisoners in the north tomorrow.
Probably best to avoid some areas of the City Centre. Unless you’re taking part of course!!
Jinky it took longer than I thought.
V
BT
Hope to have a beer with him and Tommy B
The other holy goalie working Saturday and Sunday this week!