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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month :¬)
Mr. Darragh was born in 1834 in Broomhall, County Wicklow, his father being a farmer there.
He was a Protestant and when he entered the army was an Orangeman, but he was subsequently converted through Fenian agencies to the national faith.
He enlisted in the 2d Queen’s and saw active service in China and Africa, receiving the distinction medal for gallantry displayed. Mr. Darragh had attained the rank of sergeant-major and was on the list for promotion. He became a member of the Brotherhood early in its organization and was arrested for mutiny in September, 1865, at the School of Musketry, Fleetwood, England.
He was taken to Cork, where he was tried and sentenced to be shot. The sentence was afterwards commuted to imprisonment for life. He was described in the prison ” Hue
and Cry ” as being stout, five feet six and one half inches in height, with red hair, gray eyes, round visage, and a fresh complexion.
Missed the last 2 I promised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHYOXyy1ToI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ULVQOneeZE
Kenny Shields…conman, comedian or no well?
HT
You Hamilton Bhoys have aw the patter…. ;-))
Hope you’re well! Will be in by 2 tomorrow, if you’re around.
B
Hail Hail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usO5mD4765k
A german ship was signiling out in the bay
We’ve 20.000 rifles already for to land
Stones documentary on BBC 2
Vmhan
Not in the mood for songs with meaning.
Tonight I am retreating into good-time music from 1972.
Thank You
but no answer signals did come from………….
the lonely Bannastrand
V
Son of Dallas making his old man proud.
Daddy when I grow up I want to be a fourth official.
Daddy daddy do you think that I could be as good as
Bjmac
I’ve very kindly been offered a parent and child ticket for the lounges and the posh seats so I’m taking the wee one there.
That’s 3 games on the bounce for her, more than a lot of the greeters on here ;-))))))))))
Heart Breaker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acr5TriuQMw
sound quality not great
Jobo Baldie
23:46 on 14 December, 2012
You art thou tease… But you are genuinely slow with PC stuff.
I
Is that a clip from the hobbit.hh
CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever
23:52 on
14 December, 2012
Kenny Shields…conman, comedian or no well?
=====
Sometimes I ask myself the same question about Kenny Shiels.
No signal did come from the shore, Sir Roger sadly said,
no comprade there to meet me, alas they must be dead,
but I must do my duty and at once I mean to land
so in a small boat pulled ashore, on the lonely ….. Bannastrand!
V
“Love’s unkind…….love’s unkind
Love’s unkind…’cos she’s not mine…”
Heartbreaker ffs :)
aaow, aaow, ffs, omg, hh etc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acr5TriuQMw
“Have you ever felt how far a heart can fall
Have you ever stayed up waiting for a telephone call..?l”
Didn’t Leo used to post regularly?
Twinbhoy. CQN is a broad church. Yes, there is at least one clique, who only really respond to each other, and there are also many up themselves attention seekers.There are also some genuinely worrying people, thankfully not many.
You also get those who think that because they are original posters they have some kind of moral authority and pre-eminence over everyone else.
However, the majority of posters in my opinion have Celtic first and foremost in their hearts, and have positive and constructive contributions to make.
The level of debate and articulation on here is nowhere to be seen on any other site, and that is something to be proud of.
For those who sometimes get annoyed and feel isolated about the cliqueishness and lack of response to their posts from other CQNers, I say feck them. Say what you have to say and if people don’t respond well that’s their choice and possibly their loss.
Me, I say what I feel but always with Celtic first and foremost in my heart. I sometimes use this and some other sites to seed ideas and am not bothered about recognition.
If people don’t reply well that’s up to them.
My point is: say what you think and don’t concern yourself with the agendas of others.
It’s the Celtic way.
setting free the bears
23:59 on 14 December, 2012
Vmhan
Not in the mood for songs with meaning.
Tonight I am retreating into good-time music from 1972.
Thank You
____________________________________________________
My Birth year, I’m Gemini.
I’m thinking Dunblane, I’m also thinking control.
If you listened to the Radio Liberty website regularly I posted as soon as I was on this site you may have been more appreciative of what is really going on. Secular understanding is just not gonna cut it.
Tonight I’d rather talk about my Son doing a really brutal fart than discuss, in a reactionary fashion something that was always likely to happen. I will now expect you to join me and Bobby at the Horseshoe as I know you are a Real Man.
“I don’t know why I bother, what else can I do
When all In think about is you…”
harrynilssonCSC
probably been put forward many times but……….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDpYBT0XyvA
It is the nightshift! Warren Zevon style!!!!
Question – did he steal it off of Lynard Skynard?
HT – enjoy!!!!
CQN – check the leader on this Fantasy Golf competition, how I laughed ;-))) the zombies who given up on the fitba and taken up golf cannae escape!!!
(Right hand side of home page)
http://www.bunkered.co.uk/
hh
bjmac
Watch the Stones Docu on BBC2
“he was subsequently converted through Fenian agencies to the national faith. ”
WTF is that supposed to mean?
Twinbhoy.
Perceivere mate.these bhoys have been posting for years.
You may get a bit despondent and feel ignored but most will read your post.
Anyways going buy last nite and the vino chat they’re all wrecked.hh
..or was that Kid Rock?
Green Lantern (((((0)))))
00:13 on
15 December, 2012
I’m affronted on so many levels, I’ve just put my arm through my y-fronts
I qualify for so many of those categories, except the sensible ones, that – in a perverse sort o way – I’m kinda chuffed. Like when my brothers dug only loved MY leg
Art of War
but that was not the one
This is it:-
Play that Dead Band\’s song
Warren Zevon did steal a song from Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Let me be the one who’s lovin’ you tonight…”
hankmarvinCSC
I keep failing to keep to my word.
Next track….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZSMDaewz2A
** CQN demographics suggest for most of you, your teenage years are now a distant memory.
Harsh!… true but harsh, I will always want to play for Celtic, I will always believe I was the missing piece of the jigsaw, I’ve got a brilliant left foot, unfortunately so’s the other one.
Jobo Baldie ,
thanks for your email – downloaded first half – in process of second.
MWD @ 19:26 . that brings back memories . Thanks for putting me next to oldtim and t4 – made me look younger – maybe not so much nowadays !
vmhan , excellent sentiment for the birthday buoy . Sometimes we take for granted what we do in his name .
Hail Hail my friends . Personal circumstances have prevented me posting or attending as much as i’d like but at heart – always a tim.
Sanna
beat this for an intro!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdmIhCkp3p4
My last post seems to have had its sentences transposed.
The last sentence should have come first.
Maybe mixing up sentences is the only way to avoid the Mr. Sensible tag that I get on here.
My wife does not buy into that description of me,
For all the Heartbroken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2e7dpVDX54