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.
[calameo code=00039017193b8a8bbd612 lang=en page=126 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,238 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- »
Vmhan
Googled that.
Good morning my friends, I adore you,
Good morning my friends, may God bless you
Please be with me ’till the end of time
And I will show you my heart
I love you all so very much
Please don’t leave my side
Listen to my plea I want you to hear me
I love you all with all my heart
I’ll never let you down
So be with me
And heaven help me
‘Cause I love you
And that ain’t gonna change
:o)
WB.
Whits the Craic my Friends?
Jobo it’s pretty mild out so no complaints re the weather…….
2nd thoughts ……./
001 Bhoy is on 21c and cloudy …… Wee shame lol while my youngest in Perth is on 27c and sunny, also a good day for Kano’s birthday, and similar for my eldest has just left the Gold Coast en route home (Thumbs up).
V
I’m ready to go to the fitba but not ready to leave my wife, sorry to say there will be one less body jumping up and down in the auld 111.
You non 111’ers need to fill the gap (I’ve a big mouth), altogether now….
Przyjdź na was chłopcy w Green!
V
twinbhoy
03:47 on 15 December, 2012
Heart of Glass (Good Version)
Took me Back!
1980′s
TB, PMcS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55H-u6L2_eE
Thanks twinbhoy. Breakfast in bed just got better.
Jings
Reading over last nights drivel, sorry cqners but that shit is not in the spirit of the brilliant site, I hope to God Martin, Caroline and Ramie aren’t reading that bilge.
Congratulations Paul67, or indeed commiserations? Your blog is now officially a cesspit. Religious arguments on a football blog – all hopes are lost.
Vmhan @ 8:15
I concurr.
Just read through 3 pages of drivel with usual scroll by filter switched on.
Poor!!!
Martin/Ramie/Carolyn if you are reading is skip17..20
Hail! Hail! to you and I hope you are having a great day.
MWD
Glad I don’t work nightshift
For a few weeks now it’s been a case of scroll by until I reach the Jobo weather report…
HH
Happy Birthday to Kano…
HH
Should I have breakfast or save it for lunch ?
sannabhoy
001 Bhoy cheers
Morning all you non ‘peepil’.
Fairly miserable but wet and dank in ML3 today.
That nightshift is definitely a strange ol place ain’t it?!
There was some guff/ talk about cliques last night, let me say………..
The biggest clique is inside your head, engage other cqn’ers and they will reply, we are all Celts!
V
Vmhan
Meant to say, lovely sentiments in your letter to Martin.
You keep your head up, trust me it’ll take time but it does get easier.
Aye HT
Have ye just clocked off?
:>)
HT
Cheers sir, and my earlier post ……. Still stands :>)
Thanks
Ht
Every night on here is Groundhog night.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=1-S6md3LNgs&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1-S6md3LNgs&gl=GB
In Perth Aus it’s just turned 17:00 hrs, embdy ken the score?
Good morning CQN
We’re on the one road
Sharing the one load
We’re on the road to God knows where
We’re on the one road
It may be the wrong road
But we’re together now who cares
North men, South men, comrades all
Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal
We’re on the one road swinging along
Singing a soldier’s song
We’re off to Celtic Park
Come on you Bhoys in Green
Keep the Faith
Hail Hail
Vmhan
Neganon popped through his worm hole from a parallel univers to tell us he will be back tonight after St Mirren beat us 1-0.
MWD
Internet bampots do indeed exist and post on cqn nightshift!!!
Morning all from a mild 6c but wet manc
Received my CQN Annual yesterday only for the kids to snatch it oot ma hands and inform me it was being wrapped for Xmas!!!!
Here’s to a nice three points and no injuries for the bhoys today
Hail hail
Reading back over last night’s blog I couldn’t help but notice the references to JPR Gordon and the infamous 1978 New Year match at Ibrox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj68CHIqFko
Just after 5 minutes into the clip. Stonewall penalty denied. Gordon runs towards linesman and then notices Rangers running up the field and waves play on. Grieg scores from a clearly offside position (note position of our keeper). No wonder we nearly walked off.
For some reason the link doesn’t work. Go to YouTube and type Rangers Celtic 1978 into the search box. It should be the 2nd clip titled Great Rangers Goals v Celtic – From the Seventies.
Laters life to live. Stay real
The Brisbane sun is going down over Mount Glorious and in a couple of hours Martin’s Birthday party will be loud and rocking and Kaon will be reflecting.
Kano has always said that he would love to give something back if he could, but we all know that is not really easy for the man to do. He is still strong of mind and with us all in spirit and married to his silent courage he still has his pride which vies daily with his humour and humility to be his hearts daddy.
But there is so much more to the man and his heart is bursting.
It is the 125 year, the year of Celtic Supporters to celebrate and indulge the ethos of our unique club.
If Martin was up and about he’d be doing something to mark this once in history mile-stone. He’d be doing it for the collective glory of our club as opposed any personal gratification.
Martin loved to post on here, he no longer can. Martin loved to have a bevie and an argument; ne no longer can.
In homage to the courage of Kano, come the first of January, I’m going to go off the bevie for 125 days, I’m also not going to post a single contribution to the blog for the same period of time.
For each day I don’t drink I’m going to put 10 pence away into a Kano jar.
For each day I don’t post I’m going to put 10 pence a day into a Kano jar.
At the end of the 125 days, if nobody minds, I’ll match my penny for penny in Kano’s name and donate it to three Children’s hospitals of Kano’s choice.
At the end of 125 days what Kano and I will have collected won’t amount to much but we will donate it in the name of Celtic Football club.
I’ll have known just a tiny wee bit of what Kano endures from one year to the next and both our souls will travel in tandem with the Celtic ethos.
If any of you would like to join Kano and me and start your own jar, then what would be passed on in Kano’s gratitude would be all the more heartening to the sick children.
Does anybody want to join us?
Looking forward to a wee trip to Paradise, a few beers and then Thin Lizzy (I know I know)at the O2. What’s not to like?
Morning all. Well, there were wee blotches of blue in the sky there but they seem to have disappeared. Still, the Celtic are playing this afternoon; so, I guess most Tim are happy, like myself.
Happy Birthday, Kano.
’twas the night before Christmas when all through this board,
Kojo was stirring his evil hun horde.
Casual racism was posted against our ethos of care,
In the hopes of converting one good Tim to a bear.
Kano’s Penny Jar for the Sick Children.
Bhoys n Ghirls
A wee update on the @WeeOscar4Life cycle.
27 cyclist will be leaving Celtic Park on the 15th of March 2012 for a stop over in deepest darkest Ayrshire were another well know CQNer HT will join us for 2nd leg on 16th March.
16th March will take us from deepest darkest Ayrshire onto Cairnryan were we will catch Stena Sealink to Belfast.
Belfast Harbour onto Donegal Celtic Park for last 6.5 miles and some refreshments/beers/food etc. Wee fund raising event in evening at Donegal Celtic Park for Oscar Appeal.
Bikes will return on a truck sponsored by our good friend CRC’s company. Free gratis to cyclists.
TomtheLeedsTim will be joined by 5 others and will cycle from Leeds to Liverpool catching Stena Sealink to Belfast on 17th Mar. Tom can you update the blog on your itinery.
A group an expected 30+ cyclist will be coming up from Duleek Co. Meath to join us also. Details of their itinery are TBC.
To help cut cost and allow for all fund raising of cyclist to go to Oscar Appeal we are hoping to attract some corporate sponsorship. So if anyone is interested give us a shout via weeoscar4life@gmail.com Your company logo will go on a banner that will be held by all cyclist for photos throughout the cycle.
Stena Sealink have agreed reduce rates.
We have agreed reduced rates with hotel in Ayrshire and Belfast.
MWD
Kev jungle is either :
A a wind up merchant
B a Hun
C a moron
D a 12 year old girl
Good morning CQN… Feeling drained reading back through another nightshift on here, like Groundhog Day but nights. Must add interspersed with some good music.
Looking forward to the game today with son no 1 who with son no 2 are now over their nachovirus thingy (had to be named after something vomit inducing)
Hello twinbhoy,,, don’t despair :-)
Hail Hail to all CQNers (even the nightshift)
KTF
Kitalba
You trying to close down the blog??? :-)
I won’t be refraining from posting as I will have to post details on WeeOscar4Life cycle but I will pop £1 away a day in a jar for every day you stay off the blog and I will refrain from alcohol until St Pats weekend.
MWD
Bazzabhoy-D)
blantyretim.
Thanks for the plan to meet my idol. I would be like a wee teenager in the great mans presence. Tongue-tied for sure.
KK,
I think that “devilment” in Bertie Auld is why he was in the team and not Charlie Gallagher. If Charlie had that streak, he would have been world class.