Wim Jansen was one of the main reasons Celtic did not win a second European Cup. He was in the midfield of the Feyenoord team which overcame Jock Stein’s Celtic in extra time the 1970 final in Milan. He went on the play in two World Cup Finals for Netherlands, losing to host nations Argentina and West Germany on both occasions.
A brilliant player, hard as nails, apparently, he was one of a handful of Dutch players who ranked below the Great Johan Cruyff.
On retirement, he coached at Feyenoord, managed briefly in Belgium, before taking the reins at Feyenoord in 1990. As was the Dutch way at the time, a fall out caused him to leave, eventually moving to Japan. His year there was not successful.
Few of my generation had heard of him the morning he was announced as Celtic manager in 1997. Such was the media back then, we were told he was “the second worst thing to hit Hiroshima” – honestly, that was a newspaper report!
His first league game saw defeat at Easter Road. In his second, a halftime penalty lead at home to Dunfermline was not enough to prevent the Fifers leaving with all three points. Rangers seemed assured of 10-in-a-row, but Wim was only getting started.
Like many of you, I lived through that season. I did not understand how we were able to win the league from such a position and still don’t. We lost our best players going into the campaign and although the incomparable Henrik Larsson arrived from Feyenoord, Wim was not familiar with the bulk of the players who came in.
Gradually results improved, but honestly, the entire campaign was fragile. Each game required enormous effort. A League Cup win meant more than anyone would believe now. A heroic win over Rangers at New Year made us consider the unimaginable may just be possible. Then in April, points were dropped at home to Hibs, who were on their way to being relegated.
Then Dunfermline’s role in that season came into sharp focus again. A win in Fife in the second last game and Celtic were champions after Rangers had lost at home to a last minute Kilmarnock goal the previous day. Simon Donnelly put Celtic ahead but Craig Falconbridge equalised in the closing stages. Was it ever to be Celtic’s time?
I wasn’t there at Dunfermline that day, most of us were watching at home, but we were there in our droves at the final game of the season at home to St Johnstone. Being there when history came home meant so much. In all the great Celtic games I’ve attended, the beating of Barca, Milan and Real Madrid, nothing, NOTHING, matches standing on the slopes of Celtic Park that day.
Our celebrations were cut short, the newspapers the following day reported a fall out, Wim was leaving Celtic after a single glorious season. He would never manage again. Dementia took him today.
You do not need to stay here long to make a lasting impact. What Wim did at Celtic will forever be a credit to his talent and his undoubted charm. May he rest in peace.
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For Burns night:
NEVER AGAIN
The morning after
The night before
Drunk as a skunk
On the bathroom floor
Tongue of fur
Throat of stone
Penniless cold
And all alone
My head is sore
My body aches
Wasp in my ear
My mind awakes
Memories of noisy cars
Smoke-filled clubs
And crowded bars
Pouting wenches
Sultry dames
Telephone numbers
Mating games
Sick in the cab
Left by the road
Memory gone
No fixed abode
Stiletto heels
Marching past
Answering questions
I never asked
Bovver boots
Filthy gob
Telling me
To get a job
A copper stoops
And asks my name
Black book in hand
Records my shame
Now here I am
Like a garden gnome
Can’t remember
How I got home
Back on my feet
Recalling when
I last told myself
Never again
Until
The
Next
Time
Never had I been so wound up about a football match as that day.
Not only stopping the ten, but I felt our very soul was again on the line as the nine years of pain (huns 17 trohies, us 2 including the league cup that season) had a few more dips on the roller coaster, I didnt go with hope in my heart I went with raw gut wrenching dread that we were going to blow it, sure the week before huns beat by kilmarnock and we rolled up at dunfermline and only got a draw.
Over the 90s I had got to the stage that I couldnt watch the games, I would often leave the seat or terrace and go down the stairs, pace back and forward till the whistle blew, that started with the hampden aberdeen penalties, continued with raith match (tears aftern the game walking back to the bus), and any number of huns games. the flying pig and laudrup winning them games.
I attended with 2 young cousins and my youngest brother, they barely remembered the 88 double when they were 8 and 6 years old, we had been at Dunfermline the week before with no tickets, and it was a strangely subdued car on the way up, our nerves playing against us. There was no banter or team selection or huddle type bravado, just fear.
We had seats in 144 and the section of supporters all got quite pally with each other, but again all i felt was doom, it cant go wrong, lapsed catholic me, i would find myslef saying inside please god let us win, please, how terribly bad of me.
Henriks goal might have been that godsend, but did nothing for my nerves as a goal against could have ended the dream.
As the minutes ticked down i am sure the huns were winning at tannadice, and i couldnt watch anymore,
The jock stein stand was under construction and gave a weird backdrop, so i went down stairs and wandered around suprisingly several dozen others doing the same, some smoking , some praying, one fella was pressed against the wall head buried in his scarf.
An old greenock shammy bloke who stood near me in the jungle said this is tortue wee man, but we cant blow it.
I was able to keek down the tunnels as i walked, getting that 6 feet wide snapshot, I see the ball getting to jackie, I burst out the tunnel, harold connects, a cool finish from someone often maligned. I get to the space in the wall and grab abd hug jackie, its the perfect moment in time, i will tell him the story someday if he ever makes it down the greenock club for a sportsmans.
As paul says, everything that comes after this moment is wonderful, but that right then was magical.
We stayed for the celebrations, couldnt believe the scenes on the way back, it must have been like it when the lions returned, hundreds and thousans on the street, we drove up to royston, came back down to townhead and back to the gallowgate, (the giant hentrik banner) more tricolurs than the old celtic end at hampden, every tim, and i mean every tim must have been on the streets.
we got back to the port after 8, coming off the motorway at parklea, along woodhall terrace, everyone out watching busses and supporters come home, a special place and the days before camera phones, so many memories only captured in our heads.
Wim the Tim, a genius actually. Thanks for it all.
The long wait is over,good moniker
Wee review of Wims year
https://youtu.be/WTzjUFCYft8
HH
Burns Night.
The SNP government’s contribution.
A public service announcement wishing us
Oidhche Losgadh Sona
Might have been more suitable for Guy Fawkes Night.
https://twitter.com/RogerMiles/status/1486023503187001347
Rest in Peace Wim. An Incredible impact on Celtic in such a short time. I just wish he had stayed a lot longer but it wasn’t to be.
He was head strong of that there is no doubt, giving up the adulation of the Celtic Support must have been an extremely difficult decision for him.
Hi guys,
78 year old Tim,thinking of a Monday to Friday in Liverpool with my partner,
Enjoy a singsong or a karaoke,
Would appreciate any help finding a decent Celtic pub, or clubs In Liverpool ,
C’mon the hoops 🍀🍀🍀
Wim Jansen RIP
We hadn’t won a midfield battle in the 9 years that Murdo had left Celtic for Dortmund which contributed hugely to the hun 9 in a row, Murdo was back as assistant manager, Craig Burley was brought into midfield and we started to win midfield battles again as one of the first things that Wim did, was to get rid of the utterly useless, Peter Grant, who walked into Celtic’s midfield for the entirety of the hun 9 no matter how pish he was and that contributed to every manager who allowed PG to be an automatic pick was sacked as a loser, eye, a professional meritocracy was brought back to Celtic’s dressing room by Wim, a manager who knew that cliques didn’t work and how right he was proved in that. That as far as I’m aware, Fergus McCann, hadn’t even congratulated Wim and his team for winning the title that stopped the hun 10 even till this very day, says a lot, an awful lot, about the spitefulness that Wim and his team had to overcome from the executive level of the club during that time. Thanks Mr Jansen RIP 🙏 💔 🏆 🍀
Rest in Peace Wim.
You gave us such a special day stopping the 10
YNWA
Rest In Peace Wim. Thanks for that beautiful day
100 trophies try Celtic bars
https://twitter.com/celticbars/status/1485933831312097282?t=ZbyXawFsSKy_ZYjTW6JyDA&s=19
Bhoys from port
HH
Tam Sellic excelling
https://twitter.com/TamsellicsonIII/status/1486047163029377034?t=nQ1q9wjqYtmj44w5zyNyew&s=19
HH
PARK THE BUS 442 on 25TH JANUARY 2022 7:15 PM
A lovely, personal, tribute, and fittingly poetic given the day
Saint Stivs,
Lovely story. Brought it all back to me in vivid detail. The thing I did for the game as a 28 year old was wear a suit and tie to the game along with my scarf, I had seen that on all the old black and white films of Lisbon.
Celtic Park v St Johnstone that day was my version of Lisbon in that it helped define the Club.
God Bless, Wim. Requiescat in Pace.
Deleted my post please, no need to spoil things with smartarsery
100 TROPHYIES on 25TH JANUARY 2022 7:02 PM
Hi guys,
78 year old Tim,thinking of a Monday to Friday in Liverpool with my partner,
Enjoy a singsong or a karaoke,
===================
There is a great singalong bar here (Charlotte Row, 6 Great Charlotte St, Liverpool L1 1HU) for your more mature lady & gent (i.e., older than 30):
Also – about 20 Irish bars in a 200 yard radius – cannae fail.
Me and Wee BGFC had a TOTAL blast last July in this very vicinity.
Stayed in the Quest Hotel about 100 yards down the road – good big rooms, clean, has a cooker and a fridge. Excellent Evertonian night doorman – Bernie. If you stay there – tell him the mad Scottish dad and boy who were boxing with locals over a cowboy had are saying hello.
HH
BGFC
Cowboy had = Cowboy Hat !!!
Your point being Ernie?.Obviously the person posting the message does not speak the language,and Google translated it.Or some other engine.Anyone speaking Gaelic would never make that mistake.
Still,if it keeps Unionists happy.
Now It will always be…….
Win
Jansen…………………………
HH.
Rest In Peace Wim.
I first saw you at the game in Milan in 1970 when Van Hanagem was the star, but you stood out as well, as an outstanding player.
I watched the St. Johnstone game in 1998, in Flanagan’s Pub in Bermuda. It was on Setanta if memory serves me correct. Afterwards the Champagne (not the beer) flowed for some reason. Everyone just wanted to buy bottles of Champagne. Wim you gave us a night we will never forget.
Wim Jansen YNWA
AN TEARMANN on 25TH JANUARY 2022 7:30 PM
100 trophies try Celtic bars
https://twitter.com/celticbars/status/1485933831312097282?t=ZbyXawFsSKy_ZYjTW6JyDA&s=19
Bhoys from port
HH
————
a nephew, a neice, a great nephew, a few old sinnfeiners of my generation and the family of terry mccabe.
grand picture so it is.
in the next video, andy ritchie going up the tunnel with wim, never forget his scouting contribution to that season either.
boxing with the locals over a cowbhoy hat ?
sounds like a good salloon bar
Thank you Wim,
that year was so important.
You have carved your name into our history forever.
HH.
The long wait – these bhoys will neven be forgotten.
https://youtu.be/WTzjUFCYft8
MPSHANKS on 25TH JANUARY 2022 7:43 PM
Saint Stivs,
there is a wonderful picture in the greenock celtic of all the members travelling to lisbon suited and booted, it couldnt be anymore “60s”.
same people then captured going up to the ground, outside, inside and on the park, and offcourse the good priest.
suprised celtic plc havnt yet cashed in on retro days or themed days or ladies days at particular games,
i think it would work,
like going
Hello again all you young rebels.
From a still blistering hot Melbourne.
Fantastic read back this morning, so many wonderful memories
From everyone when WIM and his bhoys stopped the bilious
bigots cheat their way to 10.
Could just imagine JINKYREDSTAR’s story when working in Estonia
and he ended up celebrating with a Schweppes rep from Ireland,
thought that was very funny.
My own memory is of climbing about the derreck on a rig desperately
trying to get reception on a small transistor radio, and walking about
in a daze after eventually finding out the score.
R.I.P. WIM
H H. Mick
God bless Wim Jansen
Played for a great Dutch club team,
and for one of the all time great national teams
And managed one of the World’s greatest club teams, Celtic FC
RIP Wim
Saints 1 up against Aberdeen.Cracking goal.Aberdeen,dire.
Bankiebhoy,
My Tablet will not writeWim.When I posted earlier,it had Win Jansen.Have to go back and correct it.Why bother,Win is better.
TB- shocking game,with more comedy refereeing
test
JOCK IMMORTAL LIONS
I to, was in a bar in Gran Canaria and flew home later that night. Was lucky to be allowed on plane, I was in such a state.
Have to laugh.!Aberdeen TV,have Mc Lean commentating,and him and Co,have been saying how bad the refereeing has been.Rob Mc Lean,”All we seem to do now is talk about Scottish Refereeing.”
Yes,apart from when we are the victims.
Ref has been atrocious.Dont know his name.
Broonie could end of player/manager here
Watch five minutes of that sheep game then back to midsomer murders😵😱
An tearmann.
Cheers fella
The exact moment is here.
https://youtu.be/HMKVRg51ios?t=5663
;-)
(As is the whole game for anyone who wants to relive an utterly fantastic day)
St stivs
Correct. I certainly will never forget that day or team.
I’m too young for the lions but 86 Love street , the centenary year , Wims league win and the run up to and the actual Seville trip (bar the result) are times and memories with family and friends in Celtic that are impossible for me to put into words.
TURKEYBHOY
Referee is Grant Irvine. What do they say about refs with 2 first names?
McIntyre on Shortbread, ready to pass out,raging how Aberdeen took 2 points from his team last week
Bada,
Shocked.Never for one minute did I not think Rob Mc Lean was a H.un supporter
It was us and we all night,along with his Co commentator.He does all the Aberdeen TV games.
Who’d a thunk it.
Shocking game.