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Wim Jansen, his talent and his undoubted charm

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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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  1. tonyrome on

    Turkeybhoy on 25th January 2022 9:08 pm

     

     

    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.

     

     

    —————————————————————————————-

     

     

    I like Tim Jansen

     

     

    KEEP THE FAITH

  2. the long wait is over on

    INIQUITOUSIV on 25TH JANUARY 2022 9:33 PM

     

    TURKEYBHOY

     

     

    Referee is Grant Irvine. What do they say about refs with 2 first names?

     

     

     

    “You’re being fast tracked to Grade 1, Brother”..?

  3. !!Bada Bing!! on

    IniquitousIV- Aberdeen were dire,but the referee shouldn’t be in charge of a school game,seriously bad

  7. Hot Smoked on

    “GARNGAD TO CROY on 25TH JANUARY 2022 5:59 PM

     

    What are the chances of a Referee’s strike now that Ange has dared to criticize them?”

     

     

    I woudn`t call what Ange said `criticism`. Of course, that doesn`t mean the Footballing Authorities in Scotland will feel the same.

  9. sipsini on

    SAINT STIVS on 25TH JANUARY 2022 6:19 PM

     

     

    Ta for that, I’ve read a lot of memories of that day today, all magical, as mines was in 114.

     

     

    Hail Hail. 🍀

  11. bamboo on

    My memory of Wims Celtic was a more disciplined team ,a bit more defensive ,full-back playing as defenders . Every player knew their role and stuck to it. The result was less points being thrown away.

     

    He was a great manger and was absolutely gutted when he walked. Jock Brown???

     

    A Celtic all-time legend.

  12. Hot Smoked on

    “Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou says a lack of protection from the referee led him to tell his players “not to bother going into tackles” near the end of the Scottish Cup win at Alloa Athletic.”

     

     

    Typical exaggeration from the BBC.

  13. bankiebhoy1 on

    TB and TonyR…………….

     

     

    I think we’ve started something.

     

     

    Whatever we call him, for Bhoys everywhere it’s a…..

     

     

    Win-win!

     

     

    :)

     

     

    HH

  14. petec on

    The horrible bottom line is, Newco need the CL Money so much more than Celtic.

     

     

    This is not right. Absolute Leeches.

     

     

    The game is being corrupted again by Monstrous Coaches like Boab Malcolm. Get Bomber Brown back and in the Raith hotseat as who knows?

     

     

    The Referee is the Safety Officer.

     

     

    HMMMMMMMmmmmmm :))

  15. An Tearmann on

    Stolen from Calton tongs elsewhere

     

    How Wim handled the planted meeja.👇

     

     

    Just got sent a Text reminder of Wim’s Press Conference before his first Huns game.

     

     

    Hun Hack “So, Wim, this must be the biggest game of your life?”

     

     

    Wim “I played in two World Cup Finals, you tell me?”

     

     

    RIP Wim 🙏

     

     

    Class.

     

     

    HH

  18. petec on

    Sickening.

     

     

    Ange wullnae take it on the Chin, well He will but he will Fight Back the Way I want any Celt/ Cheated Person to do. KNOCK them OUT!!!!

     

     

    Tony didnae have the stomach for the Cheating and quit Early doors, IMO.

     

     

    Cheats are Cheats.

     

     

    Ferguson & Malcolms team had 2 agendas, try and Win obviously but when it isnae gonnae happen do them.

     

     

    Niang isnae even Scottish so why he’d play like that is telling.

     

     

    You’ll will get a move to Sevco, its a cert.

  21. 100 trophyies on

    SAINT STIVS,

     

    BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR,

     

    AN TEARMANN,

     

    Thanks for the feedback lads,

     

    Big George, ‘mature lady and gent’

     

    What made you think she was a mature lady 🤔,

     

    If I get there,I’ll say to Bernie,

     

    You were asking for him.

     

    C’mon the hoops 🍀 🍀🍀

  24. Turkeybhoy on

    I thought Ange comments on the Referee were quite hard hitting,with a lot of thought put into them.No mug Ange.

  25. petec on

    Ange is Incredible.

     

     

     

    No Excuses.

     

     

     

    We have been dealt a crappy hand so far.

     

     

    Tom, you stayed in Seattle as well as Australia. Magical, and you are back home. Wow Respect dude.

     

     

    One can say you are Well travelled. There is no place like Home.

  26. petec on

    Tom, I have spent a few Months in Every corner of England. Didnae enjoy ma time in the North East but that was my first time Working away from Home….. I was shy!!!!

     

     

     

    Bring on the game the morra!!!!!

     

     

     

    A tough game but we can win this by 3 or 4.

  27. Turkeybhoy on

    Problem for Soutar is,does he risk injury.With only a few days left of the window,it would scupper any transfer.

     

    Normally,his team would not play him,but I don’t think his manager cares.He would rather keep him.The money would not benefit him.Hearts want 600,000.Either the Huns are struggling to come up with that,or they just want Soutar to face us.Gambles all round.Neilson can see a great chance of European football.

  32. What is the Starz on

    Petec

     

     

    Its no mystery why vaccine passports are being kept

     

    Bill Gates and the Lizards demanded it.

  34. park the bus 442 on

    Deary Me!!!!

     

    Stealing free school meals oot the weans moofs!!!!

     

    If she told them to go and eat rats, BBC Scotland, STV, would be wheeled oot to tell us how good rats actually for humans to eat, with big stout Ponsonby eating samples of the rats underlining how wee torn face “Might just have struck new gold for what could soon be, very soon be, an independent Scotland, and we’d finally escape party / wallpaper gate, from Boris Johnston’s collapsing UK!” and he’d say it with a rats tail sticking oot his big stout moof!!!

     

    •••••••••••••••••••••••••

     

     

     

    Agent P🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧 (@AgentP22) Tweeted:

     

    Vote SNP: Stronger for Cancelling Free School Meals.

     

     

    https://t.co/WPAWq0udIz https://twitter.com/AgentP22/status/1486116198244827136?s=20

  35. petec on

    What is the Starz on 25th January 2022 11:25 pm

     

     

    Petec

     

     

    Its no mystery why vaccine passports are being kept

     

     

    Bill Gates and the Lizards demanded it.

     

     

    ………………………………………………………

     

     

     

    There is no way WITS (Genius horse Guru) would change his name like this – Fake News.

  37. The hand of God on

    I was at the Dunfermline 1-1 game ,a party atmosphere on the way up and morgue like on the way back.Remember being hit by a coin when Sid scored thrown by a Dunfermline fan ,horrible fans as proven when we played them in the league cup a few years back at Celtic park,the spectre of them doing 10 was back on a win for them against Dundee Utd and a draw for us against St Johnstone was all that was required.For a couple of days after that game I felt so down but as the days went on and the St.Johnstone game got nearer I began to feel confident and what better way to win the league than in front of your own fans.Come the Saturday of the game the nerves were jingling but after Henrik put us 1 up after around 4 minutes with a sublime goal the party atmosphere cranked up however as time passed and a 2nd goal wasn’t forthcoming the tension mounted to unbearable levels.George O’Boyle missed a sitter then a free kick evaded everyone and narrowly cleared the bar.In the 2nd half I recall Alan Stubbs booting the ball about 40 yards up in the air vertically closely followed by Enrico doing exactly the same thing,the Huns were 2 up at Tannadice ant the tension was growing to agonising levels.Thankfully the 2nd goal did arrive and wat a goal it was,Tam Boyd with a great ball up the line to find Jackie who put in a great ball for Harald,we knew he had the pace to get to the ball but could he finish,the outpouring of joy and relief when he did was something that will live with those that were there forever. I was on the pitch about 30 minutes after the game had finished, and the lap of honour,with thousands of others who were in a state of euphoria all largely thanks to Wim Jansen…thanks Wim.

  38. What is the Starz on

    Petec

     

    Blame the loony anti vax nuts for me changing my name

     

    I told Bamboo to f**K aff..because he was sprouting poison nonsense.

     

    Next day I couldn’t log in any more

  40. park the bus 442 on

    They’ve all got the memo, their all going to the Hague, the date has already been set, MET, CID, etc, closed down all jab sites securing “evidence” as, all media, all politicians, all civil servants, SAGE, CDC, WHO, etc, are part of a huge criminal investigation, bring it on, all the liars from the last two years, tic toc.

     

     

     

    Anna Brees (@BreesAnna) Tweeted:

     

    https://t.co/dgOSRFlqmM https://twitter.com/BreesAnna/status/1485973953478860805?s=20

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