As Inter Milan walked onto the Estadio Nacional that Thursday evening in May 1967, they were strong favourites to win their third European Cup in four seasons. They had been denied in 1966 by eventual winners, Real Madrid, in controversial circumstances. Revenge would be extracted in the 1967 semi-final, where Inter beat Real home and away.
That team, immortalised as La Grande Inter, were top of the league and expected to win their fourth Italian title in five seasons, their only loss in that period coming after a play-off.
Real Madrid dominated the European Cup for its first five seasons, but they won only two domestic titles in that period. No team had been such a formidable force at La Grande Inter. Real of the 50s were Continental celebrities, Inter were dominant on a whole new level. Not only were they feared, they were disliked for their oppressive defensive style of play, known as catenaccio.
Across Europe, no one gave Celtic a chance, but thousands in Scotland knew better. Celtic fans knew theirs was a special team. The previous two years were remarkable. Celtic won only three titles in 40 years. They were a novelty team winning little more than novelty titles.
Jock Stein arrived from Hibernian and the world changed. The league was won, then retained for the first time in 50 years, as the club won their first treble. After a long period of desolation, it seemed anything was possible for Celtic. There were no limits.
Celtic didn’t just win the European Cup, they destroyed Inter, ripping apart their imperious reputation. Catenaccio, the belief that the most effective way to play the game was to defend, was dead. Instead, pure, beautiful, football, played by a team born entirely in the Glasgow urban area, saved the game as a spectator sport.
You and I know our founding story well, but there is another founding story. Modern Celtic, the confident football club, which wins trophies and builds structures for its future, was born on 25 May 1967. Without Jock and the Lisbon Lions, nothing that we currently know about Celtic would have happened.
They inspired you and me. They also inspired Brendan Rodgers, Neil Lennon and Martin O’Neill. Without them, Fergus McCann would not have imagined what the right management could achieve.
Brother Walfrid put food on the table of impoverished children, but the hundreds of thousands helped by the Celtic FC Foundation in recent decades are a direct product of the Lisbon Lions. They laid foundations for a modern football club which can fulfil its mission.
I was lucky enough to meet them all. Their humility is overwhelming. Unlike imposters who have followed them since, they have time for their generations of fans. They understand the importance of representing Celtic, even now.
It wasn’t all humility, though. On the field, they were hard. This was a team who took care of themselves and each other. They were (and are still) also funny, cheeky, guys. Devilment donned the hoops. Their success will be celebrated for as long as football is played.
Your life is better for them and it will remain better until the day you die. You are a child of the Lisbon Lions. Thank God for each of them.
Real Betis congratulates @celticfc for their amazing achievement!
Hail, Hail! #inVIncibles#GreenAndWhite pic.twitter.com/2RLg3bfk6a— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) May 24, 2017
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Wow.
This documentary is a real Time Team piece.
Unless my ears deceive, (as the Lions bus swings into KERRYDALE STREET )you can hear the Tims chanting
“we are the people !!”
Some of the older CQNers may be able to confirm if that chant was interchangeable back in the day.
The Onlooker
Who’s watching
THELURKINTIM on 25TH MAY 2017 4:59 PM
Some beautiful posts the last couple of days….keep em coming ;-))
Big Jimmy…..I hope you tore them a new wan today ;-))
Welcome to the Celtic family Amelia ;-))
Unlucky Jobo….EK were nearly there….maybe next year ;-))
Thoughts with Lionsroar67
Corkcelt….is this the droid your looking for…..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f1WoA-fY5GQ
FTSFA
YNWA
Hail Hail
======================================================================================
THELURKINTIM, if you are still lurking, thanks so much for posting that link.
I’m bubbling like a Wean here in Baku, after watching last night’s BBC tribute to the Lions.
HH to all on CQN, and all those in Lisbon.
DAVIDOPOULOS
I worked for them around the time they pulled the Group together and swallowed up a few others. The days of; Atlas, Mazda, Ecko on the lighting side and domestic electricals; Ferguson, Decca, Grundig(?), TV Rental shops + others. They were a massive employer UK wide at the time.
Ron Bacardi
That’s a 21st Century interpretation….
back then ( and up to the 90’s) you could be flagged offside standing at the corner flag even if the action was in the box.
As Shankly used to say
“If you aren’t interfering with play you shouldn’t be on the pitch”
Compelling game at Tannadice,have to keep watching to see if it can get any worse.
Aren’t we all: the Disenfranchised non Establishment….a goodnite from me ;-))
YNWA
Hail Hail
PRAECEPTA
Yes indeed, they were a beast of a company. Sadly they were split up and bits sold off to other companies which went about buying British businesses to form
other beasts, such as the company I work for.
Thorn’s range and diversity has always fascinated me.
Night night and god bless,watching in my bed
Catching up …great to hear of our bhoys in Lisboa ,not so good the news of Lionroared67 taking ill,get well soon Billy God bless.hh
SOUKOUS
Agree!
Just as well the sun has gone down – the ball was in danger of getting sunburnt the amount of time it was in the air. :-)
NOrth Cyprus Bhoy –
re EKFC, might actually have been a year too early for us but, yes, fingers crossed for next year.
I’m actually enjoying the Dundee Utd v Hamilton game much more than I enjoyed last nights bore fest between Man U and Ajax.
The Onlooker
Your ears do not deceive you. I started going to games on my own in early 1970,s. It wasn’t sung by our Bhoys by then. I think….
A sun burnt Baw,
Lol
JOBO BALDIE on 25TH MAY 2017 9:14 PM
NOrth Cyprus Bhoy –
re EKFC, might actually have been a year too early for us but, yes, fingers crossed for next year.
I’m actually enjoying the Dundee Utd v Hamilton game much more than I enjoyed last nights bore fest between Man U and Ajax.
===================================================================================
It wisnae me! It wis the Linking Tim!!! :-)
Is there a link to the STV documentary that everyone’s posting about?
HH
Moonbeams
Yes will get that sorted.
Great footage on STV2.
Can anyone imagine in 2022 Stupid a FC will not be on main channel editing out holiganism.
Fuck STV!
MWD
DAVIDOPOULOS
Thorn’s range and diversity has always fascinated me.
____________________
It certainly fascinated me when (as a teenager) they gave me a tour of the Tottenham factory during a summer heatwave. The girls (mainly Jamaicans) were hot-welding gold/ platinum contacts for tungsten lighting – I had never seen (nor since) so many scantily clad women congregated in one place at one time!
Phew!!!!
PRAECEPTA
Ooft, you don’t get that in modern clean rooms…
;)
Shocking decision has handed advantage to Hamilton on play-off. Murray brought down in box, clear penalty, linesman says dive, second yellow and off. Misses second leg.
Shocker of a decision at Tannadice. Clear pen for Utd but instead the striker was sent off for diving.
Dallas.
Thanks. I think the emotion was more relief. The new manager has done a great job.
The goals,are on you tube. Just type Cumbernauld United v Blantyre Victoria. Paddy is number 7 it’s him that is absolutely flattened by the keeper for the pen for the 3rd goal. He had to go off after that, you will see why.Thankfully no real damage.
How is your bhoy doing?
Incidentally I know we have our cup final but prices for Pollok v Cumnock W.O.S. cup final £ 7 adult £3 concession. That’s very reasonable, I thought.
Hail Hail
WC,
Jimmyquinnsbits
To be fair I have been telling people to do this for at least a year.
———————-
WC, I know you have, I’ve seen various posts on it a while back so appreciate that.
The thing is, it was manageable until about 3-4 weeks ago, so I didn’t do anything about it. Then, when it got really bad I couldn’t recall what the fix was and couldn’t get on the blog to ask for it.
Anyway, not getting at anybody, just trying to give feedback to help a great site flourish
Tonights not the time fir it anyway
Aw the best
HH
No sympathy for Dundee Utd striker tried to con the referee earlier with a Shalk like dive in the penalty area.
MWD
You really need to drop the f word
Night all
Daily Record exclusive!
11 Inter Milan players assaulted on the field by Celtic fans
Keith Jackson snr. 26th May 1967.
I had never seen that STV2 documentary, enjoyable but preferred the human stories of the BBC documentary las tnight.
Jimmynotpaul, my son is good . I managed to get him a ticket for the final, so he’s quite happy .
I’ll hopefully catch up with Cumbernauld’s highlights from last night, tomorrow.
I’m just waiting for the Sean Fallon documentary to start . He is one of my heroes , not only for what he did for Celtic but far more importantly, how magnificent he was as a man.
Couldn’t make Lisboa but loving all the stories here.
I went to work in my ’67 retro jersey and had the AICSC’s replica of The Big Cup with me. Brought it in to the Hun’s office and he was very gracious and amaed at its size and beauty. He even announced that it would be on display in the canteen at lunch time.
Headed into city centre where there was a pyro display and sing-song at full time on the Ha’penny Bridge.
Cup match will be shown in Bad Ass on Saturday but I’ll be heading down to Craobh Chiaráin, where we had our Easter bash last year, to watch the match with the Áth Cliath Bhoys who are launching their new club that day.
Jimmynotpaul, I’m hoping to get to the West of Scotland final.
The Juniors are great value for money.
Going by tweets and pictures from the Hydro, it looks like it is some night.
Dallas.
If you go enjoy, hopefully catch a word with Tony. Watch out for Scott Anson Cumnock striker, he’s been firing them in.
Paddy is at the hydro tonight so that’s great that it’s some night.
Enjoy the Mr Fallon documentary.
Hail Hail.
Lá Fhéile Lisboa.
Don’t post much but had to join in the fun for the day that’s in it.
Been a pleasure reading the blog today. Delighted the negomaniacs (mostly) left us our space to enjoy these special days.
Was in at the Halfpenny Bridge / Green Brigade show earlier. Brilliant display. Should become a regular event. Shows everyone that we are the best fans anywhere.
OÍche mhaith agus Hail Hail.
This looks like fun.
I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous…
https://twitter.com/howgilb/status/867825195289116672
It was on the 25th of May
In far off lisbon town
The whole world said it was inter’s cup
because they were so strong
But the bhoys from paradise were there
To show that they were wrong.
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Forget the rest of the words. 50 years since I left work(building game) and watched history being made on a black and white televison. So many memories coming back re absent pals that made many a journey to Benny’s Bar then Paradise. Hope to post more but illness has curtailed me. MEMORIES! Courtsey of CELTIC FC.
Cheers Dallas.
Just went on Phil’s Twitter and viewed the footage of ex Bellarmine ghirl Eddi Reader giving Perfect laldy with her Celtic top on.
Hail Hail
Great stories of 67.
As a wee addendum. Joined the “social” in 71 and can remember being handled a bundle of forms received from the home office to check and update details of BHoys who had obviously been in lisboa. Govt looking to recover funds that had been paid to the troops to get them home etc.
Filed the lot of them under b for bucket.
Wonder if our North gate cqn’s still get the same requests
Currently celebrating in Lisbon with thousands of Tims. This afternoon in Estadio Nacional was incredible. This is a memory for life. Back to the party wi Tims and beautiful Portuguese Celtic lovers.
Hail Hail
Sorry Gene
But sometimes Duck jusrs does not get the context across.
Fuck STV
MWD
MWD
The Moderators must all be in Lisbon 0:-).
Goodnight all.
JJ