Paradise Lost
Another Memorable Match,and this one is from FAN-A-TIC. A wonderful tribute to two of our finest ever players.
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05-17-1976
Celtic 4 Manchester Utd 0 Jimmy Johnstone and Bobby Lennox testimonial.
Was a day of foreboding.
I so wanted to honor to of my all time heroes but was dreading giving legitimacy to their Celtic careers ending.
It was also to be the return of Jock Stein almost a year after his car crash.
My older sister went with me and we took up our place right in the middle of the Rangers end.
There was around 50,000 there and many in the crowd seemed to have the same sentiment as I.
There was a legends game before and Billy Connolly lightened the mood by refereeing in rangers colors.
The crowd cheered every touch by Jinky and Bobby loudly.
Bobby opened the scoring and my joy was muted at the thought it could be his last.
The rest of the game flew by with a Dalglish hat trick lighting up the proceedings .
When the final whistle blew I have never been more miserable at a Celtic victory.
I was totally numb and wished I owned a time machine.
Two of the most gallus wee men in my life were about to leave.
I needed to stop it but realized I was helpless.
My two heroes did a lap of honor and I just stood frozen with tears streaming down my face
My sister tried to console me but to no avail.I told her I would not go back on the supporters bus and she should go.
I walked to the city centre through the ugliness that is Bridgeton with my memories of two little giants playing over and over again.
My feeling that it was the end of an era came to pass but for me these two little giants will always be Celtic.
They are forever my heroes and even in today’s distortion of the once beautiful game I take comfort in the legends of Stein,Johnstone and Lennox.
Hail Hail
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FAN-A-TIC
Thanks for sharing those memories,mate. It was indeed a wonderful night,a deserved tribute to two wonderful players,and great men.
I was at the game too,and even at my then tender age I wondered why two legends had to share a testimonial each. They were surely deserving of better than that. It could certainly have made them a little more comfortable in later life.
Having said that,I think that of our heroes from Lisbon,only Jock,Billy McNeill and Jinky/Bobby received testimonials. Another example of how badly the staff were treated by the Kelly/White regimes.
Btw,I was at all three of them. Happy days.
I notice that that the huns have discovered another £20m player to be playing for them. If the Croatian international is crocked,will it mean Sevco are Barisic Lint?
Just found this,not seen it since it was first shown in 1981. I became an instant fan of U2 after it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00038lx/stiff-little-fingers-and-u2-in-concert
FAN-A-TIC great post, some lovely memories there, I think we are lucky to have seen them in the flesh, I was working down in Liverpool then, and could not get up for the game.sadly.hh,
FAN-A-TIC,
Good read m8, i was only 5 in ’76 so never seen these men in the flesh, must have been a joy to witness some of our greatest players of the past.
HH
Fan a Tic
Remember my dad refused to take me to that match. He said that by the time the White’s and Kelly’s took their cut of the gate, that Jinky and Bobby would be handed pennies.
BMCUW
What a find mate. SLF & U2.
Nostalgia heaven. 15 when I watched that. Magic M. Thanks loads ???????
Scott Walker RIP
A huge influence on many of my favourite bands and musicians. Sad loss
Thanks fan, like monti i would have benn 5. We were unlucky not to witness our greatest ever team but we know so many tales and have watched so much footage we can still appreciate them.
R.I.P. Scott Walker
GARRY,JIMTHETIM53
Scott Walker was a Godlike Genius,as attested to here.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Escape_in_the_Sky:_The_Godlike_Genius_of_Scott_Walker
What a voice. His faithful reworking of Jacques Brel tracks or the simpler ballads where he could utilise his range,but especially for me Climate of Hunter from the mid-80s. Sadly for me,another of my treasured memories in vinyl that has been mislaid over the years.
MONTI,ATHINGOFBEAUTY
Rest assured,folks. The next one in the series is of a more recent vintage,and will have you drooling!
I see Joe O’Rourke of CSA is calling out for a knighthood for Big Billy. I hate our honours system but we have what we have for the time being. If anyone deserves an honour it’s Billy.
I see that the DR has seen fir to air the bigoted rant of sad and bitter basturt Fat Sally. He says he can’t even bear to look at Celtic Park,and that whenever he passes it he looks the other way.
Aye,Sally. WATP or What A Total Prick.
Of course,I don’t feel anything of the sort when passing through Govan. When I pass the Victorian lavvy,I somewhat appropriately PMSL.
BMCUWP
A few of them have come out with crazy statements of late … seems to be playing to the audience ….they must think that changes are in the offing, and are trying to make sure they are positioned to get their snouts back into the trough when it happens….
I have never seen such a sad football mascot in all my life. Poor wee Broxi Bear looks like he has the weight of the world’s problems on his shoulders. Mind you trying to keep that lot happy for years must eventually take it’s toll.
https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/rangers-mascot-broxi-bear-what-16023639
By ‘years’ I of course mean since 2012
Fan-a-tic
Time has barely touched your raw emotion.
I remember the game & thought the whole era had an unreal feel to it.
Hugely significant match & raw, powerful memories.
Surreal CFC
HH
Fan-a-tic
Many thanks for todays article , and yes a day off is always nice indeed.
I actually had no idea about that game at all,, first I have read of it and the the immediate thing that stood out was it was a double testimonial which I have never heard of .
But then as you say it wasnt just two anyones it was those two and at an iconic stadium indeed,,wow .
But how bittersweet a victory . I would have went ,, would not have missed it infact , if I were in your shoes also and Im sure most of us would have .
I think testimonials themselves are slowly dying a death with the modern player moving often plus the wages now make it totally unnecessary . When you ally that with the amount of games already attended then its a hard sell.
Smaller nations will tend to see more of them probably .
I myself would not charge in for testimonial games but have buckets outside and everywhere for an associated charity. Win win all round as it might actually pack the house out if you know you can bring the wee lad and yerself for just a tenner yet its a tenner that couldnt be better spent.
Yesterday seen the wiring completed on the new trailer ( 1979 ) and with temps now in the 40’s at night which I can sleep in with a hot water bottle and Hamish beside me its just about time to start hitting the outdoors for another season ! Woo Hoo !
Mightnt sound like much to some but the Cali outdoors is quite a garden.
After telling the neighbour I wanna go off grid not campsites but dont have bearspray yet he wisely informed me theres more chance of bears at a campsite.
Its cougar to be worried about mostly but with the hound at my side hopefully its all good and safe. I wouldnt tackle us !
Hail Hail
Fan-a-tic,
Thanks for the post. Hands up I wasn’t at the game. I’ve spent a while today trying to remember why…But to no avail.
Was there a boycott on maybe? Or maybe I’d outgrown the option of a ‘lift’ over the turnstile?
A highpoint recently was Bobby getting a statue erected in his honour in his hometown. A fitting tribute to a humble and decent human being.
Fair play to you for making the long walk home through Bridgeton. Not the ‘scenic route’ but understandable given the day that was in it.
A fine post. Well Done, thanks.
BMCUWPS,
No surprise that Ally avoids looking at his nemesis when he drives past Paradise.
The only surprising thing is that he can look at himself in the mirror given his antecedents.
In other news my young fella has offered me his ticket for Sunday. He’s working and I’m humbled and conflicted.
£51.50 he paid for the ticket. £49 plus internet fee or some other makeyupy charge.
Delighted he’s thought of me. Disappointed for him, pleased by his commitment to the job and annoyed at the profiteers.
The old me would have probably pulled a ‘sicky’…
His mam did a great job.?
HH
THEGOMBEENMAN
COSYCORNERBHOY tried to post about the statue of Bobby in Saltcoats. It’s actually a belter,I’ve got a photo of it on my iPad. Next time I’m home-early May for the weekend-I’ll need to get one taken of me standing beside it.
The point he was going to make,and hopefully will when he gets back from golf duties,is that even in an area known for Tims being,erm,slightly outnumbered,it hasn’t once been tarnished by vandalism.
That’s respect. And fair play to all for it. He certainly deserves it.
JIMTHETIM53
I’m surprised at him looking so glum. Surely all those orange seats would have cheered him up?
THEGOMBEENMAN
Use the ticket wisely,grasshopper.
Get fired up on the euphoria of the event and hopefully the result. If all goes to plan,dive down The Gallowgate and get hammered.
Throw a sickie the following day. Sorted.
BMCUWPS,
I’ll have to make a trip to Saltcoats to see the statue. I remember Bobby playing. We were privileged to be around and witness a part of Scotland’s greatest ever sporting team.
The debacle(s) at Ibrox owes much to the achievements of that squad and the green of envy on the other side.
Anyway, a great weekend beckons once the highs of the international weekend subside.
Keep up the good work.
The blog’s doing great.
HH
Good memories Fan.
HH
……………………………………..
TGM
Was listening to the radio earlier when they were talking about the FAI board members and they called their actions Gombeenism 😉
HH
I was in Saltcoats last weekend, but too much going on to do any of the things I wanted to do, including getting a pic of Bobby Lennox’s statue. Never mind, will get one next time.
The Daily Record talking about Peter Lawwell in Amsterdam for the ECA agm.
“The Ibrox club negotiated a gruelling path to the Europa League group stage last summer and they too will watch on with interest as the future of European football takes shape.”
That was gruelling? really? They couldn’t have hoped for an easier route!
Fan-a-tic,
A Gombeen man is a pejorative Hiberno-English term used in Ireland for a shady, small-time “wheeler-dealer” businessman or politician who is always looking to make a quick profit, often at someone else’s expense or through the acceptance of bribes. Its origin is the Irish word “gaimbín”, meaning monetary interest.[1] The term referred originally to a money-lender and became associated with those shopkeepers and merchants who exploited the starving during the Irish Famine by selling much-needed food and goods on credit at ruinous interest rates.
(Unashamedly lifted from Wiki. The moniker was chosen at random with no particular person living or deceased in mind)?
ah saltcoats, last time I was there was as a fourteen year old in 1967 it was our school bus outing from st augustines in Coatbridge, uneventful till we started back home. suddenly a police car appears siren blazing, and pc plod comes on the bus and says he has reason to believe that some pupils on the bus had been stealing from shops in saltcoats, he then proceeded to search everyone on board and found zilch, ok he says to the driver your free to go on your way, I often wonder even to this day was it anything to do with the big cup which we had won a week earlier, we will never know but I have my suspicions.hh.
BIGPACKY
The Big Cup?
You didnae steal that anaw,did you?
BOBBY I wish, them Ayrshire polis are, well you fill in the blanks.hh.
Late to the fray today – I had twin four year old gran daughters to look after.
I loved the road that Scott Walker took after his pop band days, but I lost touch.
Bobby, thanks for the comment about the Climate album…
I loved Track Three, Peter Gabriel was clearly influnced by him.
Blanket Roll Blues is wonderful with Scott & Mark Knofpler on guitars..
A song about death..here it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2w5eOKp28w
As for Bobby Lennox – the most underrated player in Celtic’s history.
Question: Wonder what Willie Wallace felt at being left out of the greatest ever Celtic team?
10 Lions & Henke.
HH
FOOLTIMEWHISTLE
Four year old twins? Lucky you survived to tell the tale. I take it you spoiled them rotten before handing them back,haha?
Willie wasn’t the only Lion omitted from the Greatest Ever Team,there were three others.
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/m/page/Greatest+ever+team
As for Climate of Hunter,I can now,after 35 years,finally say that I’ve met someone else who bought this genuine lost classic! Here’s Track III just for old time’s sake.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KXrnuBJnYZ0
Bobby
Now that’s what I get for trying multi task (actually just double task)
Jim Craig, John Clark & Steve Chalmers.
The twins are demanding but in that nice way that Grandas like.
Trying to get my boots filled with it all when I can as their older sister (12 now) has moved on to make-up, earrings, Ipads & cellphones.
I just liked Scott Walker’s voice, even in the pop days. Then he just kept recording fantastic songs after that era.
Thanks for Track Three & HH
Another son of Saltcoats who many forget about..because he washed up in Australia when he was 16 years old.
I love this version of the his song “Overkill” – Colin Hay
Opens with those magical words..
” Ican’t get to sleep…..”
Mrs FTW says I overthink things & that this is my song at my wake…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCZKAxDoUwE
“Once that becomes hazy, for me there is a problem. I don’t think it was a model the owners were set on, by any means. I think it is one that people have come to them and suggested. They are still learning about the game.
One of the items I brought up when I was speaking to the club (Liverpool) was that I wouldn’t directly work with a director of football. I feel that if you are going to do that as a club you have to do that first. That was my recommendation. If you want to have a sporting director, get him in and then you can pick your manager from there but if you do I won’t be the manager.”
Brendan Rodgers, 2012
They compromised and introduced the Transfer Committee at Liverpool…
https://www-thisisanfield-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.thisisanfield.com/2015/09/brendan-rodgers-vs-transfer-committee-myths-mistakes-liverpools-transfer-strategy/amp/?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCCAE%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisisanfield.com%2F2015%2F09%2Fbrendan-rodgers-vs-transfer-committee-myths-mistakes-liverpools-transfer-strategy%2F
New article published.