The Lost Ten-Part Three.
Morning,all.
The rollercoaster years of the eighties really kicked off with this one. I mentioned in Part One that we had lost five titles which we should have won,but somehow contrived to win others much against the odds. This was one of them. The previous season,we had looked all over the winners by New Year. Not so,as a few months would infuriatingly prove to be the case. This season,as also two years previously,we had looked out of the running at that stage-and won it. Fitba’,eh?
If you were a gambling man in those days,it sure paid to bet counter-intuitively when it came to Celtic.
The Celtic board learned from their lesson of not investing the previous close season and announced that they were paying £1m in ground improvements. Not that the fans noticed much-a bit of polyfilla in the barriers and some yellow lines painted on the steps in The Jungle. A total waste of money which would have been better invested in the team-I mean,who’s gonna park their motor in The Jungle? I think that we signed Willie Garner later in the year,and that was it. I won’t comment on him,btw. Not fair.
So,with the same team as the previous season,there were only two ways that we would start this one. Either we would burst out of the traps desperate to undo the failings of the end of the last one,or those failings would continue. Guess which one we got? 1980 was shaping up to be a miserable year for the Celtic support,and for the players too. Aside from the abuse they got for their performances,there weren’t very many win bonuses. I’m surprised there weren’t some house repossessions.
It started off okay,to be fair. A couple of middling wins against Morton and Killie and a 6-0 battering of some Hungarian mob. Then came the huns at Celtic Park. And we battered them,only hell and ref Eddie Pringle knows why we weren’t about five up at half-time. But we weren’t and it was only in the middle of the second half that a screamer from Murdo put us in front. A wee masonic distress signal from Pringle ensured that the linesman put his flag up against Frank McGarvey who was hardly interfering with play. It was such an utterly pish decision that the MSM laughed at us for weeks under the pretence of debating the issues. Salt was rubbed into the wounds when Alec Miller of all people managed to put the ball past Pat Bonnar via a deflection off the Sputnik satellite. I’d have sacked him on the spot,saved us having to listen to him eating soup these last few years.
It was two points dropped,but it wasn’t a four-pointer in those days against the huns. It only helped in their fight against relegation and ridicule. That would have to wait a few decades. They were grudged anyway,mind!
Again,it was Aberdeen that we knew we had to beat and we hadn’t done that in over a year despite five attempts.
A wee trip to Annfield to play Stirling Albion in the league cup should sort things,blow away a few cobwebs. Turned out well-they played like Liverpool and handed us our dinner. Sure,we put them out in the second leg but we got the same treatment from some Romanian students as Timosoara Poly ended our European ambitions for another season.
Six months earlier we had hammered Real Madrid 2-0,ffs. This is gonna be a long season and it’s only September…
Things improved in October with further progress in The League Cup and four straight league victories and we were pleased to see Charlie Nicholas bursting onto the scene too. And then November heralded in a Halloween Hangover…
We were cuffed in a League Cup semi replay by Dundee Utd. Hammered in the league by the huns and,worse,Aberdeen. Contrived to lose at home to St Mirren-a result,if I remember correctly,that cost Jim Clunie his job. Presumably their owner had an accumulator on. December saw us record three successive victories but a crushing 4-1 defeat to Aberdeen-yet again!-undid all that good work. At the New Year,we had 28 points from 20 games,the same total as we had the previous season from a game less-but back then Aberdeen were ten points behind. This time,they were well in front.
It was time for the afterburners. We needed them. The results from then on in were a turnaround of Lazarus proportions. Admittedly, Dundee United knocked us out of a second cup in a semi-final replay,but that aside,whoever we faced in those late winter and spring months of 1981 knew they were going home empty handed. Nine in a row-league wins,that is,were achieved against First Airdrie before Aberdeen-aye,them again!-put a stop to our quest for ten by drawing 1-1.
It mattered not a jot. We simply kicked on again,winning our next four league games-including a satisfying defeat of hunnery at Ibrox-before wrapping up the title at Tannadice. Aye,the same ground where our title ambitions had crashed and burned the year before. You get a warm glow from that kind of juxtaposition if I’m honest. Or GIRUY,to put it another way. Glum Jum had told us before the match that we wouldn’t be winning the title on his patch and reminded us via the MSM of certain recent results involving the two clubs. There’s a lot to admire about Jim McLean. There’s a lot not to.
And we got a bit of revenge too on St Mirren by humping them 7-0. Which I kinda enjoyed. I’m sure Jim Clunie did too.
Our stats for the January to May section of the season were an unbelievable W13,D2,L1 and of the four points dropped,three came in our last two matches when the players were already mentally on holiday. It was well deserved,and the fans weren’t too bothered. We were on holiday with them and once again it was a great time to be a Tim. The anger and despair of the previous year had evaporated and surely a bright new dawn beckoned. Seven points clear at the end of the season and happy daze were here again.
But still that niggling doubt remained amongst many of us. We still couldn’t seem to beat Aberdeen,at least on the day. It was a dragon that we knew we had to slay if we wanted our success to be anything but short lived. But sod it,we can worry about tomorrow’s problems when tomorrow comes. Right now,it’s party time! But that might have been just me-I turned 18 in the summer and every day was a party anyway. That’s how you live life at that age,every day is another day to enjoy and tomorrow never comes.
But it does. And tomorrow has Aberdeen written all over it. Or am I just worrying about nothing? Sure,they raise their game against us and we haven’t beaten them in nine attempts,but they were lucky last year and miles behind us this season.
Right? Well,Part Four will be on soon. Meantime,party time.
*
Above article by BMCUWP. Usual rules,if you want to be the proud owner of Article of the Day,mail it to Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
You’ll all be getting a reminder of this for the next few days,folks
Quiz Night 8pm BST Saturday 6 July.
Should be interesting,fun to see how much of me is still functioning at that time!
Repost brought over from previous. For those who missed it,it’s worth going back to the previous article and catching up with the exchange of views it engendered. And a good wee cartoon interlude too!
***
OnlyUberTimWithoutInsideTangibleSouthstand hMmm
JimtheTim @ 1.31,
Don’t think like that my friend.
Anyone contributing to a relatively young blog is surely greatly appreciated, and I’ve started reading every day and certainly haven’t felt that anyone has been talking too much. I’m usually worried that it’s myself doing that…. although often I’m right about that ?
My thoughts on the current transfer situation, even though I dont think I’m adding much.
It does astonish me how quickly the debate became about a division between those who criticise Kieran for wanting to leave, and those wishing him the best
Yet, outside the Timlight Zone, many of us recognise that there is very little likelihood that he would want to leave Celtic at this stage, for many reasons.
On the contrary, his departure was always on the cards because the Tory Board see guaranteed poundsigns. As one of the Tims who I hold in the highest regard for his intelligence, Canamalar, has been trying to argue over on CQN, where he was roundly surrounded by the usual rabid attack dogs, it’s feckin obvious that this is a board move!
Why would they want to sell him so early on his 4 year contract? The answer is pish easy – this is a risk adverse management PLC.
Why risk the future failure/ damage of a multi million pound “product”?? When you’re risk-averse, you collect at an early premium.
If they weren’t risk adverse, they’d be taking at least the odd punt every odd year for CL qualification and the £30M this would bring, AND the other benefits to the Club’s reputation (think improved sponsorship, encouragement of more quality signings etc etc – all the things they tell is that limit us as a club could be dramatically changed by just that little bit of investment !)
But as those of whose eyes are open now know, the only reason the Tory Board have spent £8M and suddenly discovered a commercial charitable conscience towards Bolton ( ? ) is because we are about to bank £10M as we do every season , making profits on player sales.
This is the agenda for 2 reasons. Firstly, we have an accountant managing at the top. That’s what accountants do. They are risk adverse and want to bank money rather than spend it. For this i don’t blame Peter Lawell. There should be someone in place to balance this, who wants to see risks taken to improve growth. No business can grow without taking at least minimal risks. Otherwise it becomes downsizing, and usually, downsizing leads to at best survival, at worst, death of a business.
The second? We have a Tory board. Capitalism is the game. So profit always comes first.
This doesn’t just apply to squad recruitment. It applies across the board. I said this on CQN about 5 or 6 years ago. I was lucky enough to experience hospitality at many Man City CL and EPL games. The quality of service was outstanding. When we were given hospitality tickets from the same source for a CFC qualifier, i gave my own tickets to my brother and his burd.
After the experience, I was jealous of them. It was a horrible experience. It became clear to me that the Tory Board have picked up on the point that the Celtic support are an easy gravy train, and with a little bit of PR and online media management, will chuck their money at the club for ever.
As football clubs go, we are the easiest for capitalists to milk dry. It’s being aware of that, that makes me sympathise entirely with the positions of Mags and Awe Naw.
And I have to be honest, the contempt shown for Celtic supporters by the board has been well demonstrated in other ways in the past 10 years.
I do believe the only way to get them out is to starve them out.
Not a nice place to be for us, especially at this stage when we should be miles ahead of any challenges, but are now vulnerable to Mibbery yet again.
Those still supporting this board are no friends of
Celtic imo.
HH Fholks.
Sorry BMCUW, didn’t even read your hard work yet – will do so now. One thing I’ll say is, your writing is good. Seems so rare to me these days. So many folk can’t write a paragraph that makes sense. I fear I’m getting that way myself. ?
But I’ve enjoyed your previous writings, and Mahe’s too. Well written. Which is important for a blog !!
Ps – sorry, had to make a few edits there. Stupid Smartphones.
July 2, 2019 3:06 am
“Wee Jum” Can you imagine his style of management in today’s climate. What an interesting story that would be.
“Jum we’ve had an offer for Sturrock and him and his agent have said that they’re going to accept”
“Whit dae ye mean, him and is F%6&n agent. Al gie ye him and his F56&n agent, here hiv sum a that and if ye waaant, send his F%6&n agent in tae see me anaw and he kin hiv the F%6&n same, him an his F%6&n agent!”
Aye, would have been interesting indeed por cierto.
PORCIERTO
I thought that Jim McLean was a marvellous manager on limited resources. But how he treated the resources available to him was disgraceful. Not just at employer/employee level but also as fellow human beings.
A nasty little piece of work.
I have been reliably informed that Brendan Rodgers agent has recently signed up messrs Tierney and McGregor and that their heads have been turned by the rewards that await in the EPL. It is just a matter of time and not if when Celtic lose them for a £45m combined fee.
@jOHNJAMES
BMCUW,
Thanks for sharing my post. I usually feel I’ve nothing to add to a discussion, then the words pour out and I tend to rant on ?
Another well written, enjoyable read from you, sir !
It’s really interesting to read as well, as this was all the stuff of legend, just a few years beyond me.. not many, but enough. I was 7 yr old in 1980, so you’ll know what I mean, when you think about your own young supporting days.
When we played football, we also had to name ourselves. I often chose to be Danny McGrain
Funny enough, my childhood foot footballing career saw me choosing right back until at the age of 18 i had to retire due to fags and then the onslaught of booze ??
Even in the late 80s and early 90s, despite board parsimony, our parents and grandparents had ingrained in us how much the Celtic were heroes to us all. Every player was a hero.
Further proof that this current board is putting the club on a downward trajectory.
I can’t imagine how my Grandad would react with these feckers in charge, balance sheet or not.
HH fholks, and Good Morning all.
Awe Naw,
“Celtic lose yet another £45M duo to the evil EPL. What could they do?”
Damn EPL ?
Nothing of course I wish them all the best.
Awe Naw,
?
Same as us. APPARENTLY….we can do nothing but make a wee profit for our kind benefactors as they sell our best players to the EPL.
If the innocent wee agents and sons of board members make a few wee mill on the side with this gravy chain, then what harm??
All good. ?
Hope you’re well, ya mad bollocks ?
(I say mad – badly missed for keeping sanity alive on CQN).
Is anyone in touch with Neganon? Brilliant contributor. Not bullied out, despite the attempts – more likely gave up on the echo chamber.
OnlyUber
what was your CQN handle ?
If Johnjames has it right and lets not forget the Ibrox holy water escapades then it would mean
Chilwell = Tierney + Mc Gregor + Rodgers Compensation
JJ and his exclusives, KT has been with that agent for well over a year now, how long is the time scale for an exclusive, dearie me.
Unless he has just moved, CalMac is with Jackie McNamaras agency.
John James said Moyes was going to be the manager ffs…
That transfer programme on Sky,is an embarrassment….
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/latest-hibs-news/ronald-gordon-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-hibs-owner-1-4957498
MAHE/BMCUWP
Great recall on a subject i’d rather forget.
Especially as a club we have a tendency to repeat past mistakes.
Your description of Bonnar pretty much jibes with mine.
Though special mention should be given that for a big guy he could shrink his mass to the size of a pea at the sight of an advancing forward.
Morning folks,,
Bobby thanks for the great writing as usual and also as usuAL that was all news to me. Cheers.
Fanatic,,that was my partner in crimes writing pal but I will accept your compliment. 😉
I was about 7 and still trying to work out why one of those wrestlers didn’t just take over the world as no one was tougher than them.
I see that JJ rumour,,,I’m starting think the three brothers are all together JJ,,, day each lads , just bullshit em and rake it in 😉
Morning Jim and Packy hope both well
Hail Hail
I emailed Beppe and asked him to look into the reported Italian interest in Kt , seemed like a smokescreen to me. Here is his take on these Italy rumours for our young diamond, ,,
“The interest of Napoli in Kieran seems real. The player loves Celtic but could be ready for a new and special challange. Arsenal is also after him but Ancellotti has been following him for a while and hes a fan. Rui is leaving so Napoli needs a left back though 20 million might be’ a bit too much.
Seems celtic turned down 25 milion from Arsenal for him so i suppose It depends on the player Real will to leave celtic, move abroad but to italy (problem with language and culture).
For me he should As he would have the chance to work with a great manager who won a lot everywhere and i think has the most Champions League. He would become a better player and could become one of the best player in his position”
Many thanks Beppe.
https://twitter.com/SkySportAustria/status/1146045025769447424?s=08
Could be fake….
Uber,
Let me congratulate you on a fine post. However, I do not see the relevance of your use of “Tory Board”. Let me nail my political colours to the mast…i am no Tory, never will be. I have campaigned against them on both sides of the Atlantic. What our board does is not based on politics but on their strategic behaviour, which you correctly identify as risk averse. Focus on profit by a board is not confined to those of a Tory persuasion.
In my opinion, what is wrong is the balance between turning a profit and performance on the field, particularly outside Scotland. A lot of that is based on what is fed back to the board by the CEO, perhaps on the prompt from DD.
In amongst all of this we should not forget that both the CEO and the Board have a difficult task. Managing a club in the SPL to turn a profit, AND be credible in Europe, is no easy task. The Board sees the way forward as raising players, either by buying low and selling high, or through the academy. Revenue from Europe is a bonus and not to be relied upon. Where I differ, like you, is that I do not think they are doing a good job at it. As you say, they are too risk averse and will not invest to plug gaps that make it difficult to gain the riches of Europe. Also, and related to the above, they are not good at managing churn, both at the player and managerial level. Player movement can be good for a successful club. I have no issue with it. Glen Sather, a very successful hockey coach, used to change his winning team ever year by introducing one or two players who had never won anything and letting a star go. Perhaps, the Turnbull and Julien acquisitions were signs of that!
For me, the most important ingredient in what is possible for a club like Celtic, is the right manager. Such a manager needs to be able to foster youth, to be savvy tactically, but most important must be able to create a team that is more than the sum of its parts. This why I have decided not to support the Board/Club any more, not to starve them out, but simply because I think they are even failing to implement their own flawed strategy properly.
Rant over!
Rebus
Sorry! Looks like I posted twice.
I am in the bath and the internet signal is weak.
Probably I have created unpleasant images so forget About me in the bath!
Rebus
If we do actually go out and buy another left back I can’t see anything but a Kt departure on the books.
Quality post Rebus
Hail Hail
Only Uber,,,
Its funny you mention Neg Anon.
He was a cracking poster indeed and I was delighted he joined this site and said hello.
That’s all he said though.
I guess it’s as good a time as any to make an appeal,,
NEG ANON the masses are asking for you!!!
You can’t let the faithful down,,they’re there and they’ll always be there.
Get on here and enlighten us please.
Hope you’re well Sir.
Hail Hail
? Celtic’s Champions League Round 1 qualifier 1st leg to be shown live on Premier Sports
All the goals from this morning
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=9I_KEjFldZ4#fauxfullscreen
Comperr away to Duisburg ??
Bada,,,
Is there Commperensation to be paid,,,,
I’ll get my coat
With him, we got exactly the experienced center-back that I really wanted,” says sports director Ivo Grlic. “He is the leading player who perfectly complements our young team with his qualities. I talked to him often over a long period of time, and my patience and stubbornness paid off in the end. ”
Compper has 195 Bundesliga games in his Vita and met eight times. In addition there are 70 second league inserts (3) goals. In addition, he was in Italy at the Fiorentina and most recently at Celtic Glasgow under contract. In 2008 he made his debut in Berlin for the German national team at 1: 2 against England.
“Ivo Grlic has not only inspired me with his ideas about the MSV Duisburg and the new concept. I am absolutely convinced of the path he has shown and I want to do my part, “says Compper, looking forward to the start in Zebra stripes.
This is Marvin Compper
https://www.fupa.net/berichte/msv-duisburg-marvin-compper-zwei-jahre-in-zebrastreifen-2422947.html
EVENING ALL, jim, fan-a tic, byres road bhoy, just been scrolling back thanks for the videos ghuys much appreciated.hh.
Evening Packy,,
Just thinking wheres Fairhill these days?
Hail Hail
HI MAHE, haven’t noticed him on lately, maybe on holiday.hh.
Go Comperr
Go Comperr
If you want a hunchback
and not a centre back
Go Comperr
one of our customers phoned this afternoon to cancel her dogs appointment, her 19 year old daughter had suffered a stroke, now if the wife had said to me, mrs so and so had suffered a stroke I would have said how awful, she is only late thirties early forties, but her 19 year daughter, wow it brings home to you, you never know the minute ,hh.
MAGS ? while your on you mentioned the alex Harvey band the other night, I saw them in Coatbridge town hall in1969, they were called tear gas.hh,
https://twitter.com/Henriklubo/status/1146094794940276741?s=08
Tonight’s team
Big Packy
Yeah they were great.
There have been a lot of great Scottish bands
I only listed a few
Strong team tonight.
I very much doubt that team will see us qualify for the group stages, I pray I am wrong, but have my doubts, we drastically need to strengthen.
Ralston and Hayes as full backs FFS, that’s forward planning for you.
I saw Alex Harvey at Celtic park yonks ago, the best band that day were Little Feat, the headline were The Who and they really were not that great, Lynard Skynyrd were Ok as were The Streetwalkers, Alex Harvey was “Sensational”
The game tonight can be found on the betting sites also here, as soon as the pop ups appear, close them and you will be fine.
http://www.hesgoal.com/news/49190/St_Gallen_vs_Celtic_FC.html
And here
https://www.vipleague.lc/1-st.-gallen-vs-celtic-live-streaming
If anyone has seen the B-52’s did they put on a good show?
One hour away next month,,thinking about it.
Hail Hail
http://www.hesgoal.com/news/49190/St_Gallen_vs_Celtic_FC.html
VAR tonight
Ralston is quite simply not anywhere near good enough for Celtic. Not even close.
Mahe
I saw the B-52’s once. At a festival in 1980 or so… they were fun… but we were there to see Elvis Costello, the Pretenders, Talking Heads …. I could have my festivals mixed up, but I think the Clash were supposed to headline, but got stopped at the border … something like that. So, B-52’s sort of got lost in the shuffle …
if you are going to do a retro show … Psychedelic Furs and James are touring …. they are in Toronto this week, so assume that they will be in California, if they haven’t already been…. that should be a fun show.
MiT,,,
Cheer for that.
Here’s the summers lineup , if theres any I should go out of my way for let me know pls
https://tickets-center.com/search/ironstone-amphitheatre-tickets/?venueId=3939&venueName=Ironstone+Amphitheatre&vaid=2334&tagid=233&atid=30001&accid=9493575329&nid=1&cid=336449396330&akwd=ironstone%20amphitheatre%20concerts&mt=b&network=g&dist=s&adposition=1t2&device=m&ismobile=true&devicemodel=&placement=&target=&aceid=&random=4309773505901479548&vx=0&nid=1&cid=336449396330&akwd=ironstone%20amphitheatre%20concerts&mt=b&network=g&dist=s&adposition=1t2&device=m&ismobile=true&devicemodel=&placement=&target=&aceid=&random=4309773505901479548&loc_physical_ms=9032290&loc_interest_ms=&vx=0&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8Z-Ay-aW4wIVARx9Ch3smwdLEAAYAiAAEgLOHvD_BwE
This is close also for concerts
https://www.jambase.com/venue/westside-pavilion
Mahe
If I were going to see one show from the list you posted, it would be Brian Wison …. one of the few musical geniuses from our time that I have not managed to see.
I have heard he can be up and down, depending on his health, but, for me, he would be the one to see… if only to say that I have seen him. And if he is having a good night, and puts on a good show, that would just be a bonus.
Eddie misses penalty
Mahe
I should have mentioned …. the Trashcan Sinatras – one of my favourites bands of all time – and a few good tims in the band – are doing an acoustic tour later this year …. they are doing a few nights in California in October … here’s a link to their website ….with dates near you.
https://www.trashcansinatras.com/2019/05/one-night-two-albums-2019-tour-announcement/
catch them if you can …