SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all. 

Ange Postecoglu has done what many Celtic managers have done,and that is to keep our club in Europe after Christmas. How I wish our voters had managed to keep the country in Europe after that referendum,but that is by the by. He has an opportunity though to do what no Celtic manager has ever achieved-to win a European trophy the first time it is available. 

Actually,this is the first time that Celtic have been in a European competition in its first year,so that point may be somewhat moot. But why shouldn’t we be aiming for it? We managed to be the first Northern European club to win Big Ears. In fact,the hegemony on that trophy was much tighter than is realised. 

We are lauded as the first British club to achieve that success,and rightly so. Further digging finds that factor of the first team from Northern Europe to do so. 

Here’s a wee bit of nerdyness for you all. 

For the previous twelve years of that trophy’s existence,it had resided in one of three cities. Madrid,Milan and by sheer coincidence,Lisbon. 

It wasn’t just the rest of Scotland that we beat to the punch by winning it-though Hibs and then Dundee came close. Rangers even reached a semi in 1960,but losing twelve goals is difficult to overcome. Nor was it only the rest of the UK or Northern Europe,it was the rest of everywhere bar those cities,and it made everyone realise that anything is possible. 

Look at the teams in the finals for the next twenty years or so,and you will get my point on this. Ajax and Feyenoord,nobodies at the time-regretfully-Panathanaikos,Malmo. The list is available,and I think we opened that window for teams to actually have belief. Leeds and Forest,plus Aston Villa. Anything was possible. 

Aye,call me an old romantic or whatever. 

But here’s a thing. This cup is being played for the first time. And the final is in a country where,if I recall correctly,we have only played once before. And Danny McGrain was initially barred from entering because he had a beard! Back then,they sold a World Atlas which only had Albania in it-seriously!

But now they are a forward-looking country with ambitions to open their country,maybe even to achieve that EU membership that for us is a wistful memory. And they will make the hosting of the inaugural Conference something to be remembered. 

Their President will be there,and highly prominent in the proceedings as he pushes for recognition of his country. And he’s Celtic daft!

It would be a bloody insult to him if we don’t win this trophy on his home patch,so I suppose we will just have to do it. 

Against the odds,just like in Lisbon all those years ago. 

And look at the belief that victory back then gave us-could a lesser trophy do that for us now? Of course it can.

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Above article by BMCUWP