The best eras to have watched Celtic

BILLCOWIE1958

Well-known member
After contributing to this site for almost a year now I've enjoyed posting my nonsense and reading most of everyone else's offerings by and large

Last night when reading Lubo's response to my 1980's synopsis it struck me that although we all interact and have great banter many of the members here are of a generation perhaps 2 generations below me

This got me to thinking how fortunate I and many of my contemporaries have been to have witnessed 1st hand some of the tremendous achievements in Celtic's history while younger members will have their own special recollections

Being born in 1958 I reckon that I'm blessed to have been in the right place at the right time

In the decade before I was born and even prior to that Celtic had stuttered and lost their way somewhat but had still attracted huge folliwings
There had been some tremendous victories memorable achievements Exhibition and Coronation Cup triumphs 7-1 defeat of the HUNS in 1957 League Cup final as well as other Trophy and Title winning occasions to celebrate but it wasn't until the 1960s that our fortunes really began to flourish

I regard Lisbon in 1967 our 9 IAR achievements of the 60s and 70s as well as 1970 European Cup final and a host of other European semis and quarter finals in which we took part as part of my life experience meanwhile forgetting that many of you will not have witnessed any of these things 1st hand but will treasure the history just as much as us old gits do ??

You'll perhaps read about or listen in awe to personal accounts about the escapades of the Lisbon Lions or the Quality Street Gang Jock Stein and others without ever having seen them in much the same manner as I read about or listened to personal accounts of the likes of Jimmy McGrory Charlie Tully Johnny Thomson Bobby Evans Willie Maley Brother Walfrid Billy McPhail and so many other Celtic greats from the distant and not so distant past from my Grandfather's Dad and Uncles

As I said I feel blessed to have been part of and witnessed so much history being written in my own little way
I understand why so many of you younger guys and guyesses are so exasperated at our Board and CEO for gambling with our Clubs ability and ambitions to create new history for future generations so that they can look back and marvel in the same way that we look back in awe and wonder at what our predecessors witnessed happening

This post has kind of gone off at tangents to what I had perhaps set out to say

Sorry about that but I hope that if any Board member or power that is happens upon this post that they might look at their procrastination and fudging in a different light ?

HH?
 
After contributing to this site for almost a year now I've enjoyed posting my nonsense and reading most of everyone else's offerings by and large

Last night when reading Lubo's response to my 1980's synopsis it struck me that although we all interact and have great banter many of the members here are of a generation perhaps 2 generations below me

This got me to thinking how fortunate I and many of my contemporaries have been to have witnessed 1st hand some of the tremendous achievements in Celtic's history while younger members will have their own special recollections

Being born in 1958 I reckon that I'm blessed to have been in the right place at the right time

In the decade before I was born and even prior to that Celtic had stuttered and lost their way somewhat but had still attracted huge folliwings
There had been some tremendous victories memorable achievements Exhibition and Coronation Cup triumphs 7-1 defeat of the HUNS in 1957 League Cup final as well as other Trophy and Title winning occasions to celebrate but it wasn't until the 1960s that our fortunes really began to flourish

I regard Lisbon in 1967 our 9 IAR achievements of the 60s and 70s as well as 1970 European Cup final and a host of other European semis and quarter finals in which we took part as part of my life experience meanwhile forgetting that many of you will not have witnessed any of these things 1st hand but will treasure the history just as much as us old gits do ??

You'll perhaps read about or listen in awe to personal accounts about the escapades of the Lisbon Lions or the Quality Street Gang Jock Stein and others without ever having seen them in much the same manner as I read about or listened to personal accounts of the likes of Jimmy McGrory Charlie Tully Johnny Thomson Bobby Evans Willie Maley Brother Walfrid Billy McPhail and so many other Celtic greats from the distant and not so distant past from my Grandfather's Dad and Uncles

As I said I feel blessed to have been part of and witnessed so much history being written in my own little way
I understand why so many of you younger guys and guyesses are so exasperated at our Board and CEO for gambling with our Clubs ability and ambitions to create new history for future generations so that they can look back and marvel in the same way that we look back in awe and wonder at what our predecessors witnessed happening

This post has kind of gone off at tangents to what I had perhaps set out to say

Sorry about that but I hope that if any Board member or power that is happens upon this post that they might look at their procrastination and fudging in a different light ?

HH?
Cowie hits another home run by knocking it out of the ball park.

Posts like that are important for two reasons, Bill:

1. It allows us to return to the pivotal moments in our own personal and individual experiences of being Celtic supporters.

2. It creates a direct comparison between our current and recent success against the periods that we previously seen as defining moments.

In both instances, we get the opportunity to put a bit of perspective on our circumstances regarding the shape we are currently in, but also in identifying that we are on the outer fringes of perhaps messing up a truly momentous period in our story if proper measures aren't taken.

The era that sticks prominently with me is the period between 1980-1986. It wasn't a vintage Celtic team (although we did have some outstanding individuals), but it was in an era where there were challengers from the North-East who were also making their mark in Europe.

Celtic should have won the league in 1980, but we blew up at an almost relegated Dundee (1-5) and were held at home by Aberdeen in another game where we suffered as a consequence of an 'honest mistake'.

We won the next two titles, but screwed up again in 83 when United came up on the outside and went on a consistent run-in.

We were close, but no cigar in 84 & 85, but then 86 was just one of those crazy seasons that used to happen periodically in Scottish football. Hearts came from nowhere and went on a 30-odd game unbeaten run and looked home and hosed with 5 or 6 games to go, but Celtic went on their own winning streak and the wee huns started to wobble. It all culminated in that soaking wet Saturday in Paisley and that soaking wet Saturday in Dundee where the extensive flooding was caused by jambo tears.

It was during that 6-year period when I started going to games on my own with the Hilltown CC supporters bus. I sometimes used the 'football special' if any of the Dundee teams where playing in Glasgow and it was when I discovered the joys of a 'Kerry Oot" and the obligatory sing-song.

As I said, it might not have been the greatest Celtic team, but that was my era and it also stands as a precursor to the dark years which were on their way. After the brief ray of light which was 87-88, it was doom, gloom and the post apocalypse for the next 9-years.

Thanks for letting me indulge, Bill, I might have to pop out after work to contemplate other favourite eras.
 
Cowie hits another home run by knocking it out of the ball park.

Posts like that are important for two reasons, Bill:

1. It allows us to return to the pivotal moments in our own personal and individual experiences of being Celtic supporters.

2. It creates a direct comparison between our current and recent success against the periods that we previously seen as defining moments.

In both instances, we get the opportunity to put a bit of perspective on our circumstances regarding the shape we are currently in, but also in identifying that we are on the outer fringes of perhaps messing up a truly momentous period in our story if proper measures aren't taken.

The era that sticks prominently with me is the period between 1980-1986. It wasn't a vintage Celtic team (although we did have some outstanding individuals), but it was in an era where there were challengers from the North-East who were also making their mark in Europe.

Celtic should have won the league in 1980, but we blew up at an almost relegated Dundee (1-5) and were held at home by Aberdeen in another game where we suffered as a consequence of an 'honest mistake'.

We won the next two titles, but screwed up again in 83 when United came up on the outside and went on a consistent run-in.

We were close, but no cigar in 84 & 85, but then 86 was just one of those crazy seasons that used to happen periodically in Scottish football. Hearts came from nowhere and went on a 30-odd game unbeaten run and looked home and hosed with 5 or 6 games to go, but Celtic went on their own winning streak and the wee huns started to wobble. It all culminated in that soaking wet Saturday in Paisley and that soaking wet Saturday in Dundee where the extensive flooding was caused by jambo tears.

It was during that 6-year period when I started going to games on my own with the Hilltown CC supporters bus. I sometimes used the 'football special' if any of the Dundee teams where playing in Glasgow and it was when I discovered the joys of a 'Kerry Oot" and the obligatory sing-song.

As I said, it might not have been the greatest Celtic team, but that was my era and it also stands as a precursor to the dark years which were on their way. After the brief ray of light which was 87-88, it was doom, gloom and the post apocalypse for the next 9-years.

Thanks for letting me indulge, Bill, I might have to pop out after work to contemplate other favourite eras.

One of my most memorable Supporters Bus trips was Madrid in 1980

We left Easterhouse on St Patrick's Day a Monday on a coach with no toilet That was nae fun ?

By the time we arrived at Dover we couldn't wait to get off the coach and onto the ferry

The crossing was so rough I don't think there was anyone including crew who weren't throwing up

We stopped at a service station on the Peripherique on the outskirts of Paris for breakfast (more booze)

I remember a fat lad ordering up everything on the menu and handing the guy on the till a wad of Pesetas and not understanding why his money wasn't being accepted

'It' s fuckin' Spain innit'?

'Naw it' s fuckin' France ya bammy bastart' look oot that windae That's the Eifel Tower'

Anyway back on the bus next stop Bordeaux then over the Pyrenees into Spain and another stop in San Sebastian and the Basques hoping that we'd gub Real Madrid

Back on the bus at midnight and an overnight drive to Madrid The driver took us to the Vicente CalderĆ³n stadium which a few of the guys had remembered from our semi final away clash with Athletico 6 years prior

Eventually we arrived at the Bernabau only to discover that it was St Joseph's Day a Holiday of Obligation in Spain and more or less the entire city was shut!

I remember walking along the road and bumping into an old school mate Gerry Smith and his father John Smith who owned a Bookies in Glasgow at the corner of West Nile St and Bath St
Gerry and his father looking so dapper In their suits camel coats and Burberry scarves having just flown in and us looking like a bunch of Hobos after 2 days on a fuckin' bus with no bog

Fortunately it was a 4pm kick off for some reason so we only had to kick our heels for 8 hours instead of 12?

We arrived back in Glasgow on the Friday morning baw deep in snow

That was the last time I ever went to a European away game on a supporters bus

HH?
 
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Cowie hits another home run by knocking it out of the ball park.

Posts like that are important for two reasons, Bill:

1. It allows us to return to the pivotal moments in our own personal and individual experiences of being Celtic supporters.

2. It creates a direct comparison between our current and recent success against the periods that we previously seen as defining moments.

In both instances, we get the opportunity to put a bit of perspective on our circumstances regarding the shape we are currently in, but also in identifying that we are on the outer fringes of perhaps messing up a truly momentous period in our story if proper measures aren't taken.

The era that sticks prominently with me is the period between 1980-1986. It wasn't a vintage Celtic team (although we did have some outstanding individuals), but it was in an era where there were challengers from the North-East who were also making their mark in Europe.

Celtic should have won the league in 1980, but we blew up at an almost relegated Dundee (1-5) and were held at home by Aberdeen in another game where we suffered as a consequence of an 'honest mistake'.

We won the next two titles, but screwed up again in 83 when United came up on the outside and went on a consistent run-in.

We were close, but no cigar in 84 & 85, but then 86 was just one of those crazy seasons that used to happen periodically in Scottish football. Hearts came from nowhere and went on a 30-odd game unbeaten run and looked home and hosed with 5 or 6 games to go, but Celtic went on their own winning streak and the wee huns started to wobble. It all culminated in that soaking wet Saturday in Paisley and that soaking wet Saturday in Dundee where the extensive flooding was caused by jambo tears.

It was during that 6-year period when I started going to games on my own with the Hilltown CC supporters bus. I sometimes used the 'football special' if any of the Dundee teams where playing in Glasgow and it was when I discovered the joys of a 'Kerry Oot" and the obligatory sing-song.

As I said, it might not have been the greatest Celtic team, but that was my era and it also stands as a precursor to the dark years which were on their way. After the brief ray of light which was 87-88, it was doom, gloom and the post apocalypse for the next 9-years.

Thanks for letting me indulge, Bill, I might have to pop out after work to contemplate other favourite eras.

So I'm not the only one to remember the torrential rain at Love St the day we won the League Also on the day of the 4-4 Old Firm draw at IBROKES a few weeks previously

Funny how the weather can feature large in our memories of profound occasions

Right aw this reminiscing isnae getting my slabs power washed ?. Laters fella

HH?
 
So I'm not the only one to remember the torrential rain at Love St the day we won the League Also on the day of the 4-4 Old Firm draw at IBROKES a few weeks previously

Funny how the weather can feature large in our memories of profound occasions

HH?
I'd come up to Paisley from Preston for that game. I'd made up a shitty excuse about having to get home on the Friday evening and had to kip at Newcastle station to get the connecting train on Saturday. I got a sneaky-on on one of the Lochee buses back to Dundee, but I still had a nagging doubt about if we had won the league because the radio back in that time was notoriously unreliable.

Our family lived in Arklay Street, right by Dens and Tannadice and I didn't get back home till after 11pm.

The whole place around that area could have been a warzone. Thousands of hurting, greetin jambos and human wreckage and thousands and thousands of pounds of damage to the surrounding streets.

Not a jot of sympathy was afforded to them. Hated them then, hate them now. Soaked to the skin about three times that day, but it in the words of Buddy Holly: it was raining on the Hearts
 
I'd come up to Paisley from Preston for that game. I'd made up a shitty excuse about having to get home on the Friday evening and had to kip at Newcastle station to get the connecting train on Saturday. I got a sneaky-on on one of the Lochee buses back to Dundee, but I still had a nagging doubt about if we had won the league because the radio back in that time was notoriously unreliable.

Our family lived in Arklay Street, right by Dens and Tannadice and I didn't get back home till after 11pm.

The whole place around that area could have been a warzone. Thousands of hurting, greetin jambos and human wreckage and thousands and thousands of pounds of damage to the surrounding streets.

Not a jot of sympathy was afforded to them. Hated them then, hate them now. Soaked to the skin about three times that day, but it in the words of Buddy Holly: it was raining on the Hearts

My lasting memory was the Celtic support bursting into spontaneous bedlam when it came over the radio that Albert Kidd had scored and the players just looking bewildered at first ??

HH?
 
It has to be the 60ts born in 1947 growing up listing to the wireless on a Saturday afternoon with the family during the 50ts not a lot of money around then to travel from Blantyre to Glasgow and get into a game being way down the pecking order being the youngest it was the start of the 60ts before I started getting to games,but I did see wee jinky play for Blantyre Celtic before he moved to Parkhead my oldest brother Peter played for Blantyre C in the 50ts so saw a few of our future players playing for local team Big Billy played for Blantyre Vics back then.watching Celtic build from the early 60ts was fantastic teams who beat us in the past took notice that the games against Celtic were no longer easy,Jinky Steave C Big Billy John Clarke Tommy G Big Yogi Jim C and Bobby Murdoch and quite a few who others came in to the mix Berty Returning to the fold all this leading to the 1967 when players were injured thier replacements slotting in with ease Ronnie our Gollie supported by John Fallon,It was a great time to watch Celtic from Big Yogi on a run down the wing Jinky weaving his magic Big Billie coming up for corners Tommy and Bobby coming up to pluck up loose balls and letting one fly and of corse our midfield general John Clarke on watch for any breaks . Great times and great memories Jim HH
 
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It has to be the 60ts born in 1947 growing up listing to the wireless on a Saturday afternoon with the family during the 50ts not a lot of money around then to travel from Blantyre to Glasgow and get into a game being way down the pecking order being the youngest it was the start of the 60ts before I started getting to games,but I did see wee jinky play for Blantyre Celtic before he moved to Parkhead my oldest brother Peter played for Blantyre C in the 50ts so saw a few of our future players playing for local team Big Billy played for Blantyre Vics back then.watching Celtic build from the early 60ts was fantastic teams who beat us in the past took notice that the games against Celtic were no longer easy,Jinky Steave C Big Billy John Clarke Tommy G Big Yogi Jim C and Bobby Murdoch and quite a few who others came in to the mix Berty Returning to the fold all this leading to the 1967 when players were injured thier replacements slotting in with ease Ronnie our Gollie supported by John Fallon,It was a great time to watch Celtic from Big Yogi on a run down the wing Jinky weaving his magic Big Billie coming up for corners Tommy and Bobby coming up to pluck up loose balls and letting one fly and of corse our midfield general John Clarke on watch for any breaks . Great times and great memories Jim HH

David Francie commentating on the wireless for the BBC
Different times indeed Digger and you have 11 years on me fella?

It's great to see the younger generations coming through and being as enthusiastic as we are/were but realising that they'll probably never witness the ultimate in success that we did in 67 but then again Never say never

66/67 - 73/74. 2 European Cup Finals 2 European Cup Semis 2 European Cup Quarter Finals It was expected It's what Ctuc did What really surprises me tgat under Big Jock we only achieved 2 Trebles I mean we were THAT GOOD
Throwing away League Cup finals v THISTLE in 71 Dundee in 1973 and Aberdeen in 76 which would have delivered another 3 Trebles and being robbed by a MASONIC referee
R H DAVIDSON (AIRDRIE) in 1970 Scottish Cup Final v Aberdeen which
would have brought us another

On our day we would have beaten ANYONE and frequently dud
Real Madrid 1-0 in DE Stefano's Testimonial in the Betnabau the week after we won the European Cup and the Madridistas chanting OLE! every time Jinky skinned one of their players

I remember being in floods of tears when we were so badly cheated in South America v Racing Club and not even my new All Green Celtic strip and my new Adidas Santiago boots with screw in studs could comfort me Well as a 9 year old I wasn't accustomed to my heroes losing to ANYBODY!!!

HH?
 
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David Francie commentating on the wireless for the BBC
Different times indeed Digger and you have 11 years on me fella?

It's great to see the younger generations coming through and being as enthusiastic as we are/were but realising that they'll probably never witness the ultimate in success that we did in 67 but then again Never say never

66/67 - 73/74. 2 European Cup Finals 2 European Cup Semis 2 European Cup Quarter Finals It was expected It's what Ctuc did What really surprises me tgat under Big Jock we only achieved 2 Trebles I mean we were THAT GOOD
Throwing away League Cup finals v THISTLE in 71 Dundee in 1973 and Aberdeen in 76 which would have delivered another 3 Trebles and being robbed by a MASONIC referee
R H DAVIDSON (AIRDRIE) in 1970 Scottish Cup Final v Aberdeen which
would have brought us another

On our day we would have beaten ANYONE and frequently dud
Real Madrid 1-0 in DE Stefano's Testimonial in the Betnabau the week after we won the European Cup and the Madridistas chanting OLE! every time Jinky skinned one of their players

I remember being in floods of tears when we were so badly cheated in South America v Racing Club and not even my new All Green Celtic strip and my new Adidas Santiago boots with screw in studs could comfort me Well as a 9 year old I wasn't accustomed to my heroes losing to ANYBODY!!!

HH?[/.
remember the Racing Club game,it was a bloodbath our players were kicked to to hell and back with the ref as much use as a chocolate teapot. At one point thought Jock was going to take the team off, the crowd wanted blood of anyone in a green and white and I think that was the only reason Jock left them on. Worst game I have ever seen,for anyone who has not seen it imagine 11 Morelos,s on the field running a mock with a blind ref in the middle it was that bad, thanks for the memory Bill
 

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