| The Soul of Celtic | About Celtic | Games | Players | Managers | The Board |
(by TheHumanTorpedo)
We never really thought it would come to this. We never thought we would let them get this close. Yet as season 1997/98 dawned the Celtic support were staring into the abyss. Rangers were just a season away from bettering one of the Bhoy’s proudest records – the famed 9-in-a-row of Jock Stein.
That a relatively mediocre Rangers side had been allowed to equal this record was bad enough. Especially given that an often bedraggled Celtic had offered little resistance thanks to the mismanagement of the board. With Fergus McCann now at the helm hopes had risen. But we were now drinking at the last chance saloon and the beer tasted off.
The omens for this all important campaign were not good. The talented if troublesome ‘Three Amigos’ – Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Jorge Cadette and Paolo Di Canio – would all depart following very public fall outs with Fergus McCann. The loss of such talent was viewed as a major blow but sadder still was the news that Celtic legend Paul McStay would be forced to quit the game through injury.
If Celtic were to stop the doomsday scenario of a Hun 10-in-a-row then newly appointed manager Wim Jansen – who replaced the sacked Tommy Burns – would have to virtually build an entirely new team. It was surely too much to ask.
The summer signings came thick and fast. Bradford reserve keeper Jonathan Gould was joined at Parkhead by Chelsea’s Craig Burley. French fullback Stephane Mahe came from Rennes while Dutch winger Regi Blinke arrived as part of the deal which saw Di Canio ‘traded’ to Sheffield Wednesday. Hibernian forward Darren Jackson had been a long time irritant of the Celtic support so received a mixed response on his arrival at Parkhead.
Jansen then returned to former club Feyenord and used a clause in the contract of an unhappy Henrik Larsson to bring the Swede to Glasgow for £700,000. Henrik’s first touch n a Celtic shirt has now become the stuff of legend. He gifted the ball to Hibernian’s Chic Charnley who promptly drilled the ball home from 25-yards to give the Easter Road club a 2-1 home win in the Bhoys’ opening league game.
The next week Celtic crashed 2-1 at Parkhead to Dunfermline. Two weeks into the season the Hoops were already six points adrift of Rangers and playing catch up with a side who hadn’t been caught for a decade.
Back to back games against St Johnstone witnessed Larsson net a wonderful diving header as the Bhoys progressed in the League Cup and bagged their first league victory. Marc Rieper then arrived from West Ham United. The Danish international brought strength and physical presence to the heart of defence.
Jansen had steadied the ship. Progress had been made in the League, League Cup and UEFA Cup. The latter competition saw Celtic paired with big spending Liverpool and for most pundits the outcome of the game would be a formality in favour of the English side.
In a thrilling first-leg encounter at Celtic Park the honours were shared in a 2-2 draw. After going a goal down the Hoops produced a wonderful attacking display to lead 2-1. But with Celtic on the verge of claiming a deserved victory tired minds and legs allowed Steve McManaman to waltz half the length of the pitch for a memorable equaliser. That late goal was a bitter blow but it couldn’t disguise a renewed sense of belief in the Celtic players and support. A 0-0 draw at Anfield saw the Celts exit the UEFA Cup on away goals. It was rough justice on the Bhoys who had been the better side over the two legs.
Confidence was now soaring and after some fine wins in the league Jansen’s men would end October top of the table. Scotland international and European Cup winner Paul Lambert was added to the squad in early November. Hope was now in the hearts of the Celtic faithful. But in typical Celtic fashion these hopes were quickly unravelled. The popular Davie Hay quit his post as assistant general manager amid rumours of a fall out with the general manager, the unpopular Jock Brown.
Then, on the eve of the season’s first clash with Rangers, Larsson and Tosh McKinlay had a training ground bust-up which left the Swede with a black eye. Celtic would lose 1-0 at Ibrox.
What should have been the opening derby clash of the campaign had been cancelled following the death of Princess Diana and was rearranged for November 19th. Coming soon after that defeat at Ibrox, Celtic could not afford their rivals taking another three points. Such an outcome seemed horribly unavoidable after Marco Negri gave the visitors an ill deserved lead. Under Tommy Burns Celtic had commonly dominated derby encounters but time after time would be defeated by a strike on the counter attack. It looked like some things never changed.
But as the game entered injury time Celtic won a free kick wide on the right. As the ball was delivered into the Rangers box Alan Stubbs leapt into the floodlit sky. Sensing the importance of the moment an intense hush had enveloped the stadium. Stubbs got his head to the ball and forcefully directed his header goalwards. An eerie moment of silence was suddenly broken by the Scouser’s dramatic roar of “YES!” as the ball nestled in the net. Delirium ensued within the towering stands of the recently transformed Celtic Park.
A bullish Celtic would underline their championship credentials by taking the first silverware of the season – the League Cup. A 3-0 final trouncing of Dundee United at Ibrox was only Celtic’s second trophy success since 1989. Celtic were winning honours again.
By New Year Celtic were involved in a three way battle for top spot with Rangers and Hearts. Sat in third spot and four points adrift of leaders Rangers the derby match of January 2nd was yet another massive challenge. Again Celtic dominated. Recent capture Harald Brattbakk was thwarted on several occasions by Andy Goram, so often the hero for the Huns in these encounters. After the break Celtic continued to test the Rangers rearguard but their dominance was bringing nothing but frustration.
But just as fears of another Rangers sucker punch were growing Jackie McNamara slid a delightful through ball into the path of Burley who drilled the ball low and hard past the desperate dive of Goram. Rangers tried to respond but found Celtic in no mood to relinquish the initiative. With minutes remaining Celtic pushed on for a second. As a high ball was played into the visitors box Colin Hendry appeared to climb on the back of Alan Stubbs. The Celtic support roared for a penalty.
Hendry’s climb went unpenalised and his header was successful in clearing the area. But the ball was far from safe. It had found its way into the path of the lurking Lambert and the midfielder displayed typical poise to deliver a thunderous long-range drive which scorched its way past a stunned Goram and high into the net.
It was a screaming climax to an awesome Celtic performance which signalled in the most emphatic way that for the first time in years the Bhoys were ready to go toe to toe in the fight for the Championship.
Despite two contentious draws with the Bhoys – thanks in no small part to the bizarre time-keeping of Rangers-loving referee Bobby Tait – Hearts would fade from the title race and although both Celtic and Rangers would stutter along the way it was the Glasgow sides who would be battling it out for the flag.
Defeats in a Scottish Cup and league double header with Rangers were a painful reminder of old times for the Celts as the counter attacks of Walter Smith’s men secured two fortunate victories. Added to these setbacks was growing speculation that Jansen had fallen out with Jock Brown and his departure via an exit clause in his contract was imminent. But despite all of this with just two games to go the destiny of the title would be in Celtic’s hands.
That man Tait would again play a key role. The official was due to retire at the end of the season and had requested his final match be at his beloved Ibrox. So it was that Tait took charge of Rangers’ penultimate clash of the season when they took on Kilmarnock.
Walter Smith’s side struggled to break down the resilient Ayrshire side and with 90 minutes on the clock the score remained 0-0. Knowing anything but a win would be a massive blow to the Ibrox team the devious Tait allowed the game to continue way beyond the expected injury time in the hope Rangers would find a late winner.
But this dastardly plan would backfire spectacularly as Ally Mitchell netted for the visitors to send Rangers to a dramatic defeat.
The Hoops now knew a win at Dunfermline would seal the Championship and preserve the wonderfful legacy of Jock Stein’s Celtic. But in a Championship race which had more twists than a corkscrew ecstasy would yet again turn into agony. Leading 1-0 and dominating proceedings, Celtic would be just seven minutes from the title when Craig Falcounbridge’s looping header gave the Pars a point.
The title race, the fight to protect a treasured part of Celtic history, would go to the final game. Celtic at home to St Johnstone, Rangers away to Dundee United.
When the day arrived the sun was shinning high over Celtic Park. But a cloud of doubt hovered above a support by now engulfed by tension, nerves and fear. A win would still bring deliverance but nothing was a formality anymore.
The next 90 minutes would not just decide the champions of 1997/98 but whether Rangers would surpass the historic achievement of a Celtic side immeasurably superior to the pretenders from Ibrox.
In hindsight it is wonderfully appropriate that a man who would become a Celtic legend would deliver such a telling blow in this last chance defence of past greats. Under the towering slopes of the new North Stand Henrik Larsson collected the ball on the left touchline. With just two minutes gone he cut inside an opponent and purposefully headed on a diagonal run towards goal before releasing a shot from 30 yards. The ball would swerve and dip before flashing past the Saints keeper and crashing into the back of the net to trigger scenes of uncontrolled joy. It was a truly beautiful goal.
Saint Johnstone’s George O’Boyle then failed to convert a decent headed opportunity and with Rangers winning at Tannadice nerves were stretched to snapping point.
But as the full time whistle edged closer Celtic were determined not to falter again and substitute Brattbakk, much maligned for his wastefulness in front of goal since arriving from Rosenborg, was about to ensure a place in Celtic history.
On 72 minutes Tom Boyd released Jackie McNamara down the right wing. Jackie galloped down the flank before delivering a low cross into the box.
Brattbakk had timed his run through the centre to perfection and he raced into the box just in time to dispatch the ball into the net with a delightfully cool finish. It was now party time in Paradise.
The remaining minutes of the match were played out as a formality as the partying in the stand took centre stage. The memory of Jock Stein’s Bhoys had been saved. Bragging rights preserved. Rangers had not become the first side to claim 10 titles in a row. They were the just second team to reach Nine-in-a Row. Celtic were Champions. Celtic were back.
The title celebrations of the Celtic support would come to an abrupt end with the departure of Jansen. The exit of the Dutchman was a bitter pill for many fans to swallow and consequently would signal the beginning of the end for the increasingly loathed Brown. Jansen’s leaving was the hangover from an intoxicating season. It was a hell of a headache. But it had also been a hell of a party.