Last May I travelled to Lisbon to celebrate what my club achieved 50 years earlier in Stadio Nacional.
In 1967 the opposition manager Helenio Herrera observed that Stein’s men had won “a victory for sport” and he wasn’t wrong.
Half a century later professional football in Europe has been utterly transformed by globalisation.
As we walked around the stadium in Portugal the younger folk who had made the pilgrimage were amazed that a European final would have been played in such a rudimentary amphitheatre.
For the record, I love the place.
Just standing there transports me back to being an ecstatic nine-year-old dancing in front of a wee black and white telly in Baillieston as Stevie Chalmers stabbed the ball past Sarti.
In every sense, it was another age.
Last night the superstars of Paris Saint Germain proved that having lots of money in professional sport does confer an advantage.
It was another world from Jock Stein’s proletarian geniuses of May 25th, 1967.
That historic event is one of the few football matches that are referenced on the pages of Downfall.
The Lisbon Lions inflicted a deep psychic wound on the collective unconscious of the klan.
Even Sir David Murray using money that wasn’t his couldn’t equal that achievement.
Now they’ve only got Sevco.
This morning I thought that this was the only type of European football experience that The People can enjoy for the foreseeable future.
By contrast, Celtic have a realistic and achievable goal of having a go at the latter stages of the Europa League.
To do that the champions of Scotland will need to achieve third place in their UEFA Champions League group.
After that, they are hoping for a kind draw in the knockout stage.
This route could help Celtic to achieve £100m in turnover this year.
Last year the Parkhead club managed £90m.
Across the city, the five-year-old club did very well with a £29m turnover.
As for Sevco in Europe, well there was only little Progrès this season.
Of course, the stenographers will be hoping that the mauling in Paris will have weakened the League Cup holders as they defend their trophy at Hampden on Sunday.
Motherwell’s direct style of play certainly will present a tough challenge to Rodger’s skilfull footballers, especially if the match officials are tolerant of the full contact game plan of the Lanarkshire side.
Of course, all that The People can hope for is that another team can somehow beat Celtic.
That’s all they have.
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Genuinely hilarious. Celtic have 50 years of failure in Europe. The last Scottish team to win in Europe was 34 years ago.
Celtic are a big fish in the monkey tennis league that is the SPL and irrelevant to anyone outside of Scotland.
Your pain is palpable…
Keep kidding yourself. Another 50 years of failure to come…
Still….referee finds his cards now they play Celtic…
it was remarkable that Alves wasn’t sent off and even more incredible he wasnt even booked.See these refs!!….
as for PSG I was very disappointed at the result however Brendan sent them out to try and play against PSG and it backfired.Bayern tried this and got cuffed.So its either brave or dumb.Personally I go for the former and as for the critics………..euro footie after Xmas is a real bonus.So,onward to more domestic glory.Isnt it strange how the zombears continually decry the standard of scots footie when,in reality,they would give their eye teeth to win a league cup or two?
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.hail hail.
The AGM on Nov 30th promises to be interesting:
Will Dave still jet in now the Three Thread Bears are no longer paying?
Will Dave have kept his promise to fund continued illumination into the dark days of January?
Will psychotherapy be needed to alleviate Dave’s mental turmoil when he realised he has inadvertently kept a promise – we all make mistakes – this may be hyperthetical?
Will the wages have been paid on time and in full, or will manilla envelopes be handed out at the AGM exit to ensure a good gate?
How much will Dave promise to raise from the share issue – assuming Fat Sally votes for Res 11?
Will Dave explain how Club 1690’s shareholding will be diluted – in the interests of fan ownership and influence?
Will Dave be specific about any “fees” for arrnaging the share issue? It’s so easy to overlook the odd £3m when doing magnificent deals
Will anyone ask what the Directors get in lieu of “salary” as reward for their world-class leadership of a global institution?
Will some Directors send sick notes to avoid being photographed with a City pariah – post TPE, CoS, Lord B and all that.
And finally the warchest? Will the warchest be lowers from a Chinook and opened live on stage by David Blaine – protective eyewear must be worn at all times . . .
Brendan moaning Celtic can’t compete with PSG’s financial situation,. The irony is every team is Scotland has the same problem with Celtic, but still they moan. Celtic and the other Glasgow bigots have an unwritten advantage when it comes to the officials and no amount of green tinted specs will convince the rest it’s any different. Just because ” rangers” got more help doesn’t help the rest when Celtic benefit from dodgy decisions.
Celtic in Europe don’t get these breaks and I have seen more Celtic players booked in European games this season, than there has been here in Scotland.
The only way Celtic can possibly compete at European levels is for a massive change in how the game is run here. If Celtic had more competition and revenues were higher, then they would fair better abroad. The only way to do this is a reallocation of league and TV money. What is the point of Celtic spending millions on a player when they are winning the league at a canter? The only time the quality of Celtic players are any use, is in Europe and even now it’s wasted money. By changing the way money is distributed every team would improve and crowds would increase bring more money ( and TV interest ) . Short term pain for long term gain. Besides with the money Celtic has they wouldn’t miss it.
Do you think Motherwell and the other clubs in league would spend extra revenue on players?
I think they would just end up paying the same.players a wee bit more
And Directors.
Predictive tex Arghhh
It was the SS Nevassa
It’s sister ship I think was called the SS Uganda.
In June of 1968 as a spotty 14 year old I was fortunate enough to go on a school cruise. ( St Robert) Bellarmine Sec School on the South Side of Glasgow. Way back then of course the St Robert part was deleted for obvious reasons. The school stood on what is now the site of the Silverburn Shopping Centre.
The cruise liner was the SS Nevada and the itinerary was Vigo (Esp), Madeira, Tenerife, Tangier and Lisbon on the homeward leg.
It goes without saying that the teachers made sure that the Estadio Nacional Lisboa was on the agenda. At that age, to walk on that turf, the memory of the previous years victory still fresh, kicking a small beach volleyball around, shirts for goalposts, mimicking Gemmell’s Thunderbolt, Chalmers’s net bursting tap-in. Getting chased , No Ball Games believe it or not. Teenage memories.
As good as it was , it’s only now in hindsight that I can appreciate the enormity of what was done and accept that in all probability will never be repeated by a Scottish club.
Football has moved on. Globalisation. 24/7 matches if you want it. Commercialisation, Hospitality. Many feel the game has been hijacked from the ordinary fan. Ticket prices, 2/3 new strips every year. Champions League, Europa League, Euros and World Cup . Eyes were raised at the first Million £ players. Now it’s £100M /£200m players.
Looking back with not so rose tinted glasses, 11 players from in and around Glasgow won that cup. In an era when there was a greater connection between fans and players. They lived down the road from you, they got the same bus as you. They even, whisper it, drank in the same pubs as you.
With all the money in the game now, is it any better as a spectacle now or is it just the glitzy packaging? Certainly we will never see the likes of the Lisbon Lions again. It’s very unlikely that any of the smaller nations will ever reach that pinnacle. Sure teams will always create new records, 9/10 in a row, trebles, Brendan’s Bhoys 64 undefeated.
The 67 final was the Gallous guys from Glasgow against the Aristocrats from Milan. A Triumph of style over systems. Recent Champions League finals have been based purely on who has the most money. Call me cynical.
Brendan Rodgers strategy for CL football is all wrong.
I was constantly frustrated by Lenny and Mjalby’s CL efforts with the club but with hindsight they got the basics right but regularly let themselves down on in-match-play decisions. Their substitution choices wrecked games regularly.
They did, however, set themselves out according to the opposition. Very defensive postures against Barcelona paid off.
The majority of CL scores at this stage are 0-0 or 1-0. Every club is playing it safe. Rodgers doesn’t play safe or intelligently. The result is a club 7-1 embarrassment. He must take the criticism the same as he gives it to players. He must change. He must improve.
Did he just wipe £30m off our player values last night?
KT looked out his depth and never a CL left back. Barely a £2m player. Hartson was very critical but stopped short of saying “Tierney” after replays but said “the defence”.
Even with a solidly performing defence, you don’t play attacking expansive football against PSG. You pull midfield back.
In contrast, Rodgers knows his defence is shaky so he chooses to illogically play open football against PSG.
Was it a mad attempt at trying to get a result and make a name for HIMSELF personally? Unfortunately at the expense of CFC reputation?
In CL football the manager should communicate his tactical intent to a Director and be told “NO” if appropriate. This is what Stand off Directors of Football are for.
We know Brendan’s strengths and we are learning his decision making weaknesses. It’s about evolution. The club needs a FOOTBALL peer review/ decision support system above Rodgers when the club is at CL level.
I suggest engaging Sir Alex Ferguson as a CL tactical consultant, giving us a one day pre match advice a week before every CL game to offer timely advice to train and set ourselves out correctly for realistic outcomes.
At the moment it’s gung ho and caution to the wind.
The outcomes at the moment are unacceptable and something needs to change. I presume it will be difficult for them but the Board need to take a leadership position OVER Rodgers on UEFA Football. To protect the club reputation and brand and player values.
Why not go for broke? If your going to take no points from PSG ( and we were never going to) why play to keep the score line down? 1 nil is aloss just the same in the amount of points dropped. If we had scored a couple more( and we should have) then everyone would have been talking about a great 7-3 match. PSG are supposed to ring up goals galore against most clubs. No shame in a beating
Look at the stats.
Your argument is childish and illogical.
Celtic had one shot on target the whole game from their “attacking” football. It’s on all reported official statistics.
It’s never going to be three goals.
Nice try Brendan!
Spot on sir….well said.
What he attempted was soccer suicide…and he needs to be told that.
Yes Lenny got lucky against Barcelona but look at the stats, Lenny’s teams and MoNs teams could park the bus but they were not great at beating lesser teams, how do you think Brendan’s team would have done against Porto in eufa cup final, parking the bus may do a job against the super teams but how do you learn to win games from that, against PSG we could have played 10 men behind the ball and still would have got beat, so what’s the point. Didn’t Messi say that about old rangers, that the way they played would kill football as a SPECTATOR sport.
Once beckenbauer gets his way there will be only a handful of teams in the CL money has ruined the game its also ruined a few clubs especially if its borrowed and you cant pay it back ?
Is the glass half full or half empty ? Celtic have done incredibly well to do what they’ve done in Europe. What happens against some of these best teams in the world is a small price to pay for actually being there. None of it is a disaster or a cause for shame regardless of what the msm or sevco(sh)ites say. The glass is 50% full. We aspire to get that up to 100%. When we do we will have repeated and perhaps even have bettered Lisbon67.
Forgot to say – another positive is that these European games against top class opposition increases the Celtic management and players experience and make them better for it thus enhancing our prospects at home. It’s all good !
As long as we learn from these thrashings Rontim….and do something about it.
That’s not too much to ask…
Hope somebody’s listening…(or reading as the case may be.)
Legend07,
Celtic stayed at The Palace Hotel
Palacio Estoril Hotel
Rua Particular
Estoril
Beautiful hotel. Hope you enjoy.
Realistically can we compete at this time with the top 12 teams in Europe and it’s no. Next 12 we would give them a game and for me that’s where we are. With a good draw no reason why quarters in the Europa should be beyond us and if still there then hopefully we have learnt to defend
At last…a dose of realism….
Well said.
Last night was unacceptable…and I don’t care how good PSG were.
Making a pass to your own player is part and parcel of being a footballer…
Our players make too many bad passes….at the wrong time.
Needs to be sorted.
Along with Big Craig’s distribution.
Legend 07, I think the hotel your looking for is The Palacio in Estoril.
I Was in Lisbon last May Phil to celebrate and remember what our team achieved fifty years ago, I spoke to your good self at the Gala dinner and in the Estadio Nacional and met some wonderful Celtic fans. Realists in our support will know the Europa league is our level so we will bank the thirty million and move on, To all the gloaters ,we lost a match.. You lost your club!
Brilliant point and well made.
What’s the difference between a football manager and an Alternative Investment Market Nominated Advisor (aka NOMAD). Well not very much at Ibrox it was seem. First there’s a queue of many enthusiastic, well qualified applicants to choose from – but then none quite match up to the exacting Ibrox job specification – and suddenly there’s a queue of zero applicants – and that – it turns out – was the Board’s strategy all along. Such a shower of cunning planners.
Hopefully traveling to the great city but to try and make it the complete trip I was hoping to stay at the hotel the team stayed at. I’m sure reading your blog last may you did exactly that, but am not sure of the name of the hotel. Can you help please?
More speed, less haste Phil! Spellchecker inop?
Keep up the good work!
Like yourself I was a 9 year old dancing in front of a B/W telly in ’67. Also like yourself 50 years later I sat in the Portuguese sunshine looking onto the green grass of Estadio National but in my minds eye all I saw where those B/W pics. HH Phil.
To be fair…Motherwell did show their “physical side” against Sevco….and should have had a guy sent off.
But that’s not their normal way of playing…so I agree with both sides.
Its also a fixture that throws up anomalies….most times we hammer them…sometimes they run us very close.
I can only hope that last night’s disaster will spur the players onto the first leg of this season’s treble.
I’m confident it will.
‘Mon the Hoops.
Mc Innes has told Aberdeen he is for staying. Sevco now able to look elsewhere….but have they enough magic beans?
Poor Sevco have difficulty in accepting that a former player could NOT want the job. Listened to some of the Radio Scotland sports thing tonight. Wee square baw Basa ‘Two fingers’ Ferguson, “But he’s earned a shot at it!” He says it like sevco are a step UP. What part of “Ah don’t want yer fuckin job!” is hard to understand ya wee fud??
Mc Innes has told Aberdeen he is for staying. Sevco now able to look elsewhere….but have they enough magic bean?
As Celtic ponder lessons learned and home in on 7IAR domestic titles, it should be remembered that between them Rangers and Sevco have already acheived 7IAR this season – seven consecutive years without UEFA group stage competition (CL or Europa) – and the reward that brings – great nights of sport, cash, attracting players & coaches, showcasing players, attracting commercial deals (more cash). Here’s to Going For 55 barren years at Ibrox – I believe it’s possible!
Today, I’ll mostly be singing “Hurt” by Johnny Cash
“I hurt myself today, to see if I still feel
I focus on the pain, the only thing that’s real”
(Quick FYI; It’s actually a Nine Inch Nails track that Cash covered)
thanks – you know it’s so JC that I’ve thought to check – I don’t know much NIN so didn’t realise – apologies NIN – fabulous song.
I take issue with the notion that Motherwell are a full contact team. We are committed, hard working and have a fair amount of skill thrown in also.
Couple that with a very astute manager and an apex predator and you have a very decent team!
Hammer throwers we are not.
Please don’t fall into the smsm mantra of us being animals.
I enjoy your work Phil and read it on a regular basis! That was an unnecessary sly dig!
Enjoy the final!
If I can refer you to my comments on the semi-final between yourselves and Sevco.
I thought that Motherwell should have had at least one player sent off-the “challenge” on Cardoso.
You made no such comments in the wake of Motherwell kicking Rangers off the park. They were notable by their absence (and I just checked back to be sure).
No highlighting of the obvious red card offences (there were at least three by the way), no videos posted of the attacks, no insinuation of skulduggery among the officials.
At least try to be consistant
There were no bad fouls in the game that’s why. Kicking Rangers off the Park ?. They were merely out fought and more importantly out thought. There were Four Elbowing incidents in the game. 2 from both sides. The only player booked for Elbowing was a Motherwell player. Celtic will take care of Motherwell no problem on Sunday, basically as we are far better than them. Hampden is our second home these days. Rangers were beaten fair and square because Motherwell wanted it more,and are frankly at a similar level. That wont happen on Sunday, class will decide the tie.
Bowman should have walked for his challenge on Cardoso and I said so at the time.
Alves was also lucky to avoid a red card IMO.
Strangely you missed two red card challenges on Morales…. One if which wasn’t even adjudged as a yellow.
What are the odds?