In many ways, it must have seemed like an impossible job back in July 1997.
Wim Jansen was brought in at very short notice, and his key objective looked a very big ask indeed.
With a hastily-assembled group of players, he was tasked with stopping a financially doped juggernaut across the city.
It is beyond dispute that David Murray’s Rangers were playing with the bank’s money.
Conversely, under the expert guidance of the Bunnet, Celtic were living strictly within their means as there was a stadium to re-build.
However, it was very much a case of “cometh the hour…”
Although he was a product of the Total Football generation of Dutch footballers, Wim Jansen was clearly part of the Nuthin Fancy fraternity.
His rudimentary four four two was designed for grinding out results and putting points on the board.
His fullbacks had to pass through strict immigration controls before they were allowed across the halfway line.
One of his first moves was to sign some fella from his old club Feyenoord.
Yeah, Feyenoord, 1970.
Let’s not go there.
Apropos our new Scandinavian signing, I immediately proffered my expert opinion to the regulars at my local in Gort a’ Choirce.
“This Larsson character isn’t’ what we need. Jansen should go and get someone who is good in the air.”
Yeah, the man from An Phoblacht actually said that…
When the Hoops won the Coca Cola Cup (the League Cup) at Ibrox in November, it was an important indication that Wim’s team could get over the line when it mattered.
However, that season was all about one thing, stopping them from doing the Ten.
On the days of days, I was transported back to my childhood as I strained to listen to the match against St Johnstone on the radio.
It conjured up memories of away nights in Europe when Jock Stein was in the dugout.
Family duty meant that I was at home with only the wireless connecting me to the outside world. At one point I needed my five-year-old son to reassure me that it was going to be ok.
Even after that fella we had signed from Feyenoord opened the scoring, the spectral figure of Craig Faulconbridge still haunted me.
Given the piss poor radio reception up my mountain, it wasn’t immediately clear to me what had happened when Harald Brattbakk settled the contest.
It was two-nil, and the nerves of countless multitudes of my kind around the planet were calmed.
Although I suspect that the unflappable Dutchman in the dugout was just calmly taking it all in.
For generations of Hoops fans who had been born after the Stein era, this might have been the best day of their green and white lives.
Only one season with us, but he left Paradise as an immortal and was always welcome back.
Oh, and that guy that he signed from Feyenoord worked out ok in the end I suppose…
Wilhelmus Marinus Antonius Jansen has gone to his rest eternal.
Requiescat in pace
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Bang on, immortal he is Phil; that day will forever be remembered, RIP Wim🍀
Cheers Phil🍻
I’ve heard much debate as to why Fergus McCann was booed at the unfurling of the League Flag after stopping the cheats winning 10 in a row. I didn’t boo and I didn’t cheer either. I was still raging that the Manager who had achieved this (and had signed The King of Kings for a pittance) was no longer in position. It’s my recollection that both Fergus McCann and the universally disliked football commentator Jock Brown contrived to poo poo Wim Jansen’s achievement and sought to take credit upon themselves. Wim didn’t come across as the type of Manager to bang the table demanding financially unrealistic Transfer Funds. Absolutely not.
So Rest in Peace Wim and thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in the largest outdoor Riverdance in history ON the pitch at Paradise that special day.
St. Johnstone finished 4th in the league that season and qualified for Europe, so no slouches. RIP Wim,
I can hear St Peter saying, “Are you the guy that signed Henrik Larsson, in you come and sit anywhere you want?”
Great piece. Jansen was an incredible man. European Cup winner and played in two yes two World Cup Finals at the heart of the great Dutch team. What a player he was. I was at Easter Road game 1 and game 2 when we lost to Dunfermline at home. I was at Sj Johnstone away Boxing Day when we lost 2-1 and Ibrox when we lost near end of the season. I was there when Falconbridge scored too. But Bhoy oh Bhoy what a day when I was there with my late father and Larson and Brattbaak scored to secure the title. A top 3 Celtic memory for me. What a man rest in peace and thank you Wim a Celtic hero forever.
Wim knew the difference between a fullback and a wingback and that’s why his fullbacks weren’t tasked with making swashbuckling runs on the overlap the full length of the Park.
Horses for courses as they say.
Phil…Nice summation of the man we knew as Wim.
Your memory of straining to hear the game on the radio…couldn’t be in more stark contrast to mine.
I was in my seat in the Main Stand…just outside the Director’s Box…and when Henky scored early doors…we sat back and awaited a goal fest.
Alas we had to endure a nerve shredding time …until Harald entered Celtic folklore when he scored the decisive second goal late on in the game.
We watched the celebrations on the park at the final whistle…with Wim slap bang in the middle of them.
The fact that he only stayed one season with us is still a mystery to me…but he will always be remembered as …
The Man who stopped the Ten.
Sleep in Peace sir.
He only stayed a year because of McCann’s meddling in team affairs.
I don’t think it was meddling in team affairs. More a case of having a tight budget and maybe Wim thought he needed more to compete with the financially doped rangers. McCann always ran the club on a sustainable level much to the dismay of the spend, spend, spend crowd. He did the difficult thing while Murray was digging ranger’s grave. McCann was not one to gamble to win one title however important the fans thought it was.
Wim did a great job in very difficult circumstances. McCann did what had to be done for the good of the club. Wim will always be remembered for that title and leaving us with Larsson. Remember though, next up was Venglos who left us The Magician.
RIP Wim.
JS
McCann engineered two morale sapping bonus rows.
First, he wanted the team to qualify for the Champions’ League group stage before he discussed bonuses with the players.
Then he demanded that only used subs would get a win bonus and those involved in any substitution would have to share that bonus.
He mocked our three best players, calling them the Three Amigos and publicly humiliated Tommy Burns (God rest him).
He did meddle in team affairs. Constantly.
I did not boo or cheer McCann either but I do not see him as the Messiah that so many seem to do.
He had his moments but to me he is the guy who allowed 9 in a row to happen and presided over a 5 year term where we won only three trophies.
My memory of the time is that Jock Brown was insisting that Wim Jansen produce a business plan for the next season, and Wim being unable/unwilling to do so, as he was a football manager, not an accountant. What the Bunnet saw in Mr Brown is still a mystery even now.
If you know that for an absolute fact….then I’ll accept that…but for what it’s worth…I’m not sure that was the reason…It was probably a ” budget ” problem…as Tommy Burns (RIP) attested to.
I had a few exchanges of letters with Mr. McCann…He would brook no criticism and it was always his way or the highway.
But whatever the reason…it was an unacceptable state of affairs…and should never have happened.
Sean1969…Gone but NEVER forgotten, the man is a legend for stopping the Rangers 10, but we should give him even more credit….
he set in motion a chain of events that ensured Rangers died.
RIP Wim
Lovely piece Phil
Gone but not forgotten.
Beautiful piece Phil.
TAL🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
Never been so nervous at a game in my life till Harald stuck the second one in the Saints net.
Cue havoc in the stands.