With the close season approaching and the Premiership title safely back at Paradise, we can reflect on how impressive Ange’s debut season has been. The Australian came in and took Celtic from 25 points behind to winning a double (whilst rebuilding an impressive team).
With Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton leaving this summer, just Callum McGregor and James Forrest remain as players that were a big part of the 9IAR run which saw Celtic match their own record from 1974.
This series will look at players that were easily forgotten during the 9IAR run. The 2014/15 entry is Aleksandar Tonev.
Following Ronny Deila’s arrival at Celtic, it appeared that the Scottish Champions were in the process of downsizing with Fraser Forster, Georgious Samaras, Beram Kayal and Tony Watt all sold with Stefan Scepovic the only player brought in for a fee in the summer window.
Aston Villa and Celtic agreed a season-long loan for Bulgarian international Aleksander Tonev. Tonev arrived and made his debut versus Aberdeen at Celtic Park in a fierce 2-1 win for Ronny Deila’s side.
However, in the aftermath of the game, Shay Logan alleged that Tonev had racially abused him during the match.
Tonev denied the allegations and the tribunal accepted Logan’s testimony handing down a seven-match ban for “using abusive language of a racist nature”. Tonev appealed but this was denied all the while maintaining his innocence.
Celtic stuck by the player despite the decision and as he was an Aston Villa player could have cut ties as this decision would effectively end his career. Recruitments came in January and Tonev fell further down the pecking order.
With Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong arriving, Tonev’s games were limited further until he got the chance in the Scottish Cup semi-final versus Inverness CT. Unfortunately for him, and Celtic, Inverness won the match 3-2 despite Celtic being denied a penalty at 1-0 for a clear handball which would have won the match.
He left the club at the end of the season as Celtic decided against exercising the option to buy. Tonev departed as a part of the four-in-a-row title winners and played a small part in the club’s success that season with 13 appearances in all competitions.
These arrived at The Celtic Star HQ yesterday morning and have now been posted out along with copies of the Harry Hood biography or the story of the Invincible season. These t-shirts are NOT going on sale, instead they come FREE when you order a copy of the relevant book from Celtic Star Books, link below. Choose from Invincible – The Story of that remarkable 2016/17 season or Harry Hood – Twice as Good, the official biography of the Celtic legend. Get your brilliant book and collectors item t-shirt from Celtic Star Books, links at bottom of page…
GET YOUR INVINCIBLE AND TWICE AS GOOD T-SHIRTS NOW FREE WITH MATT CORR’S BRILLIANT CELTIC BOOKS
You want one of these? It’s completely FREE when you purchase INVINCIBLE or TWICE AS GOOD* from Celtic Star Books website, just click on the t-shirt below to order your copy and when you do select the BOOK you want then add the T-SHIRT SIZE you require from small, medium, large, XL or XXL, adding that after your name so we’ll know which size to send you…
*£1 from every copy of Twice as Good will be donated to Marie Curie in memory of Harry Hood and in line with the wishes of the Hood family.
