Twenty three years ago today, Martin O’Neill prepared to face Rangers in his first ever Old Firm derby as the manager of Celtic football club. The Irishman was just in the job not even two months and he was still stamping his authority on the side.
This was all new to him, but his adversary in the away dugout Dick Advocaat was experienced and had a multi-million pound squad funded by what turned out to be unlawful means and who were winners of the previous two titles.
As co-commentator Davie Provan said just before kick off “psychologically this is a biggie” and he was one hundred percent correct.
The start of the game was beyond our wildest dreams. Goals by Chris Sutton, Stan Petrov and Paul Lambert put us 3-0 up in just 12 minutes. It should have been four as Henrik uncharacteristically failed to beat their German goalkeeper Stefan Klos with only the German to beat.
It was the stuff of dreams and we had to pinch ourselves as it didn’t seem real, but boy it was and how we enjoyed it! It was fantastic. A doing was on the cards for Rangers. Even though they pulled a goal back just before half time, we were still in the ascendancy.
Henrik then made it four with one of the best goals in the history of this fixture – either as the Old Firm or more recently as the Glasgow Derby – and arguably the best he scored in the Hoops. The way he megged the Rangers defender and the chipped finish over Stefan Klos was as commentator Ian Crocker put it “world class” and it was, a truly world class finish by a world class player!
Henrik then scored a trademark header after Rangers had pulled another one back and the score was now 5-2. Then in the dying seconds big Chris Sutton slid the ball home to grab a brace on his derby debut to make it six.
It proved to be a great psychological boost and Celtic went on to win not only the title that season but completed the treble, at that stage just the third ever in the club’s long, unbroken history. It’s a game that will live long in the memory as will Henrik’s magical goal.
Here’s the Demolition Derby video highlights…
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
