A generation later, back-to-back victories at McDiarmid Park had kick-started the new Jansen regime and the talismanic Larsson’s glorious career at Parkhead. However, just six months after the 10 had been stopped, the Dutchman’s successor as Celtic manager, Jo Venglos, would return home pointless, after another 2-1 reverse in Perth. It was the first time I had managed to get Away tickets for all three of my Celtic-daft kids, and we headed excitedly up the A9 in November 1998 to take our place in the Ormond Family Stand.
The previous week had been eventful to say the least, following the 4-2 defeat in Zurich and the subsequent resignation of controversial General Manager, Jock Brown, immediately prior to a home game with Dundee, which marked the debut of the so-called “dud Czech,” Lubomir Moravcik. Whilst I had witnessed events first-hand in Switzerland – the unpopular Brown the main target for supporter abuse as he left the team coach before the game – I had missed the Dundee match, to graduate in Paisley, and was pleasantly surprised to hear later how the midfield genius had lit up Celtic Park with a sparkling performance, setting up a hat-trick for Henrik in a 6-1 win, to vindicate his manager and countryman’s faith in bringing him in from MSV Duisburg at the ripe old age of 33.
Lubo would not enjoy the same freedom or space at McDiarmid Park the following Saturday, in a game best-remembered for the tremendous assist by another new recruit, Vidar Riseth, whose inch-perfect cross was met at the far post for the winning goal…by Saint Johnstone substitute, Kieran McAnespie! To add insult to injury, this was a second victory over Celtic that season for the newly-promoted Perth side, who had lost 7-0 at Ibrox in their previous outing. Two days after Riseth had signed, he had watched from the bench as Saints recorded their first victory at Celtic Park since September 1971.
Fast forward another 18 years to Wednesday, 11 May 2016, and my now-adult daughter and I are standing behind the opposite goal for Ronny Delia’s final away game in the Celtic dugout. The title had already been clinched with a 3-2 victory over runners-up Aberdeen at Parkhead three days earlier, the Norwegian then taking the opportunity to hand Ryan Christie a starting debut with teenage full-back Anthony Ralston hoping for the nod from the bench to launch his own first-team career. In the corresponding fixture the previous May, Deila had given promising 18-year-old left-back Kieran Tierney his first outing in a Celtic shirt. That had been a great call.
The main story of this night was whether or not Leigh Griffiths could become just the eighth player in the Bhoys’ long history to score 40 goals in a season. The Scotland striker duly obliged, waltzing past several defenders to impudently flick the ball past Zander Clark in the home goal, eight minutes after the break, before promptly plucking one of his kids from the crowd just a few yards to our right, to share in his big moment. That would be it from a Celtic perspective, as the curse of McDiarmid Park struck once more.
As someone once said, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Two minutes after the breakthrough, another Norwegian, Stefan Johansen, decided to emulate his countryman Riseth’s feat of November 1998, the midfielder robbed in his own box to present Saints striker Steven MacLean with a gift he would happily accept. Then, with 12 minutes remaining, we had more comedy defending to endure, Efe Ambrose and Celtic’s new Belgian goalkeeper Logan Bailly colliding whilst dealing with a harmless cross, both men then looking on helplessly, as we did, as St Johnstone substitute Graham Cummins knocked the loose ball into the net to win the match.
It would prove to be Celtic’s last domestic defeat for a very long time.
To be continued…
Hail, Hail!
Matt Corr
Both extracts from Invincible by Matt Corr, the story of that wonderful, magical 2016/17 season, available in hardback via Celtic Star Books. Invincible is now also available on Amazon kindle, link below. Follow Matt on Twitter @Boola_vogue
Interesting team St Johnstone. They possibly share with Rangers the distinction of having more Tory voters than Labour one in their support, but unlike the other ones, their supporters are usually quite pleasant, if a little sparse on occasion!
Both Bobby Murdoch and Jock Stein are on record as saying that St Johnstone were the team, next to Rangers, who gave Celtic the most bother in the 1960s and 1970s. My memories include two mid week games at Muirton Park – one a 6-1 display of devastating football in 1968 when we were chasing the League and needed to score goals. And the other was the following year when we came back from 0-2 down to win 3-2. There are a few less happy memories as well!