New Year joy at Tynecastle 2006…
Tynecastle is always a tough place for us to visit and today will be no exception. We’ve had some bad memories there, but more good, recently winning the title on our last visit back in May and also winning in style as we clinched the first title in part one of the Brendan Rodgers era back in 2017.
And what a game it was a year ago today when today’s referee tried his best, aided by their new tool VAR to derail Celtic but still we prevailed with a sensational 4-3 win. The stand-out moment a year down the line is how James Forrest wasn’t given a penalty after the clearest handball of the season – with VAR watching.
One other game in Gorgie that stands out this century and one that will feature prominently in Matt Corr’s new book Majic Stan and the king of Japan, is the meeting on the first day of 2006.
Celtic headed to Tynecastle to face a hearts side who were our closest challengers for the title that season and only four points adrift of us, looking to close the gap to a single point. Tyncastle was jumping and the home side were confident of a win and you could understand their optimism as they clearly had a talented side.
It looked likely after the first eight minutes as the home side surged into a two goal lead. Celtic were all over the place and Hearts roared on by a very hostile crowd looked like they could score even more. It looked very ominous for Gordon Strachan’s Celtic side.
But we managed to get into the break still only two behind. It have Gordon and the players a little breathing space and time to regroup and re-think. It seemed to do the trick as just 10 minutes after the restart substitute Stephen Pearson hit home a close range effort to put us back in the game.
The Hearts crowd was a little less noisy and they became a bit more tense. Celtic piled on the pressure, but as time ticked away it looked like it was going to be a bad day at the office for the Hoops and a also a bad start to the New Year.
Then in the 85th minute Stephen McManus headed home from a fine Shunsuke Nakamura free kick and it looked like we would be escaping with a point when all looked lost. But we are Celtic. With time running out that man Stephen McManus stabbed home a shot a close range like a seasoned poacher to clinch a dramatic victory for Celtic to extend our lead from what was looking like one point just a few minutes before to seven!
The Celtic players and supporters went wild at snatching a win in dramatic circumstances. Tynecastle was sickened and silenced, well the home support was but the Celtic support was joyous to say the least as we had stretched our lead at the top of the table. What a game, what a start to the year! Wonderful memories of a dramatic season for Celtic!
Read all about it in Matt Corr’s brilliant new book which was launched at the Kerrydale in fine fashion on Thursday night and in true Celtic fashion a sum of £1199.15 was raised for The Celtic FC Foundation. Big John Hartson was one of the guests at The Celtic Star event and signed a number of copies of Majic, Stan and the King of Japan which are available today via Celtic Star Books, order via the link below…
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
MAJIC, STAN AND THE KING OF JAPAN IS OUT NOW – ORDER YOUR JOHN HARTSON SIGNED COPY BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE BELOW…
