This article is a warning. It is a warning against complacency. It begins a month or two after the events described. It was a beautiful summer day in 1983. A veteran supporter was in his garden lovingly tending his roses. Another veteran supporter, not exactly a close friend but an acquaintance who had followed the team as long as he had, (since the days of Patsy Gallacher and Tommy McInally) came up the road. No words of greeting, or “How are you?” simply a gruff and angry “Thae sweary word threw away that League”. A sage nod, and back to the roses! 1983 hurt!
On 9 April 1983, Celtic beat Hibs 3-0 at Easter Road. Two goals from Charlie Nicholas and one from Davie Provan meant that Celtic were three points ahead of Dundee United, five ahead of Aberdeen (who had a game in hand). Rangers were out of it, five games remained, only two points for a win, and the BBC radio programme talked about “one hand on the flag”. It certainly seemed likely.
We had already won the Scottish League Cup in December, and relished the thought of more silver.
Following next week’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, there were five games to be played, two at home to Dundee United and Morton, and three away at Pittodrie, Kilmarnock and then Ibrox on the last day. Not easy, but certainly within the capabilities of a team who were good enough without being brilliant and whom Charlie Nicholas could inspire.
But it was Nicholas who was the problem. The following Saturday in the Scottish Cup semi, he failed to appear. If we didn’t know the reason, the Glasgow gossip mills soon told us, but the sad outcome was that Aberdeen won 1-0 with the rest of the Celtic forwards “unable to punch their way out of a wet paper bag” according to The Sunday Post. That was the Scottish Cup gone, but that did not affect the League – at least it shouldn’t have, but it did.
No-one will ever know what went on behind the scenes when the errant and immature young gentleman re-appeared, but we all did see on the Wednesday night of 20 April the team lose 2-3 to Dundee United, the Tayside men scoring a late winner with the Celtic defence absent – and a clear sign that something was wrong – the players shouting and arguing with each other.
Dundee United seldom win at Celtic Park, but this was one such occasion. It was all the more remarkable because they did it with ten men, Richard Gough – yes, Richard Gough, having been sent off. It should never have happened, and the silence at the end was both angry and eloquent.
But Celtic were still ahead, and had an immediate chance to right matters in a trip to Pittodrie on Saturday. But by this time, the self-destruct button had been well and truly pressed, and Aberdeen won again. The Dons scored in the first half, then with their strong defence of Miller and McLeish held Celtic at bay with Nicholas failing to make any impression, and McGarvey infuriating everyone by his habit of running across the park and his lack of incision. To their credit, the fans gave the team every encouragement, but in our hearts of hearts, everyone knew that the League had now gone.
The remaining three games were irrelevant. Celtic won 5-1 at Kilmarnock where the home side were heading for relegation, then persuaded only 12,000 to turn up to see a poor game against Morton which they won 2-0, before a truly spectacular 4-2 demolition of Rangers at Ibrox which in other circumstances would have been one their greatest ever games. Sadly Dundee United beat Dundee at Dens Park that day to win their first and only League title. A small banner was seen at the Celtic End of Ibrox that day. It said simply “Don’t go, Charlie!” … but he went.
And who was to blame for all that? Well, there is an obvious target who is still the reason why I am no great fan of Sky Sports, but there was also the Board who gave every sign of being interested in nothing other than the transfer fee.
To a lesser extent, one can blame the players for allowing themselves to become over-dependent on the immature young man with the prodigious talent. Manager McNeill should have taken more control of the situation as well at an earlier stage, perhaps, but then again, Billy himself left a month after Nicholas did. Conventional wisdom is that his departure and that of Nicholas were unconnected. I am not so sure.
So that was 1983. It is meant as a cautionary tale. Assume nothing in football. Do not be complacent. Do not sing any songs that imply that the League is already won. Remember 1983. Yes, yes, I know the circumstances are totally different. But remember 1983 nevertheless. It must not be allowed to happen again.
David Potter
Reconstruction and The Glasgow Money Tree Elephant in the Room | The Celtic Star https://t.co/9kLiXM9wkO
— The Celtic Star Editor (@CelticStarMag) March 11, 2020
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— The Celtic Star Editor (@CelticStarMag) March 11, 2020
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