My favourite song from that era was “Sailing”. It had the right rhythm for group singing and even to this day when I hear it I immediately see in my mind all the scarves raised in the Jungle.
I was back in Auckland, this time on a permanent basis in 1983. I managed to get back in March 1988 for a couple of months to catch the tail end of the Centenary Season. I managed to get to all the games in that period but could not get into the stand. In the latter part of the 70’s and early 80’s there had never been any problem in getting a seat in the Stand.
Apart from the Rangers games and sometimes the Aberdeen games there was no need for tickets. For most home games I would leave my house in Croftfoot just after 2pm, drive to the bottom of the Springfield Road, park the car, walk up to the ground, pay my money at the turnstile and be in my seat in plenty time for kick off. Even though our group was generally around 8 strong there was rarely difficulty in getting seated together.
In 1988 it was different. The excitement of the Centenary Double being so near meant much bigger crowds and getting into the stand proved too difficult. For most of the games I ended up in the Celtic End. I went to that spot in the middle of the terracing where I had stood with so many school friends around 20 years earlier. Part of me was hoping that some of them would have the same thoughts as me and I would be reacquainted with some long-lost friend.
Alas no. But I did enjoy being on a packed terrace again.
As it happened that would be the last time I had the experience of standing at Celtic Park. I did make a brief return to Scotland late in 1990 for my father’s funeral. In that period though Celtic only had a couple of away games so I got to Easter Road and Tannadice but another 10 years would go by before I would set foot in Celtic Park.
And when I did return in 2000 for a few weeks the place was almost beyond recognition. Only the facade of the Main Stand had any similarity to the stadium I had known. We had a walk around the impressive perimeter before my brother Jim and I made our way up the many stairs to our seats in the second back row in the middle of the North Stand. It was some climb but what a view. Not only of the countryside and skyline in the distance but of the game itself. Much as I had loved the old Celtic End it was a bit away from the action on the pitch and did not have a particularly great incline for viewing the other end of the park.
I have been lucky enough to have made the journey to Celtic Park several time since then. My first visits covered barely four miles and the expenditure of four pence. Now it is a case of 18,000 kilometers and at least a couple of thousand dollars. And it takes a lot longer. What was once at most a 30-minute journey is now over 30 hours.
My youngest son’s first Celtic game was in 2010. We left Auckland at 8pm on a Friday night. Around 27 hours later we touched down in Glasgow. (11.30am local time). We dropped our bags at my sister’s place in Milngavie then got the train to Bellgrove and walked up to Celtic Park just in time for the kickoff v Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Covid has meant planned visits in the last couple of years have not been possible and as the years fly by time for such long journeys is running short. However hopes still high for another chance to return to the Paradise (although a much changed, and improved, one) I first entered over 60 years ago.
Mike Maher
A very nice read Mike, thank you, although I think we will have to disagree over YNWA, but still a good read and I can remember attending quite a few of they games from the mid sixties myself.
Thanks- To be honest I actually like seeing and hearing YNWA at the big European games. If I do manage to get over for one of the CL games this season I will be joining in! Probably because of my age and being a bit grumpy I tend to think that things were better when I was young! I would prefer though if we did have an “anthem” that a was bit more unique to us. When I got my first proper mobile phone a few years ago my son put YNWA as the ring tone. I had to get him to change it as I got fed up with so many people thinking I was a Liverpool fan when they heard it ringing!
Watching the Scottish Cup final against Motherwell from the school boys enclosure,there may have been a hundred thousand packed into Hampton,and when big John McPhail scored the winning goal,the place went crazy. That was our first trophy since the war,. Mat Lynch was a teacher at my school,st.margarets,and later brought the treasured cup tothe school,to hold or just touch was a thrill of my young life! So I share many of your memories Mike. Keep the faith Hail Hail.
You’ve watched them for as long as I have , Mike, and the passion never leaves you. A great read!