There will never be another night quite like that. The Lisbon Lions are honoured in the Hydro…
Four days after the undefeated League campaign ended, there was another huge celebration for the Celtic family to enjoy. Glasgow was once again green-and-white, as 12,000 supporters made their way to the Hydro Arena on Clydeside to mark the 50th anniversary of the greatest Scottish sporting triumph ever, when 11 lads from the west of Scotland made history by beating Internazionale of Milan in Lisbon to win the European Cup, thus becoming the first non-Latin side to do so. Fittingly, the golden anniversary fell on a Thursday night, just as it had when our dads, uncles and grandfathers had witnessed history in the heat of Portugal’s capital city.
I had managed to get tickets for my Celtic-supporting kids, arranging to meet up beforehand with our extended family for a few beers in one of the rapidly increasing number of Irish bars in the city centre. Cars were ditched and Lisbon t-shirts adorned, as three sensible adults and one big kid made their way to the Hydro via Saint Vincent’s. In the basement pub, we caught up with two of my cousins, both Eugene’s, one from the USA and the other from Kirkintilloch. As always, the craic was great with these guys, Celtic to the core. Looking back now, three years later, that was a poignant meeting. Eugene Lynch was ten years my senior and had been in Lisbon. His father and my mother were first cousins, both now, sadly, long-gone. Within two years, so was Eugene, after a short illness, just before another special moment in our history, which I’ll cover another day. He would have enjoyed that. RIP Eugene.
There was a carnival atmosphere as we alighted the taxi, Hoops of all ages everywhere. On a grassy embankment, outside the arena, there were folk posing for photographs beside a replica European Cup. Genius. Memo to self. Add that to the bucket list. Our tickets were in two sets of two, following a manic booking process a couple of months earlier. Never mind. We were here. All that mattered.
Looking down from the second tier, we could see the great and the good taking their seats in the VIP area below. Celtic managers, past and present, chatting together. Many of the Lions were already there, mingling with those who had been their successors in the world-famous Hoops over the previous half-century. Sharing a million stories and laughs, no doubt. A bond few will ever truly know. But sadly, there was no Cesar. No Stevie. Due to illness. And no Tommy. Our grief for him still raw. The two goalscorers and our captain. In our hearts and thoughts, most certainly, if not in their seats.
What followed was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most incredible roller-coaster of Celtic emotions I have ever witnessed. Inside or outside a football ground. One of the greatest nights of my life.
We were soon underway, with well-known Celtic supporter and Scottish comedienne, Elaine C. Smith, hosting proceedings. Providing the link between the acts and the interviews. A labour of love for her.
There were some unusual performers in there. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, with “Don’t Stop Believin’,” the first of several acts to cleverly utilise song titles or lyrics, which were relevant to the celebration.
There’s a blast from my own past, as the Bay City Rollers take the stage. The Edinburgh-based ‘70’s teenybop idols always struck me as an odd choice. Bemused looks and comments are overtaken by cheers, as images of the Lions training at Seamill and Celtic Park allow the crowd to forget that we’re listening to the dreadful “Shang-a-Lang,” perhaps the weirdest singalong chant of this amazing night.
Ruby Stewart, Rod’s daughter, one half of The Sisterhood, delivers a beautiful version of the haunting “Grace,” and Susan Boyle, welcomed onstage to chants of “Subo!” the fabulous “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables, an emotional montage of Jock and his Lions in the 1967 Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen providing the perfect backdrop to the music. Spine-tingling. Not a dry eye in the house.
Sanjeev Singh Kohli – the hilarious Navid from Scottish television sitcom Still Game – pays tribute – sort of – to Brendan Rodgers, before introducing a Hoops-clad Eddie Reader. She hits all the right notes, as always, with her rousing version of her own song “Perfect.” It’s no surprise as the cheering audience make up their own words, “It’s got to be-e-e-e-e-e-e, Celtic!” “Gaun yersel, Eddie!”
One of the headliners, renowned tenor Russell Watson, has failed to make it. He too is ill, apparently. Up to the plate steps the People’s Tenor, John Innes. This is his moment. He takes it, with a stunning rendition of “Nessun Dorma.” None shall sleep. Indeed. It is incredibly moving. I am in absolute bits.
Celtic-daft rockers Johnny Mac & the Faithful open to a backdrop of Hoops hanging on dressing-room lockers. Johnny wrote and recorded a song about that night with the Lions, “The Best Day of our Lives.” And now he gets to play it to them, on their big night, in front of the audience of his dreams. Images of the recording are beamed back from the large screen behind the band, the immortal Bhoys, as always, full of fun. Laughing. Smiling. “The legend lives on, forever more. The night the mighty Lions roared.”
The crowd are lapping it up. What a start. We then get the soundtrack of the season, “This is how it feels to be Celtic,” the fans quickly taking over on lead vocals. Then the huge arena is lit up by 12,000 mobile torches, as the strains of “In the Heat of Lisbon” ring out, a quite beautiful sight and sound. The Hydro has become an extension of Paradise. It is awesome. Unbelievable. I am struggling to keep myself together and there is most definitely something in my eye. Again. I am not alone.
There are a few non-musical interludes, as we continue the journey. And video tributes from Henrik Larsson and Hollywood A-lister Gerard Butler are a nice touch. As is the heartfelt tribute to the Lisbon Lions from former Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson. He played against them in the 1960’s and was assistant to Jock in the great man’s final football role two decades later. And Ferguson also knew what it took to lift the European Cup as a Scottish manager. He is given a great reception.
To the strains of “Willie Maley,” television presenter Rob MacLean leads out the Ex-Managers Club, Neil Lennon, Martin O’Neill, Gordon Strachan and Kenny Dalglish. They receive a standing ovation, before taking their place on the guest couches. Kenny talks about his first weeks as a senior player, in the aftermath of Lisbon. The Bhoy who would one day be King. Neil speaks about growing up in Lurgan, idolising the Lions and those who followed, perhaps embarrassing Dalglish slightly by mentioning that he was his particular favourite. MacLean is now interviewing Martin O’Neill. He plays brilliantly to the gallery, as always, with the tale of how he watched the match in Lisbon in a boarding school, where the pictures miraculously appeared just moments before kick-off. “It was a catholic school, obviously!”
Martin Compston introduces Brendan Rodgers and you can hear the rafters roar. “This is how it feels to be Celtic. Champions again as you know. Brendan Rodgers here for 10 in a row.” He’s playing it cool, reminding us all that very few sides have managed to do the Treble. Under-promise and over-deliver.
Then Rod Stewart appears for the first part of his set, appropriately opening with the old Motown classic, “We’re Having a Party.” Kicking balls into the crowd to “Baby Jane.” Announcing to the faithful that “this is one of the greatest nights of his life.” Ours too, Rod. “It’s a Heartache” begins, half the crowd are already singing their own words before he reaches the first chorus. “In the Heat of Lisbon…” Wee Jay Beattie is waving furiously at the front of the stage, trying to attract the star’s attention.
Rod gives up. No Heartache tonight. We’re here to honour our Immortals. The noise only dies down when the singer begins his next song, the wonderful “I Don’t Wanna Talk About It,” Stewart reduced to a backing vocals role, as the crowd takes over. This continues, as he follows up with “You Wear it Well,” then the stunning, “Forever Young,” all the while the huge screen behind him bringing a special Celtic relevance to his lyrics, as those heroes no longer with us flash up, in turn, to huge roars of approval.
Rod later re-appears for the second half, resplendent in emerald green jacket and white trousers, with a female-backing group wearing the Hoops. The old rocker gives the audience exactly what they had come to hear, classics such as “Maggie May,” “Sailing” – adopted by the Jungle in the mid-’70s but dedicated tonight to the victims of the recent Manchester atrocity. Then “Dirty Old Town,” famously recorded by Jimmy Johnstone, who now appears on-screen, to tumultuous cheers. And “You’re In My Heart,” written for us around the same time, much to the discomfort of my pal at work, who loved Rod but not Celtic.
And then there’s the finale. They’re all up there. Lions, managers and musicians. The unmistakeable opening notes of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” take us up yet another notch in the scale of emotional highlights. There is a bit of confusion, as no-one quite takes the lead. Then the crowd takes over, bringing the impromptu ensemble back on key. The greatest song of all is sung by and for the greatest team of all. And for all our loved ones who can’t be here. Wonderful stuff. I’m sitting with my daughter, who loves Rod Stewart. My two boys are together in another section. My son told me, three years later, that he looked up and saw me standing at this point, eyes closed, singing to the heavens. He turned to my older boy. “Dad’s having a good night by the looks of it.” I was. And then some.
There will never be another Lisbon.
There will never be another group of men who are revered as much by Celtic supporters as the Lions.
And there will never be another night quite like that.
Dedicated to the memory of Eugene Lynch – Celtic to the core.
Matt Corr
*An extract from (Proper) INVINCIBLE by Matt Corr, available to order below, just click on the cover to order a signed copy.
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