The Scottish Cup Final 2001 and the shifting of power towards Celtic

My Grandfather would have chosen 1965 and Cesar’s winning goal against Dunfermline, having twice been behind. For his Brother it was 1969 when Celtic’s 4-0 with against Rangers, a game I was reliably informed was the most complete performance in a Cup Final Celtic have ever produced – though I believe a certain Alex Ferguson may not look back so fondly on the one.

And for my own Uncle it was the regular complaint that the 1980 post-match violence overshadowed a Cup Final classic, as Celtic emerged victorious only for the headlines to be grabbed by running battles, flying bottles and Police horses arriving late on the scene.

For me there is a standout final, and if I could go back to just one it would be an easy decision. My first memory is 1985 and McGarvey’s diving header, the first final I attended was 1988 and a centenary double in my first season going to games regularly. But the one that meant the most to me was 2001.

Much like that 1969 final ending in a Treble, 2001 was the culmination of one of the most incredible turnaround seasons. Just 12 months before Celtic were in yet another mess of their own doing. What a difference a year makes.

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Martin O’Neill arrived like a whirlwind and set the tone with a 6-2 derby win that would lead to a league title procession, simply unthinkable and probably nigh on impossible looking back now.

We’d won the first, and always the one that’s vital in any revival – as a certain other set of supporters will be feeling keenly this week – as the League Cup was won with a second half Henrik Larsson hat-trick in a game where we played much of the second period with 10 men against Kilmarnock.

Celtic had grown as a team and a club in the time it took Martin O’Neill to get his feet under the table. As such Celtic were on the verge of winning the first treble of my lifetime. Had someone predicted that the previous May, I’d have asked them to voluntarily admit themselves immediately for psychological assessment for their own benefit.

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But here we were and I don’t remember having a single feeling of doubt in the build-up to the game. I remember some nerves as to whether Lubo Moravcik and Chris Sutton would make the team and once that was confirmed it was all systems go. Hibs were the opponents and at the time were a very good side, indeed in previous years an opponent of that standard would have led to pre-game butterflies, but not this time.

Even when the gamble of starting with Lubo Moravcik backfired and he was replaced after quarter of an hour, there was a concern of course, but when you have a player of the standard of Jackie McNamara to come off the bench you fear less. Indeed, in a sliding doors moment it was Lubo’s replacement who was to have the biggest of influence on the outcome of the final.

McNamara scored the opening goal with a brilliant angled finish past Nick Colgan and then just into the second half laid the ball on a plate for Larsson’s first time shot from just inside the box to make it 2-0 and allow the celebrations to start.

Larsson himself finished the scoring from the penalty spot after he had been fouled by Hibs Gary Smith and Celtic had won their first treble since 1969. It would be 16 years before Celtic had their invincible treble but that’s exactly what I felt Celtic were that day in May.

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The 2017 invincible treble has probably meant 2001 has been surpassed in the minds of many of the support and understandably so. But there’s a couple of things that cause me to question which one comes out on top. Firstly,I didn’t have a ticket for Tom Rogic’s late late strike, and though it brought tears to my eyes I was too dry and comfortable than those attending to fully soak it up, and as such 2001 and being present still edges it for me. But also, it’s a final that historic as it was it was, also in my opinion laid the foundations upon which Celtic’s current run was built.

It was a season that exorcised ghosts for Celtic. We were not only league champions; we’d completed the clean sweep. Supporters were to look back on that season as a turning point, it built belief that Celtic were no longer mere contenders, not occasional pretenders, instead a club going places as a UEFA Cup final attested to just two years later.

The balance of power had shifted, and 19 years later as we go for a quite incredible Quadruple Treble, it’s difficult for this fan not to look back and believe it all started there.

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Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength at a domestic level. Tomorrow, Celtic’s current players can add to their legendary status and new ones can begin their own journey to that sort of status.

For me I’ll have a think back to 2001 and Jackie McNamara climbing off the bench and setting Celtic on their way to not only a first treble since 1969 but also nearly 20 years of Celtic fulfilling the sort of dominance over Scottish football, I never dreamed possible.

As our rivals discovered on Wednesday evening in Paisley, just one slip can put paid to dreams of invincibility and a clean sweep of silverware. For Celtic to be on the verge of doing that for a fourth consecutive time shows reality can outperform even your most optimistic dreams.

Niall J

About Author

As a Bellshill Bhoy I was taken to my first Celtic game in the summer of 1987. It was Billy McNeill’s return to Celtic Park as manager and Celtic lost 5-1 to Arsenal . I thought I was a jinx, I think my Grandfather might have thought the same. It was the finest gift anyone ever gave me when he walked me through Parkhead's gates.

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