‘Turning point for Billy McNeill’s Centenary Celts,’ If you know the history – Celtic at birth, 50 & 100: August 1988

If you know the history – Celtic at birth, 50 & 100: August 1988

Following their return from Viareggio, Celtic made their first appearance on home soil on Sunday, 7 August 1988, a Centenary Challenge match against the Brazilian side, Cruzeiro at Celtic Park. 42,000 turned out on a sunny afternoon to watch Billy McNeill’s side carry on where they had left off at Hampden three months earlier, goals from that deadly double-act of Andy Walker (2) and Frank McAvennie giving Celts an interval lead despite the concession of two penalties, both converted by Hamilton.

Celtic 4-2 Cruzeiro, Brazil

It was a first sight for home fans of new keeper, Ian Andrews, as the second Celtic stopper signed recently, Alan Rough, watched from the stand. Andrews would be in the midst of the action, conceding the first spot-kick with a clumsy challenge. Earlier, another tackle from the big Englishman had ended the afternoon for Cruzeiro’s star player, Careca.

The Brazilian international striker would recover in time, less than two years later he would break the hearts of Scotland fans in Turin, with a late World Cup winner. Back in Glasgow, there would be only one more goal for the crowd to enjoy, former Motherwell man, Walker claiming his hat-trick, as Celts ran out 4-2 victors to take the trophy.

The Champions began the defence of their title six days later, against Hearts in front of 45,000 fans. There was only the one goal in this clash between the previous season’s top two teams, McAvennie striking early in the second half before his partner, Walker, saw a late penalty saved by Henry Smith.

The League Cup campaign began in midweek, with a 4-1 win over Ayr United at Celtic Park. Walker notched another double either side of half-time, after Tommy Burns had opened the scoring in Alan Rough’s debut. A Henry Templeton strike would ruin his hopes of a clean sheet before McAvennie rounded things off with Celtic’s fourth late on. The Ayr striker’s son, David Cooper Templeton, would make his name at Hearts amongst other clubs, a generation later.

Next up was a visit to Tannadice on Saturday 20 August, 20,000 packed in to see a match decided by an early Kevin Gallacher goal, after a dreadful Mick McCarthy passback allowed Patsy’s grandson to beat restored keeper Andrews, and take a measure of revenge for May’s Hampden Cup Final defeat.

Four days later, Hamilton Academical were the visitors in the next round of the League Cup. The tie was over by the hour-mark, Celts 5-0 up through Walker and McAvennie braces and a Burns goal, Accies hitting back with a quickfire double from Celtic-mad, Jamie Fairlie. Late strikes from Hoops substitutes Billy Stark and Owen Archdeacon restored the 5-goal advantage, as the game ended 7-2.

The following Saturday marked the turning point for Billy McNeill’s Centenary Celts as the ’88 champions took on Souness’ Rangers at Ibrox. McAvennie gave the Hoops a dream start before goals from Ally McCoist and the strike of his career from the late Ray Wilkins saw the hosts ahead at the break.

The moment which would define Ian Andrews’ career came along early in the second-half, the big keeper misjudging a McCoist header for a soft third. Kevin Drinkell nodded a fourth before a Roy Aitken slip set up Mark Walters for 5-1, as we witnessed Celtic’s worst defeat in this derby fixture since 1960.

In midweek, the Bhoys made a quick return to Tayside for the League Cup quarter-final with Dundee United. With only one Tannadice victory in five years, it was with a certain trepidation that the Celtic support made its way up the Road and the Miles, many Hoops fans locked out as the game kicked off at a frantic pace.

After a scoreless first-half, United took the lead seconds after the break, that man Gallacher this time setting up former Ibrox midfielder Ian Redford to beat Andrews for 1-0. With two minutes remaining, the provider turned goal-taker, Gallacher’s header finding the net to complete a bad week for the Scottish champions, a third defeat in just six competitive matches played in August.

 

Off the field, there was a birth a couple of thousand miles away which would produce a future Celt.

Rami Gershon

On 12 August 1988, Rami Gershon was born in Rishon Le Zion, just south of Tel Aviv in central Israel. He would commence his senior football career with the local Hapoel side, before moving to Belgium and Standard Liege in 2010. On 9 January 2013, he signed on a 6-month trial basis for Celtic, with a view to a permanent deal, making his Hoops debut exactly one month later in Inverness, alongside Tom Rogic and Marcus Fraser, in a side skippered by Fraser Forster, as manager Neil Lennon made nine changes to his starting line-up ahead of the visit of Juventus in the Last 16 of the Champions League, three days later.

The big defender got on the end of a Dylan McGeoch cross to head Celts 2-1 in front three minutes into the second-half, replaced by Adam Matthews on the hour before Miku completing the scoring late on against second-placed Caledonian Thistle. Kris Commons had earlier levelled things at 1-1 for Celtic following great work on the right from the young Australian, Rogic.

It would be exactly another month before Gershon’s next Celtic appearance, one of five changes from the midweek European exit in Turin, as the Hoops travelled north again, this time to Dingwall on 9 March 2013. Early goals from Charlie Mulgrew and Gary Hooper had Celts cruising before the roof fell in, Ross County squaring the game by half-time then snatching the three points in the final seconds, their first-ever League win over Celtic. Gershon had managed another hour on the pitch before making way for Kris Commons.

Bizarrely, Rami’s third and final appearance would also be a League match in the Highlands, again Ross County the opposition, on 5 May 2013. On this occasion, Anthony Stokes gave Celts an early lead, an incorrect offside call against Tony Watt denying the Hoops the points, the match ending 1-1.

Gershon’s Celtic career ended the following month, a frustrating series of injuries limiting his first-team opportunities to impress in Glasgow. He moved back to Belgium with Waasland-Beveren then KAA Gent – now home to our very own Mikael Lustig – helping the Buffalos to their only League title in 2015.

Two years later, he moved back to his homeland with Maccabi Haifa, the Greens finishing as runners-up to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2019. Haifa lost 4-3 to Strasbourg in this season’s Europa League whilst Tel Aviv were beaten by a certain CFR Cluj in the Champions League second qualifying round.

Hail Hail,

Matt Corr

Follow Matt on Twitter @Boola_vogue

Thanks and credit as always to the folk behind the wonderful Celtic Wiki, an invaluable resource for Celtic historians.

About Author

Having retired from his day job Matt Corr can usually be found working as a Tour Guide at Celtic Park, or if there is a Marathon on anywhere in the world from as far away as Tokyo or New York, Matt will be running for the Celtic Foundation. On a European away-day, he's there writing his Diary for The Celtic Star and he's currently completing his first Celtic book with another two planned.

Comments are closed.