On 1 April 1996, Celtic played host to Aberdeen in a half complete Celtic Park, which was undergoing renovation. By the second half, Celtic were oozing panache. Striking sensation, Jorge Cadete, then finally made his debut in the game as a substitute. No sooner did he enter the field of play than join the party with a cracking goal. The strike was met with an almighty roar that genuinely blew the microphones of BBC Radio Scotland and Radio Five Live off air! A combination of the quality on show and the eagerly awaited arrival of Cadete produced such a response.
25 years ago today, Celtic 5:0 Aberdeen.
Donnelly(2), Pierre(2) and Cadete. @SimonDonnelly13 @pierrevh17 @JorgeCadete11
Cadete scores on his debut, Tosh on 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2sfY6Nn2tQ
— Li’l Ze (@LilZe_7) March 31, 2021
Cadete, of course, had been itching to get a taste of the action for some six weeks since being introduced to the crowd at a home match v Partick Thistle. Neither he nor Celtic could have anticipated an ‘issue’ with the paperwork over his registration. It later transpired that the delay had been deliberately manufactured by Jim Farry, Chief Executive of the SFA. Farry’s partiality against Celtic had ensured that the elite striker missed out on a number of matches, which likely cost Celtic the title. His position became untenable and his P45 was quite rightly handed to him as a result.
MORE: The Full Story Behind The Long Wait To See Jorge Cadete Make His Celtic Debut, 25 Years On
The registration problem wasn’t the only time that Jorge Cadete would experience controversy in Scotland. In the following campaign, aimed at “stopping the nine”, he netted a fantastic volley to pull Celtic level in the New Year’s Derby. Only to find that as he wheeled away, the linesman had raised his flag for offside – a disgraceful decision. The decision denied Celtic a point. Losing three points to our competitors, as opposed to sharing the spoils, was a critical moment in quelling our title challenge.
