Celebrating Celtic: 1988 - The Centenary Year

Throughout our history the will to win and overcome all the odds to do so has been a theme from our inception. Whether it’s that first meeting in St Mary’s Hall to the Coronation Cup win in ‘53, Lisbon in ‘67 to the Centenary Season in ‘88 that never say die team spirit has been a part of our make up and part of the very fabric of our great club.

“Celebrating Celtic” over the next few issues of Welcome To Paradise will highlight for you some of those magical moments when we have defied all the odds to succeed. 1988 was one such example. To mark our 100th year we wanted nothing more than to celebrate our centenary year with a successful season that befitted our standing in the game.

The Establishment Team however were riding high and were hot favourites to win the title after the Revolution that new owner David Murray had brought which saw the cream of England coming north to play for Rangers in an astonishing reversal of the trend which saw many young Scots head south for the money.

Terry Butcher, Trevor Francis, Ray Wilkins and Chris Woods were some of the big name stars wooed north by Murray’s seamingly endless pit of cash and all the clever money was on that assortment of riches paying dividends.

After our glorious late show triumph in 86 at Love St when we captured the title under Davie Hay, Souness had bought the title back in 87 costing Hay his job and also precursing the departure of Brian McClair, Maurice Johnstone, Alan “Rambo” McNally dubbed Dumbo by the Celtic support, Murdo McLeod, the legendary Danny McGrain and also Davie Provan who retired due to injury.

The club was in a state of upheaval at the very time we needed stability and there was only one man who could reverse the trend, buy time, provide the leadership and restore our faith.

That man was Legend of Legends, Billy McNeill, the man who could walk on water as far as many of us were concerned and could do no wrong. This was to be Billy’s second spell as Manager of course having won 3 titles, 1 Scottish Cup and 1 League Cup in 5 seasons from 78 to 83.

A clandestine meeting in a car park in Clydebank with the then Chairman Jack McGinn to gauge whether McNeill would be interested in the job, although Hay was still in place, was like asking if a one legged duck swims in circles.

Return to manage Celtic in our Centenary Season? There was no other man on the planet who fitted the bill.

A pre-season friendly against Arsenal at Celtic Park was to show the new Manager just how much hard work was needed. A 5-1 reversal at home to an Arsenal team that included Charlie Nicholas who had turned his back on the club that made him at the earliest opportunity was an abject humiliation. Looking back maybe it helped focus minds on the task we faced and what was needed to accomplish it.

New faces were needed and McNeill was not slow in bringing in the experienced Billy Stark from Aberdeen for £75,000, the promising Andy Walker from Motherwell for £350,000 and the unheard of Chris Morris from Sheffield Wednesday for £125,000. All three were to prove shrewd signings on a budget and each played an important part in the historical season that was to unfold.

Mick McCarthy was another new face who was signed by Davie Hay a week before Cesar’s arrival and anyone who heard big Mick’s high pitched screams from the front of the Jungle as he went for a ball would testify to his organisational skills at the centre of defence alongside the legendary Roy “Feed The Bear” Aitken.

I’ll never forget the first game of the season at Cappielow. Myself, a mere slip of a lad, and mates were returning from Benidorm that day and making it to Greenock from Glasgow Airport was going to be tight. We decided to wear our full Centenary away strip on the plane home (that cracker of a yellow and green one) and even had our scarves on to save any time at the other end!

Much to our dismay the flight was delayed and we missed our one and only game that season. As soon as we landed we made our way to the Information Desk to ask that crucial question which all travellers need to know. “Big man, what was the score with Celtic?”

“4-0 to the Celtic”, came the reply as we let out a roar that the whole airport heard.

That win started us off on a run leading up to the first Old Firm game of the season at Celtic Park which read played 4, won 3, lost one at Dunfermline.

That game will be remembered for two things. One, Billy Stark’s sweet “grass cutter” of a goal as early as the 5th minute which proved to be the winner and the sending off of Rangers player/manager Souness for a brutal and cowardly tackle on Stark. Little did we know it at the time but watching him trundle off the park that day with his head bowed as the Celtic support taunted him to a man, woman and child was to become a reflection of the season that lay ahead.

The underdog was having his day and bhoy were we going to enjoy it!

Disappointment lay ahead in the Cup in the next few weeks as Aberdeen knocked us out of the League Cup at Pittodrie 1-0 and a Borussia Dortmund side, complete with Murdo McLeod, knocked us out of the UEFA Cup at the first hurdle. A 2-1 win at home was overturned 2-0 in the WestFalon Stadium with two late goals by the West Germans as friendships were made between the two sets of fans which still remains today.

The next Old Firm match in October at Ibrox was to be remembered for all the wrong reasons when an infamous handbags incident between new signing McAvennie and Woods resulted in both men being sent off with Butcher who had got himself involved following later. That was not to be the end of it and and astonishingly breach of the peace charges were brought against all three and also Graeme Roberts who had shamefully conducted the sectarian hordes with a chorus of the Billy Bhoys after he took over in goals.

Amongst the trouble a game of football broke out and the Celts used their one man advantage to go two goals up, the second coming from a screamer of an own goal from Terry Butcher under pressure from Grant which prompted the Pointer to sink to his knees and bless himself in front of the celebrating away fans, a crime that would result in six months in solitary confinement in today’s world. Rangers came back and right at the death Gough scrambled an equaliser into the Celtic end which left me with a feeling of nausea that i will never forget as i buried my head in my hands right in the very front row.

A week later we lost 2-1 at home to Dundee Utd but instead of letting panic set in we reacted with an unbeaten run that lasted from October 24th to April 16th when we lost 2-1 to Hearts at Tynecastle. 25 wins and 6 draws later, losing only 10 goals and scoring 57 into the bargain .

Whilst our League record made us untouchable from November our Scottish Cup form was less enthralling and a nervous 1-0 win over Stranraer in the first round could have been much worse after the visitors missed a penalty and an open goal too. I remember the Stranraer goalkeeper was a big Celtic man who was a couple of years above me at the same school but did us no favours that day.

The next round against Hibs at home finished 0-0 and so to Easter Road we headed for a tricky replay. The game was a big crowd puller and i had to settle for a spot on the terracing at the Hibs end at the edge of their noisy enclosure with the Celtic end full and busting.

With only ten minutes left Burns laid the perfect ball off to Grant at the edge of the box and Peter the Pointer, not the most prolific of midfielders, struck a thunderbolt which rocketed off the bar and blew my gaff as i sprang ten feet in the air. The large forehead of Stark was in the perfect place at the perfect time to nod the rebound high into the net as i was jostled to the exit by the Hibs fans, my cover by this time well and truly blown as i danced out into the street.

The one goal was enough to book us into the quarter finals and a 3-0 drubbing of Partick Thistle.

Back on League business and the New Year Old Firm game at Celtic Park had underlined our superiority in a season that had started to promise so much.

Two goals from Frank McAvennie, one in each half, without reply further demoralised a Rangers team who for all their money were lagging behind both Hearts and Celtic in the chase for the Title.

Another unforgettable memory from that day was McStay’s world class 60 yard pass which set up Chris Morris to lay the ball on a plate for Macca to open the scoring. The Celtic support that day were in fine voice serenading the club with “Happy Birthday to You , Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday dear Celtic, Happy Birthday to You” which nearly brought the roof down.

The final Old Firm game of the season was at Ibrox and again the Maestro, Paul McStay, was at the heart of our success. Usually when Paul scored it was a cracker and that day was no different with a bullet of a half volley from the edge of the box that sent us into rapturous celebrations behind the goal. I personally remember landing about six rows in front of where i started when the ball hit the roof of the net that day but that was to prove mild compared to the party that followed Walker’s winner late on.

With the score balanced at 1-1 we won a corner on the right facing into the Celtic end. The ball came over and Anton Rogan met it with his head from close range, we all lept to our feet only to see the ball veer a sharp left to where Andy Walker was handily placed as the ball ricocheted off him onto the net. Ibrox immediately emptied leaving us to party well after the players left the pitch.

The season was reaching a glorious climax and an historic League and Cup Double in a momentous season was very much on the cards.

Two matches against Hearts in a week would go a long way to us achieving that. The first was the Scottish Cup semi final on April 9th at Hampden Park in glorious sunshine usually reserved for the Final.

Hearts opened the scoring after an hour in very controversial circumstances when MacPherson jumped with Bonnar for a high cross from the right. Neither touched the ball on it’s way into the net and there was no doubt that the keeper had been impeded. Despite this the goal stood and the Celts were a goal down.

If the will to win was not enough to spur us on that day then the sense of injustice from that decision was the factor as the Celts came roaring back. There have been many examples down the years too of the 12th man willing us onto victory, that day was no exception.

With 3 minutes left on the clock Burns stepped up to take a corner from the right in front of a huge sea of green, white and gold behind the goal who were doing our damnest to suck the ball into the net.

The corner was swung over nicely and as it hung in the air Roy Aitken and Henry Smith jumped for the ball together, the Hearts keeper under pressure dropped the ball and it fell nicely for Mark McGhee who turned and hit the ball low into the net as three Hearts players desperately tried to block the shot.

Someone up there was looking after us as our prayers were answered. Any other team would settle for the draw but not us and not in our Centenary Season as we piled forward looking for the winner.

Stark shied the ball to Macca who crossed high into the danger zone. McGhee went up with Smith and it was the Celt who knocked the ball down goal bound. Walker from almost the goal line thumped the ball high into the net and Hampden erupted once again.

A new song was invented that day “Henry, Henry drop the ball” as we headed home in that kind of delirious mood that only Celtic can give you.

A week later we travelled to Tynecastle looking to clinch the Title but Hearts were able to get some revenge with a 2-1 win that delayed the party a week. With 3 games left we needed 2 points from our home games against Dundee and Dunfermline with a visit to Motherwell in between.

The Celts were keen to finish the business at the first attempt!

60,000 crammed into Celtic Park with another 10,000 at the very least crammed around the track for the Birthday Party of ALL birthday parties.

Chris Morris scored an early goal and it was late on before Andy Walker scored a double to start the party off and the Celts were crowned Champions in our Centenary Year.

It would be another 3 weeks before the icing was put on the cake against Dundee Utd in the Scottish Cup Final.

Another glorious day and another jam packed Hampden Park was to set the background for so many of our most famous days. This one was to be up with the best of them.

As if things weren’t tense enough, just like in the semi final we fell behind, with the grandson of Patsy Gallagher, no less, doing the damage. With 15 minutes remaining the score remained the same.

We hadn’t come this far only to be beaten and when Rogan’s cross from the right was met by Macca’s head there was only one place that ball was going to end up. Fate was on our side and the man above was guiding us towards an historic Double.
Aitken rushed to grab the ball out of the back of the net as he urged his team mates back to the half way line to finish off the job they had started.

Just like in the semi final against Hearts it was one way traffic. The pressure was relentless and as the last minute arrived again the Celts won a corner at the exact same spot where Tommy Burns stood against Hearts.

This time Joe Miller, another good signing from Aberdeen, crossed from the right where it was met by Stark, the ball came off Narey and fell nicely for MacAvennie to thump the ball high into the net then turn and run towards the Celtic support who quite simply were in heaven.

Heaven, we thought, couldn’t be any better than this.

A season which started in desponancy had ended in ecstacy against ALL the odds with the will to win shining through which would have made Brother Walfrid himself so proud.

A new facade at the front of Celtic Park was to herald a new beginning to our second century and the next episode of the Celtic Story which was thrilling audiences in Glasgow was already being written…….