Ten Men Won The League by Stephen Murray ( CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 2014)

 

INTRODUCTION

This book details the events of one of the most incredible seasons in the history of Celtic Football Club, the 1978-79 Premier Division campaign. During the summer of 1978, Celtic appointed their fifth manager, Lisbon Lion captain, Billy McNeill. The winter of 1978-79 brought extreme arctic conditions, which prevented the team from playing a league game for ten long weeks. No one was to realise it at the time, but the enforced winter break would be a major factor in Celtic's quest to win the Scottish Premier Division title.

It was a season where the league title was decided in the final game, when Celtic faced their oldest and greatest rivals, Rangers. In a classic winner takes all scenario, the drama unfolded. A victory for either team would have given them the League Championship and these two great clubs have seldom met in such dramatic fashion.

On Monday 21st May 1979, the two teams met to decide the title. Against all the odds, with Celtic reduced to ten men, 0-1 down, and only twenty five minutes remaining, they stormed back to win 4-2. This victory gave Celtic the league title, in a game which will never be forgotten. Tales of that legendary game have been proudly passed from father to son, and it is reckoned by many to be the most incredible Old Firm game ever played.

One observer was moved to describe it as, ‘the closest I ever came to a religious experience’, but frustratingly, a strike by television cameramen ensured that no quality footage was recorded for posterity. All that remains is some grainy old black and white film, produced by the amateur volunteers of the Celtic Film Club, and Celtic fans remain ever grateful for their efforts.

In addition to that pivotal match, this book also covers the other dramatic events of the season.

When? Where? Why?

I think this YouTube clip should be flagged. It's nasty, nasty stuff and not for the fainthearted:

05/19/80 Dundee 5 Celtic 1

Christ, look at the state of Dens Park back in 1980.The stadium is just one step up from Hackney Marshes. Hard to believe that Dundee were relegated that season; even harder to believe that Celtic won the cup that year. And for the stat-geeks amongst you, Celtic actually lost the title by one point to Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen that year.

I also have to ask myself what did Ma & Pa Latchford feed Peter and Bob when they were growing up? By the looks of Peter, I think it might have been the Desperate Dan diet. I can't remember him that *cough* barrel-chested.

Strange what you can and can't remember from seasons past. I'd totally blanked out that spanking from Dundee, but I did remember Baillieston beating Benburb in the final of the Scottish Junior Cup. And how could I forget Celtic beating Real Madrid 2-0 in the (old) European Cup that same year?

03/05/80 Celtic 2 Real Madrid 0

Twenty-seven years after actually attending the game, I finally get a decent view of the goals scored that night. Thank you, YouTube.