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The 9iar Chronicles - Season Nine 1973/74

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Release Date: 05/21/2020

Working at Celtic During McCann Revolution show art Working at Celtic During McCann Revolution

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Working at Celtic During the McCann Revolution   Fergus McCann came into Celtic Park and changed everything.  He changed the board and replaced family inheritance with business acumen.  He changed the ground from seats on Terracing to a 60,000 seated stadium.  He built all the foundations that have now established Celtic as THE premier club in Scotland.  He is one of the greatest Celts in history.   The transformation in Celtic pre and post March 1994 was incredible and one of the few people with a front row seat both before and after was Andrew Smith. ...

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Cup Final Preview Audio show art Cup Final Preview Audio

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

In the past week we've had the league secured at Rugby Park, a title party at Celtic Park rounded all off with the Cup Final at Hampden on the iconic date of 25th May.  Who else could I ask to discuss this than full-kit Jow Hart love-in man Remy McSwain. Remy and I review everything and jump all over the place because an easy verbal ramble through the past 10 days became a rushed preview and review because the IT set up/wifi crashed. The audio is good because the crap bits are editted out. Enjoy...

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Charity begins at home show art Charity begins at home

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Following securing the league, Andrew Smith met with Celtic FC Foundation CEO Tony Hamilton to ask about the work of the Foundation and discuss the forthcoming charity game against the Dortmund Legends. Andrew asks searching questions such as - aren't all chairtie just a tax on the poor?  But Tony robustly defends the work of the Foundation and the input of the club who are by far the biggest contributors to The Foundation. To get tickets for the game, which takes place after the cup final, log on here https://www.celticfc.com/tickets/celtic-legends-v-borussia-dortmund-legends/ ...

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Winners...again.again show art Winners...again.again

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Winners…again   This Saturday saw the final Glasgow Derby of the league campaign and for listeners to last week’s podcast the result will have come as no surprise.  Despite the comments of pundits, this is a game where form does not go out of the window.  It is a game that the form team (or more appropriately the better team) nearly always win.   Celtic are the better team.  Celtic won.   Whilst the league is not mathematically secured, we’re almost there being 6 points clear with just 2 games remaining.  We therefore got two boys to discuss with Harry...

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Fun Bhoys Three show art Fun Bhoys Three

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Fun Bhoys Three   We have the final Glasgow Derby of season 2023/24 coming up this weekend and so we have organised some experienced heads to discuss the prospects with @Paul1888 joining Andrew & Harry to discuss the game.   We roll out the metaphors and the cliches to preview the game in the context of our performance on last weekend when Brendan finally had his full first choice 16 to field.   As Andrew H says - use your testicular metaphor of choice when previewing the game and have some fun.   Enjoy…

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Smith and Brady Dundee review and Hearts preview show art Smith and Brady Dundee review and Hearts preview

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Smith and Brady - Dundee review and Hearts preview   This week Andrew H Smith joins Harry to review the performance and result at Dens Park.  The chat takes a meandering turn as the bhoys discuss the events at Dens almost 34 years ago to the day when Celtic really blew the 1979/80 season by losing 5-1 to Dundee during the title run in.  Andrew was there and experienced the vitriol.   When they get on to the 21st Century tie they get on to discuss how brilliant James Forrest is and anyone who disagrees will go on Wolfie Smith’s list.   Finally, the bhoys get to the...

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Smith and Brady The Scottish Cup Semi Final show art Smith and Brady The Scottish Cup Semi Final

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Smith & Brady - The Scottish Cup Semi Final   Following the dramtic 3-3 draw and subsequent penalty shoot-out victory, Harry Brady and Andrew H Smith review the cup semi and discuss all of the action.   There’s a review of the defensive short-comings and like every discussion by Celtic fans of a certain age, 20+ year old Hampden games are shoehorned in.   Enjoy…

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Whats Going On show art Whats Going On

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

What’s Going On?   There’s hasn’t been a podcast in ages and then, in usual style, two come along at once.  If you’ve not listened, then get your ears around St Anthony’s Recollections podcast out earlier in the week.  It was a short sharp pod all about Paul McStay.   For the longer form podcast (and it’s very long) we have Remy, Lawrence & me asking (and attempting to answer) the simple question - what’s going on?   The answer seems to be Dermot with everything flowing from that!   It’s nearly two hours long so you’ll maybe listen in...

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Recollections - Paul McStay show art Recollections - Paul McStay

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Recollections - Paul McStay   Paul McStay was born on 22nd October 1964 in Hamilton, Lanarkshire. Grand-nephew of former Celtic team captain and manager Jimmy McStay, playing for Celtic was in the family blood. A hotly tipped youth prospect Paul McStay was a member of Celtic Boys Club who burst onto the football scene in remarkable style when he hit two goals and was man of the match as Scotland schoolboys defeated their English counterparts at Wembley in front of a live TV audience in June 1980. He signed for Celtic aged seventeen and made his senior Celtic debut in a 4-0 home Scottish...

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Are we at the end of the road show art Are we at the end of the road

Celticunderground:The Celtic Football Fan Podcast

Are we at the end of the road   The Green Brigade - ostensibly a small group of fanatical “ultra” supporters below the age of 30 so who better to discuss their behaviours than a group of aging middle aged fans…?   Hullbhoy, Lawrence, Eddie & I appreciate that none of us share the likely demographic of the supporters group that we discuss, but Celtic is a broad church with fans from 1-100 and all within that spectrum are entitled to their views.  Online is principally in one place on the GBand so one element that we discuss is whether the wider fan base are broadly...

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More Episodes

A Double and Nine-in-a-Row

  • League Position – 1st - Ninth League title in a row - a record
  • League Cup – Losing Finalists
  • Scottish Cup – Winners
  • Drybrough Cup - Losing Finalists
  • European Cup - Losing Semi-Finalists

The most outstanding accolade of the season was the completion of nine League championship titles in a row closely followed by reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup for a fourth time they had reached that stage or beyond since 1967. For a club the size of Celtic in a nation the size of Scotland this was exceptional. That they never went on to the final was down to the cheating aspects of their semi-final opponents, Atletico Madrid, and the left-over taste of the nature of the games with them has remained with the club and supporters ever since 1974.

The season began slowly with Jock Stein saying that he wanted to see the team play differently. The early Friendly games saw Celtic playing a one-touch game where the team endeavoured to control the ball and maintain possession. The early season Friendlies in Ireland saw this style of game unfold. These games were followed by the what looked to be annual performance of the Drybrough Cup, a trophy which seemed to challenge everyone to accept it as a legitimate enterprise but, although the teams taking part played out the games fully, there was always the feeling that it was a somewhat half-hearted affair as shown by the willingness to change the rules of the game. This was the first season that two substitutes were allowed in all matches and the Drybrough Cup continued with a half-baked moderation of the offside rule. This experiment continued through the League Cup and was a reflection of views of change within the world of football at the time. Celtic again failed to win the Drybrough losing in the final to Hibernian for the second year running .

The League Cup followed with the bastardised offside rule continuing, Celtic qualifying from the seeded Group Stage behind Rangers who they would meet again and defeat at the semi-final stage. Between that game there were wins against Motherwell after a replay, and Aberdeen. The semi final saw a comprehensive 3-1 win for Celtic with Harry Hood scoring a hatrick. The final against Dundee played at Hampden with a 1:30 kick off due to anti-floodlighting measures imposed under the state of emergency regulations, was a game that neither side wanted to play with the Hampden pitch frozen and rugged. Referee Bobby Davidson had other ideas and the game went ahead. Celtic duly lost to a single goal thus losing the fourth League Cup final in a row.

In the League the Celtic green machine rolled on with generally the expectation that Celtic would win every game they undertook. That might have been the supporters and the pundits expectations but the other teams in the League had other ideas. It was Hibernian that provided the challenge mainly, along with the Tayside clubs and a rejuvenated Motherwell under the new managership of Ian St. John. The games against Rangers saw Celtic win well with 1-0 wins which neither reflected the overrall domination over the blue horde nor told the full story. But a comprehensive lead in the league was established and Celtic lead the table for the greater part of the season. The losses were instructive.

A home game was lost to Dundee in February, the first Sunday game, with McNeill and Hay recovering from 'flu and George Connelly only just restored to the first team after his voluntary absence from Celtic Park. In fact the problem for Celtic with David Hay and George Connelly tainted the whole of the early season. Hay was one of the few people that George Connelly, an enigma in the minds of many but a potential footballing superstar who had it all, trusted and called a friend at Celtic. When Hay wanted more in his contract he was transfer listed and when he threatened to go on strike he was suspended. Celtic handled the complete situation badly. Hay was wanted by other teams, but what Davie wanted was to stay but not at the terms that Celtic were offering. Celtic wanted the best they could get in allowing a valuable player to leave. George Connelly reacted in solidarity to his great mate, and saw himself dropped for a long period to the Reserves. These were two great players whose ball playing and passing skills were missed.

Eventually it got sorted out and Davie went on to a good season but George broke his ankle in the home leg against Basel and was out for the rest of the season. Their importance as footballers could be gauged by the fact that both were included in the Scotland World Cup squad. The League was won with three games to spare, against Falkirk with a draw. Celtic finished with a four point cushion to Hibernian in the runners-up spot.

The European Cup started with the usual high aggregate thrashing of some unknowns. This year it was Finnish side TPS Turku with 6-1 away and 3-0 home wins. In the second round Celtic were draw against Danish champions Vejle. These were no pushovers and Celtic underestimated them at home with a 0-0 draw badly missing the leadership of Billy McNeill. They got out of jail free in Denmark with a 1-0 win playing a holding game after going ahead. This brought Celtic to face Swiss champions FC Basel in the quarter finals. Basel had grown and moved on immeasurably since the team that Celtic had overcome in 1969. They were well organised and confident. The away leg was first and Celtic lost 3-2 with Evan Williams losing two goals he should have saved and sealing his fate for the taxi at the end of the season.

With Scotland keeper Ally Hunter injured Stein had to resort to Denis Connaghan, the No. 3 in the blind spot position for the return. It was a tense game not helped when George Connelly broke his ankle after only five minutes. But Kenny Dalglish and Dixie Deans, who was rapidly turning into the ace scorer of the season, had Celtic 2-0 up and Tommy Callaghan got the aggregate equaliser taking it to extra time. Barely into the first period Steve Murray, who played a major part in the season, lobbed a beautiful ball over the goalkeeper and Celtic were through. That brought Atletico Madrid and a return of Argentinians to Celtic Park. So much has been written about the game. The home leg was a travesty of football and the 0-0 draw saw the Spanish side celebrating like they were already into the final. The away leg which UEFA insisted had to be played, was pure intimidation. Celtic took their collective eyes off the ball and dulty lost 2-0. So another year and through to the semi and undone by bad sportsmanship. The feeling still lingers with any mention of Atletico Madrid.

Celtic won back the Scottish Cup with a 3-0 win over Dundee Utd. The run had started with two 6-1 wins over Clydebank and Stirling Albion. Motherwell proved harder opposition requiring a replay after a 2-2 draw at home. The 1-0 semi final win against Dundee bore no relation to the domination Celtic showed over Dundee throughout the game. And two goals in 25 minutes saw Celtic kill the final.

Of the players so far unmentioned Danny McGrain made his mark this season establishing himself as an overlapping defender of exceptional quality. Billy McNeill led from the front at the back (so to speak...) Everyone wanted to know how long he would go on playing and it looked as if he would think about retirement. The next season would see his Testimonial and his final season. Bobby Murdoch went on a free transfer in September to Middlesbrough where he would have a second career. Pat McCluskey established himself in the team and vied for a starting role with George Connelly. If anything Jimmy Johnstone faded from sight at the start of the season and Stein told him to buck his ideas up and screw the nut. Jinky duly applied himself and he was back to his best for the latter half of the season going on to be kicked black-and-blue by the goths of Madrid. Brian McLaughlin who had been seen as the up-and-coming new 'wunderkind' suffered a serious knee injury which saw him miss much of the season. And the forwards just rolled on. Deans was top scorer in Scotland,; Harry Hood continued to confound people; Dalglish was the best Scottish product since Macari left; Paul Wilson had a supersub tag; and Bobby Lennox, now over 30, confounded everyone with his bursts of speed. If there was a failure it was the inability of Jimmy Bone to fit in and Andy Lynch languishing in the Reserves.

But the team worked well as a unit. There were young players coming through (a certain Tommy Burns was called up at the end of the season from Maryhill Juniors where he had been farmed out) and there was no reason to believe that the following season would again see Celtic challenging.