25 YEARS ON

[Charles Bannerman]

Remember the Fluttering Guttering at Celtic Park 25 years ago this weekend? Looks like Celtic are having similar problems again this time.

It was on 29th January 2000 that the Scottish Cup tie between Celtic and Caley Thistle was postponed due to structural problems at Celtic Park and a large contingent of Inverness fans had to come back down the A9 ten days later…. to witness history.

Because I had a press pass for the game, I actually got into the ground and had pre-match access to the pitch along with various club luminaries of the day such as Pele, Jimmy Falconer and David Sutherland at a time when the Tulloch rescue was just getting underway. (I also had access to as many of the 20,000 surplus pies as I could take off their hands.)

For reasons I won’t go into, the task of doing the Courier report fell to me… duly appearing on the back page under the massive headline PARADISE LOST.

Then, then days later, Paradise was duly Regained.

[bishbashbosh]

Remember like it was yesterday. 

My brother in law's work used to run a bus to scottish cup games back in the day.

We stopped in Bannockburn for something to eat and drink on the way down.

Few mins from parkhead we heard the game was off. 

It was discussed that maybe Clyde were at home and we could go watch that game. Decision was to head back to the Bannockburn pub. It turned out to be a great day.

Celtic paid for our bus for the rearranged game. From getting out of the stadium to Perth that night my old man and I hardly uttered a word to each other, we were both in awe of the fact we had pumped celtic.

A quarter of a century later it is me now the old dude going with kids to the games. Time just keeps rolling on.

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Yes, as soon as I saw how the current storm, Eowyn, was affecting things in the central belt yesterday, it took me right back to that Saturday of the cancellation. I had flown up from London with my 2 sons, plus a neighbour (a confirmed Rangers supporter btw), and made our way out to Celtic park, only to be devastated at the late cancelation. Even fuelled by a pint or two on the way,  It was a very despondent little group of us who made our way back to the airport to try and get an earlier flight back to London.  All was well of course a few days later when Super Caley went ballistic.... and the rest is history.