From the moment Lee Miller’s header zoomed behind Neil Alexander to put Aberdeen 1-0 ahead against Rangers, you knew that it was written in the stars. And Jan Venegoor of Hesselink’s header, followed by Darren Mackie netting Aberdeen’s second goal, merely confirmed what fate seemed to be alluding to- Celtic are the champions of Scotland for the third year running.
Their 1-0 victory at Tannadice over Dundee United, coupled with Rangers crashing at Pittodrie ensured that the trophy was heading for Glasgow’s east end yet again. An incredible title race full of twists and turns finally came to its climax in thrilling fashion last night.
Labelled ‘titanic Thursday’, the destination of the title was in the balance. Locked on the same points but with the Hoops having a far superior goal difference, Gordon Strachan’s team knew that bettering or matching Rangers result would hand them the championship, unless the Ibrox club went goal crazy in the Granite City. Rangers were relying on United to do them a favour and therefore bettering Celtic’s result.
So while revising for today’s Information, Communication and Society exam at Uni, I listened in to Radio Scotland and their coverage of the evening. The chosen game for me was Celtic at Tannadice and it was an interesting first half, with both sides going close. Even from around 60 odd miles away, you could feel the tension of the players and supporters involved. Celtic were desperate to claim the honour in memory of the late Tommy Burns while Walter Smith’s team looked to eradicate the memory of Manchester by bagging the flag.
Half time saw both games locked at 0-0, with one goal in either one able to swing the title one way or the other. And on 63 minutes, sudden cheering from the Celtic faithful signalled Miller’s goal for Aberdeen and gave their side on grip on the title. And 10 minutes later, Tannadice erupted as the goal Strachan’s men had longed for arrived. Paul Hartley’s corner was met by Venegoor of Hesselink and his header signalled the end of Rangers’ challenge. Mackie’s goal 13 minutes for time added salt into an already gaping wound, as did Nacho Novo’s red card for an awful challenge on Stuart Duff, meaning he will miss tomorrow’s Scottish Cup final.
So all that was left was for the final whistle to blow on the season’s end and for the helicopter to deliver the trophy to Dundee from nearby Edzell. You couldn’t help but feel the emotion as Celtic’s supporters burst into a rousing song for Tommy Burns and belting out You’ll Never Walk Alone as skipper Stephen McManus hoisted the trophy aloft. The message from him and the rest of the team was simple: We did it for Tommy.
And its hard to argue with that. While you can point to Rangers very heavy schedule in reaching the UEFA Cup final ultimately catching up on them, Celtic deserve immense credit. Their defeat to Motherwell in early April left them 6 points behind with 2 more games played, but 7 wins out of 7 at the end of the season is a remarkable run and Strachan has had the last laugh on some Celtic fans who wanted him out after that defeat.
So it’s congratulations to the champions, and perhaps it is fitting they won the league in honour of a Celtic legend. With three league titles in a row, equalling only Willie Maley and the legendary Jock Stein, will Strachan be considered a Celtic legend in time? Thats a question only Celtic fans can answer, but I’m sure that TB will look down and be more than content with the current boss’ achievements at his beloved club.
hartypar