Suppose like everyone else that travelled ive got a bit of a story for Seville.
I said after the semi final there was no way I ws going as i just couldnt afford it no matter how much I wanted to be there. Of course as the days rolled close and it became obvious it was going to be the biggest event since Lisbon, there was no * way I was missing it.
I went to cash converters with everything I owned in a bag to try and make some money so that I could go. I then couldn't get the time off to go so handed in my notice at work!! * lunacy but it seemed to make sense at the time.
We basically booked a weeks holiday in Magaluf and still had no idea how we would get to Seville as all the flights were gone by this point. The only way we could get there was by booking a flight to Malaga on the Tuesday and then taking a train to Seville on the Wednesday for the game. * it, why not we thought.
True to form, we totally overdid it in Magaluf on the Monday night and slept in for our flight. We made it by 20 minutes and I had no clothes but the hoops i was wearing and had left all my * euros in magaluf as well!! Had to scrounge euros from ma pals :icon_mrgreen:
Malaga was * awash with hoops, it was incredible, it was like walking down the gallowgate and the locals just looked utterly bemused, it was a magical feeling.
Found an O'Neills in Malaga the night before absolutely packed with Celtic fans, songs being sung etc, incredible night, I remember thinking to myself I cant believe I nearly missed this!!
Then the wednesday, 2 hour train journey to Seville, absolutELy packed to the rafters with Celtic fans, song being sung, locals taking pictures, just a magic that cant be explained unless you were there.
Arriving in Seville I just broke down in tears, it was like London Road on match day with sunshine. :icon_mrgreen:
The party during the day is just something that will never be beaten anywhere ever, dont care how long I live.
As for the game, yeah it was a choker, but * those players gave us everything!! Dont forget Porto won the Champions League the following year. Just thought it was set up for a Larsson hat-trick, and had Douglas not been a * *, we woulda took them on penalties, I just know it ...
remember being stuck right in the middle of the jainfield police charge.
think the game was v huns,packed to the gunnels ,we came out of the corner of celtic end at graveyard ,crowd was hardly moving because of the bottle neck exit from the stadium.
we were in high spirits ,so the result
must have been ok, fans were chanting the usual pro republican songs tha wer,nt so frowned upon then .
i remember looking and thinking that there was an unusual amount of mounted police which was causing even more of a problem with the crowd, i looked round to see the disgust on one of the mounties face regarding the songs being sung imo.
next time i looked he had gathered them all and was saying somthing ,i couldt believe what was about to happen.
they started to charge the crowd ,which had nowhere to go apart from onto walls and into gardens ,panic spread and the fans were absolutley furious, women kids and old people were caught up in the stampede.
people were getting trampled on, garden walls were falling over,it was total mayhem,the fans turned on the police with bottles and bricks from the collapsed walls as the turned to charge us again, i thought people are gonna die here,police were falling from the horses and getting dragged about by fans .
i got carried along by a group who had dragged one down a lane of one of the gardens,he
was battered bruised and totaly terrified ,the hate had boiled over and he was gonna get a real pasting, but i remember thinking dont do this , i managed to calm the situation and he got let away tottaly relieved .
seems like it all lasted for an hour but was probably over in 15 to 20 min ,was one of the worst incedents ever watching the tic. anyone else there .
i was a season ticket holder when john barnes was manager..... the doctor said my therapy is going nicely and should end sometime in the next five years.
That story sent shivers down my spine mate, good one! One of my biggest regrets not being there. Went to Villareal last year and was the best Celtic trip of my life.
very very good story mate, bit at the end sent a tear down my eye - i was in seville aswell flew direct over there so dont have the same experiences you had in magaluf/malaga but * me what a trip it was, went to catb was amazing, took the open top bus absaloutley packed with celtic fans singing the songs and honkin the air horns, the pictures of seeing us absaloutley swamping that town was unbelieveable.
the result didnt go our way but i can safely say it was the best experience in my life - the photies are a joy to look at cry everytime.
for everyone who wasnt there i can only say one thing - im sorry use missed it !!
I have a wee story that when I think back on it always makes me laugh. In 1982 the celtic supporters asscosiation ran a raffle competition and the prize was a holiday for 2 to see Scotland in the world cup in Spain. Being a member of the Port Glasgow Celtic supporters club at the time i was given raffle tickets to sell and of course bought a few books for myself. Imagine my joy when my name was pulled out the hat and I won first prize !! I was told that I was to go to the main door at parkhead on the saturday to be presented with the prize before kick off so me and my wee brother set off on the train instead of the supporters bus as we had to be there about 2 oclock .
We were playing Hibs and as we were sat waiting all the Celtic players were casually walking by chatting with the Hibs players much to my amazement. (well i was only 18) The Big name then was Charlie Nicholas and we were both thrilled to be introduced to him and even more so when we walked out the tunnel with him to get our photo taken for the "celtic view" . I was looking forward to a fancy seat in the stand and even maybe some food thrown in when we were ushered back out the main door , thanked for coming and told to queue up at the turnstiles and pay back in again!!!!
Lol I kid you not but still a great thrill for a wee 18 year old port glasgow bhoy:50:
No favourites just those playing to their strengths!
Fav Celtic Song:
Four leaf clover
That is apauling treatment and a real and sad example of the infamous "Biscuit tin" mentality that symbolised the amatourish antics of the pre 1994 Board. I take my hat off to you that you still support Celtic after that sort of treatment, the Kellys and Whites were a complete joke"!