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Road to Seville 2003: Stories

Discussion in 'Celtic Chat' started by markeyboy, Feb 18, 2017.

Discuss Road to Seville 2003: Stories in the Celtic Chat area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. joemc

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    I remember this season very well for a few reasons , we were playing very well and at at the start of the year I had booked to go on holiday to Turkey ,I was following our campaign and felt we had all the tools to do well in that competition .
    In our work is loaded with Huns ,I build gearboxes and found a small part ,a wee tiny filter that looked the exact shape of the eufa cup , I painted it silver and wrote Celtic on it and hid it in work on a wee shelf , they all seem me do this but didn't know I put it away .
    Every round we were getting teams who we would say normally were going out here ,but we were progressing ,my holiday just happened to be a few days after the final ,so the closer we got the more excited I became , I kept saying to the Huns our names on the trophy , from the wee part I wrote Celtic on .
    The laughing from the Huns from me saying our name is on the cup were becoming nervous laughs now , into the last 4 and boavista , it was such a difficult game and the king swung it in our favour , the black spot being that hartrson would miss the final and it was to become a game made for him .
    After beating them ,you couldn't wipe the gloating smile of my face in work , I told yeez oor name is on the cup I said to them all , they searched the place and found it , one of them stamped on it , I didn't know at the time .
    My holiday was close as was the game , I had a few people in watching the game with beer and pizza , it was such a great game and seeing our team push them back and attacking them the way we did .
    I honestly believe it was meant to be for us , coming back twice their heads had went down a bit, there was a look of "we can't ko them "to mouriniho now , his team had started to believe it to , until big balde got sent of while we were looking the most likely .
    Devastated to say the least , I also felt for Larsson when the camera panned to him at the end , we put everything into that game and I'm sure if hartrson was available he would have won that game for us , it was after I came back from holiday , a feeling of consolation going after losing , I found out they *'s stamped on my wee trophy.
    But now I have a feeling .........
     
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  2. Deco67

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    One thing I'll say, is that too many people are quick to blame big Rab. I don't think we would have got to the final without some of his saves- at Celta Vigo especially. It's really starting to * me off.
     
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  3. joemc

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    Nerves and trying too hard is no reason to slate him , it was the "going for the jackpot" feeling I guess for a keeper ,he is the last line ,and wanting it too much probably adds to the pressure , it wasn't to be his best day ,but without him we wouldn't have even had the day and I can't judge him solely on that game alone .
     
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  4. Deco67

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    Agreed. Yea we probably would have won with a Forster, Boruc or even a Gordon, but we would definitely have won with a Hartson or a Nakamura on that free kick Maloney *
     
  5. McChiellini..

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    I've mentioned Vigo away before being the best I ever saw big Douglas..

    At both of these but 2 game's it's been unbearable to watch and felt like forever, was Douglas in Vigo and Marshall in Barca..

    Marshall's was extra human but Douglas that night was instrumental..

    Still never rated him though..
     
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  6. Cmcgregor90

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    It's funny how people always slate Douglas but if it wasn't for him in the run up to Seville we probably wouldn't have been there...

    Always remember having more pride than crying I was only 13 at the time but knowing we where cheated I was too proud to cry over it it still stands and a great achievement in our history the same goes when I was up a killie a few days later I seen people cry but couldn't come to tears through thinking what a * season! They won the treble that year and it's one that isn't really remembered because of the year or club had I wouldn't have swapped it for the all 3 if you gave me the choice

    Even still it's still deep in the wounds at the same time like everyone else
     
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  7. Cmcgregor90

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    Well said mate guy was good enough to get us over the line in some of the games a highlight being the save he made from
    Gerrards rocket shot when it was only 1-0 maybe I'm
    Wrong but it was 1-0 or either 0-0 at the time either way it was vital
     
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  8. Dallas Cowbhoys

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    Was a few months before my 13th birthday and one of, if not the first time I had ever gotten drunk.

    Can't remember much from the game apart from the goals, have never been able to watch it back and doubt I ever will.
     
  9. Peej Gold Member Gold Member

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    If you look at the group stages of the Europa, there isnt anything special in there that our current squad/management would fear. I would expect us to easily get through a group stage.
    As for the knockout stage, only a hand full (4 or 5) would make me worry about getting through.
    Think a decent showing in the champions league and parachute in to the Europa and we would be hard done by not to at least go on a run.

    I mean, if we dropped down this year, we could be facing fiorentina who I reckon we would manage to beat. Then imagine we got Rostov in the last 16. Legia/ajax in the last 8.
    We would be expecting a semi final position then. It would take a bit of luck in the draw - that we never do get - but it could happen. And at that stage, we would have to believe.
     
  10. Deco67

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    I've not watched it back, never will. Cried myself to sleep for days. If you were to ask the support, most Celtic fans would say the same, they couldn't ever watch it again,
     
  11. leeso-ardoyne

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    * me, the seville run and eventually the final. The whole run brings back great memorires. Was supposed to go to the blackburn game but had to pull out at the very last min. Had a choice between tickets for the liverpool game at anfield or the league cup final against gers. I choose the latter because my da hadnt missed a cup final for 25 years and this one was on me so took him to the cup final instead hospitality. On football matters, after beating liverpool at anfield, we should have been at that game instead, but while at the cup final we got chatting to the fella running it and my da being my da mentioned to him, if we get to the uefa cup final, could he promise us he could get us tickets for it because my da hadnt missed a cup final in all them years. You know how it is over a few drinks, the guy promised us the moon and the stars etc...

    The liverpool away game, i was the only celtic man in the pub full of liverpool men, which really surprised me because my niavety when that age, i really expeceted the south of ireland to be massive celtic supporters. * how i was so wrong! anyway, when we scored that first goal, i went * crazy in that pub, however when that ball left john hartsons boot for the second, my head near went through the ceiling. I went * nuts bouncing about that pub like id just won the euro millions jackpot. I ended up grabbing some liverpool supporter by the 2 ears and screaming in his face. The whole pub was looking like me as if i was a mental patient who just escaped from the nut house lol. What a night that was i tell ya.

    Semi final away couldnt get tickets but really wanted to be there. Ended up in the pub with my da, and when that ball left larsons boot, * me that feeling knowing we are mins away from going to a European final was intense. I just couldnt wait for that whistle to blow! When that final whistle blew, * amazing and i remember my da saying to us, i told yas. He used to tell us all the time we'd be in another European final, even during them years when the scum where running away with the trophies.

    We both met up next morning hungover after a night of partying , straight on the phone to the fella that promised us the tickets, but could only get hold of his receptionist. She phoned us back an hour later, saying that her boss cant remember promising us them tickets, and wouldnt be able to promise us any. My da went * nuts on the phone to her, saying that that * better get them tickets or he'll be down to see him, He'll also blacken his name all over glasgow etc...(there was more said but you get my drift) FFs me and my da ended up having a big argument over that call. I was shouting at him that he'd just fcuked our change of getting tickets because of the threats. I was saying how in the name of good * do you expect to get tickets now after saying all that. If someone threatens me like that, id have told them to go *! My da rang every day untill he got the hold of the fella. Eventually my da was chatting to him and told my da, i have your tickets for you! lol. I couldnt believe it! Infact, at the time i was telling my da, not a chance your getting them, this * is winding you up because of them threats. Turned out he was true to his word and not only that, we got 3 instead of 2. We drove 2&half hours down to get the tickets rather than get them posted. That felling holding them tickets in my hand was like holding a winning lotto ticket. As for the 3rd extra ticket, ended up giving it to my cousin for free the night before the game.

    Straight down to the travel agents to book flights to seville. Couldnt get a flight anywhere near seville then the travel agent rang us an hour later, saying there 3 seats on a flight to seville and return day after the game. 1250 euro each! Told them not a chance id pay that, so book me a weeks holiday to the nearest resort there is. Ended up in Portugal for a weeks holiday. Great wee break, but jut couldnt wait for that game to start. Few hours drive to seviile and even on that motorway, it was green and white every few busses and cars we seen. When we hit seville, we couldnt believe our eyes, everywhere you looked there was tims everywhere. What a * sight to behold!

    As for walking into that stadium that night, a feeling that will live with me for the rest of my life and even writing this, im smiling like a Cheshire cat! Green, white and orange filled that stadium. Even in the porto end you could see a few thousand of us. Bumped into Danny mcgrain, got pic took and onto my seat. As for the game, proud as * how we approached that game and even Stevie wonder could see we where cheated. LArsons 2 goals where fitting of this fella, just class and every player on that pitch done us proud. Walked out of that stadium drained! Slept on the roof of the car that night because it was so warm and back to portugal next day. Even thou we were all proud as * for the whole experience, its the closest ive felt to losing someone dieing, the way i felt them few days after that game. When the seviile dvd came out, at the end when YNWA came on and bigJ was commenting, i burst into tears! Took me years before i could even come close to watching the full game and tbh, ive only watched it once. Brings to much emotion out in me to watch it from anger to being proud as * so hve only wayched it once.

    One thing to remember thou, my da used to tell me and others for years, that we'll be back to a European final. I half believed him, the rest always told him he was full of * but look at what happened. Now in 2017, i say the same, we'll be back again. I dont know if itll be next year, this decade or the next but i know one thing, we'll be there again and ill be there.
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2017
  12. leeso-ardoyne

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    I think the same, finish 3rd in the CL then a good run onto the final and this time win it then onto 10IAR. What a ew years this is going to be!
     
  13. HailHoopy

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    I've never seen it since mate, I've seen clips of the goals but never the full game, I don't think I could.

    I was in too bad a state :shamrock:
     
  14. Jo-Jo-Buffon

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    Same as most , never seen it again some of its blacked out fae the beer , remember going nuts at Victor Bia wa him faking injury iam sure,screaming at the big projector telling any of our players to just run over an boot him the balls.

    My brother and his mates went to algarve for a week for it meet up wa his mates who were staying in Seville , told us there was a few Irish boys sleeping at a tree across from there digs in Seville, brought me back a tricolour polo from a Irish pub in algarve canny member the name sure there was a pub in magaluf wa the same name as went there that summer.
     
  15. Paul McAuley

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    loving reading these stories. keep them coming
     
  16. Murph-E

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    They time wasted to a disgusting degree.

    Apart from our goals though, did we create many good chances? There's no misses or close calls that I can remember at all.
     
  17. McManus4

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    We'd have won if Hartson was fit. Not just due to him playing, but it allows us to play Sutton behind him and Henrik as well as freeing Petrov up to play in the middle 2.

    Lambert was a class act but at 34 he didn't have the legs in the middle with Lennon. The bench we had showed our lack of depth at the time.
     
  18. Marty McFly Whoa, this is heavy

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    Was about to start a thread about our stories from Seville but remembered I posted mine in here. I’ll need to look out photos at some point.

    15 years ago today. * me. What could have been :54:

    Mod’s could change the title to make this a story thread maybe? @CheGuevara @Mr Shelby @The Prof @packybhoy
     
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  19. Doogs. Lustig your the one, you still turn me on.

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    I was only 11 and remember being in tears at the end. We should have won it and I don’t care what anycunt says.
     
  20. Marty McFly Whoa, this is heavy

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    Bumping as its "on this day"

    Epic experience despite the outcome
     
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