| Match Pictures | Matches: 1996 – 1997 | 1996-1997 Pictures |
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Trivia
- SPFA Nominations were announce; PotY was between Rangers' Brian Laudrup, and Paolo Di Canio and Jorge Cadete of Celtic with Hearts defender David Weir. In the young player category: Ricky Gillies of St Mirren, Hearts striker Jim Hamilton, Celtic goalkeeper Stewart Kerr and Dundee United winger Robbie Winters.
- Gerry Creaney was handed a free transfer at Manchester City.
- The European Commission gave it’s views on the John Collins transfer saga. Their view was that Celtic were not entitled to a fee and there was no cause for McCann’s argument as Monaco played in the French League.
- Owen Archdeacon who was then playing with Carlisle Utd was about to play at Wembley in the final of the Autowindscreens Trophy against Colchester Utd.
- According to Mark Guidi in the Sunday Mail Celtic were lining up a bid for Stephan Mahe of Rennes (24/4/97)
- MacKay was suspended, Annoni was out with a calf injury, Grant was suspended, Wieghorst was recuperating from knee surgey still., McStay was injured with a groin strain and Tommy Johnson had a hip injury. Both Hay and Cadete were carrying injuries. For Aberdeen Scott Booth and Paul Bernard had been transfer listed.
Review
The fight continued to the bitter end, and though the League was lost, giving Rangers an equalizing 9-in-a-row no one being prepared to give up. Aberdeen were abysmal and had their own problems.
Teams
Celtic: Kerr; Boyd, McKinlay, McNamara, Stubbs, O'Donnell (Hay, 76), Di Canio (McLaughlin, 69), Hannah, Donnelly, Thom, Cadete.
Non Used Subs: Marshall
Scorers: Cadete (24), Donnelly (51), Cadete (63)
Aberdeen: Stillie, Anderson, Tzvetanov, Buchan, Inglis, Kombouare, Rowson, Dodds (Miller, 56), Glass (Shearer, 69), Windass (Craig, 56), Woodthorpe.
Bookings: Jamie Buchan ,Tzvetanov (Aberdeen)
Referee: T M McCurry (Glasgow).
Attendance: 47,293
Articles
- Match Report
Agony continues for Aberdeen
The Scotsman 21/04/1997
Celtic3 Cadete (24, 63), Donnelly (51)
Aberdeen 0
A SECTION of Aberdeen's support yesterday called for the removal of Roy Aitken following a defeat at Celtic Park that stretched an already dismal run to a single win in 20 games. Chants of "Aitken must go" and "Stand up if you've had enough" reverberated around the ground where Aitken was once the hero of the Celtic support.
Aberdeen still need one point from their two remaining games to be certain of avoiding the play-offs they were forced to endure two years ago at the end of Aitken's first season in charge of the club. It is a statistic which summarises the club's plight better than any other.
Celtic were driven by mathematics as well. The need not to drop any points at home and give Rangers the Premier Division title on a formal basis was the motivation for Tommy Burns' side. Their performance was enough to ensure this, while at the same time showing that it doesn't take much to beat Aberdeen at the moment.
When Paolo Di Canio's goal gave Celtic a win over Aberdeen in November, the result took Celtic to the top of the Premier Division for the first and only time this season.
The game ended with the Italian in tears on the pitch and the stands being full of people embracing each other because they thought that the first, vitally important step had been taken towards halting Rangers' march towards a ninth successive championship.
The hope of a psychological lift was short lived and yesterday's visit of Aberdeen to Celtic Park acted as a temperature check of the supporters' mood in the wake of the win against Raith Rovers last Tuesday which established Rangers as the title holders.
The older Celtic supporters had regarded the club's record of nine-in-a-row, accomplished during the Sixties and Seventies, as a distinction which would never be equalled. The younger element with vague memories of Celtic's last championship win in 1988, had considered Rangers' midweek achievement as the loss of part of their birthright. Whatever emotions were being experienced, however, disillusionment was not among them.
Celtic Park housed a large and noisy crowd in spite of the game being shown live on terrestrial television. Jorge Cadete had not scored in any of Celtic's last six games but he recovered from that loss of sharpness by putting them in front after 25 minutes with a goal that typified the Portuguese forward's predatory instincts.
Tosh McKinlay's long pass from his own half of the field fell in between Jamie Buchan and his goalkeeper, Derek Stillie. Cadete seized on the opportunity to lift the ball over the head of the stranded Stillie.
The most remarkable feature of the goal was that it did not involve Di Canio at any stage in its creation or execution. The Italian once again captained Celtic in Paul McStay's absence and was a persistently effective player in a team which presently lacks Di Canio's dynamism anywhere else. Buchan was booked for a foul on Di Canio in between a series of telling passes from the captain which Andreas Thom and then Cadete failed to appreciate with their finishing efforts.
Celtic's inability to hold on to a lead has been a recent failing, but the way in which Simon Donnelly extended their advantage seven minutes after the interval would have been enough to steady the nerves of the most tremulous fan. Thom's pass to McKinlay found the full-back able to deliver an inviting cross which Donnelly, the smallest of the Celtic forwards, met with a powerful header while untroubled by the distraction of an Aberdeen defender.
Aitken's response to adversity was to remove forwards Dean Windass and Billy Dodds and replace them with Joe Miller and Michael Craig.
Cadete added to Aberdeen's misery when he scored a third goal in the 62nd minute, taking a pass from Thom and putting the ball into an empty net while confusion continued to reign in Aberdeen's defence.
The supporters who have now spoken are at least willing to travel a long way to see their team. There are others who have already voted with their feet and stayed away from matches. Something will have to be done to appease the disenchanted.
- Manager Interview
"I'm very pleased with the performance but most of all I'm pleased for the supporters.
"They have been very encouraging although we have disappointed them over the last few weeks.
"We want to thank them by giving them something tangible between now and the end of the season."
Pictures
- Match Pictures
- Fans
Stats
| Celtic | Aberdeen | |
| Bookings | 0 | 2 |
| Fouls | 12 | 14 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 3 |
| Corners | 7 | 3 |
| Offsides | 3 | 2 |