| Match Pictures | Matches: 1997 – 1998 | 1997-1998 Pictures |
Trivia
- Celtic could have wrapped up the league today here, but didn't.
- There was a gap for internationals before this game. Wim Jansen refused to be pushed or panic-ed by the tightness of the final run in. His personal position with regard to his contract and future would be resolved at the conclusion of the season.
- Fergus McCann broke his silence over Wim Jansen’s contract. He said that Celtic were bigger than any one man.
- The previous day arch-bluenose and referee Bobby Tait had reffed his last game in the Kilmarnock – Rangers match and had given over 4 minutes of extra time in each half in order for Rangers to find a winner – to no avail – Kilmarnock went up the park to score leaving the mighty ‘gers without a point. Here's yer broken watch retirement pressie, Bobby. Have a good time doon the ludge.
- Johnson’s recovery from his cruciate ligament strain broke down again in training and meant him needing a knee op. for a cartilage tear.
- Over 9000 watched the game at Celtic Park on the big screen (see pictures)
- Jackson was dropped from the squad, Brattbakk came back in. Annoni’s yellow in the game took him over the suspension limit but he would still be available for the last game of the season and the suspension served next season. Larsson and Donnelly both had X-rays for knocks taken during the game but were both OK.
- Marc Anthony returned from a four month loan stint with Tranmere Rovers where he managed no appearances for the first team there. He was still out of contract.
- Following Rangers unexpected 1-0 home defeat to Kilmarnock
Bobby Williamson's Comments…Jerome Veraille, (right) who worked tirelessly…."He has pace, strength and links up well with the other players, I felt we created chances throughout the game and we defended well. But the secret was that everyone worked so hard and that pleased me more than anything else."Walter Smith's Comments…"We were not really in the title race six or seven weeks ago then hauled ourselves back into contention. It is disappointing not to maintain our challenge until the final hurdle. We have been inconsistent, losing to Aberdeen, then beating Hearts last week and slipping up today. But you have got to congratulate Kilmarnock on their performance. They played well again against us today."
Rangers Captain Richard Gough…., "This could be the first time in 10 years that we have not won a championship and that hurts. I hope that it will hurt the newer lads as much as it has hurt those of us who have been here winning these titles. It will let them know what they have to do next year when we have gone. Today it seemed as if we could have played forever without being able to get a goal. It was terrible for us. Sentiment didn't affect us, we just did not play well enough after pulling ourselves back into a good position."
Review
A brilliant sunny day but the title party was delayed to the last game.
Nobody believed that the title would not be won but everybody thought it would be won at this game. A blatant penalty denied by Underhill with the Pars going up the other end immediately and scoring. The tension got to the players with Boyd and Rieper having to be separated after the Pars goal by keeper Gould.
Importantly despite getting Bobby Tait as their referee for the Huns game, and despite him overplaying by 4mins of injury time, Killie steal a win and Celtic back on course to win the league.
All in Celtic's hands here….
(From the Scotsman 2018)
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/simon-donnelly-on-how-celtic-stopped-10-in-a-row-20-years-ago-1-4736711
For their penultimate league game, Celtic had a Sunday jaunt to
Dunfermline and knew victory would assure them the title after Rangers had lost to a
95th-minute Kilmarnock goal at Ibrox the previous afternoon. Celtic looked like doing enough as they headed into the final seven minutes of normal time a goal to the good. A strike netted by Simon Donnelly, whose integral role in Celtic’s famous 1998 championship success has been underplayed. Put that down to Craig Faulconbridge, who netted in the 82nd minute that afternoon at East End Park to ensure it is Brattbakk whose name is synonymous with Jansen’s side getting over the line that year. “Of course I do,” replied Donnelly when asked if he cursed Faulconbridge for his goal. “And I curse Gouldy [Jonathan Gould] too for not stopping it. It was one of these things – it could have been my goal, but maybe it was a perfect send-off to actually win the league at Celtic Park.“I do have to say though that it felt as if every Celtic fan in the country was at East End Park. But yes Craig Faulconbridge will go down in history as the man who killed a dream for me.”
Teams
Dunfermline:
Westwater, Shields, McCulloch, Tod, Ireland, Huxford, Britton (Faulconbridge, 77), Squires, Smith, French (Petrie ,70 ), Millar (Bingham ,70)
Scorer: Faulconbridge (83)
Bookings: Ireland, McCulloch, Millar (Dunfermline)
Celtic:
Gould , Boyd , Annoni, McNamara (Brattbakk ,86 ), Rieper , Stubbs , Larsson , Burley , Donnelly, Lambert, O'Donnell (Wieghorst ,87)
Subs not used: Blinker
Scorer: Donnelly (35)
Bookings: Annoni (Celtic)
Referee: J Underhill (Edinburgh)
Attendance: 12,866
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Stats
| Dunfermline | Celtic | |
| Bookings | 3 | 1 |
| Fouls | 23 | 14 |
| Shots on Target | 1 | 7 |
| Corners | 4 | 12 |
| Offside | 0 | 1 |
Green party is silenced as fans' agony drags on
The Scotsman 04/05/1998
Dunfermline 1
Celtic 1
THEY came in expectation of a party. Instead, the Celtic support left hoping that Craig Faulconbridge is sent, quite literally, to Coventry.
Dunfermline's on-loan striker from the Midlands club stunned a travelling army from Glasgow by scoring an unlikely equaliser for Dunfermline with only seven minutes left of another dramatic title weekend.
A 77th minute replacement for Gerry Britton, Faulconbridge, 20, was in an innocuous enough position on the far side of the penalty box when Scott McCulloch drifted over a rare Dunfermline cross. Horror then engulfed three-quarters of East End Park as he looped a header over static goalkeeper Jonathan Gould and into the corner of the net.
The strike came only seconds after a warning had been sounded to Celtic fans not to climb over barriers and on to the pitch as they prepared to celebrate their first title since 1988.
But the latest twist in a gripping Scottish Premier Division story saw Bert Paton's unlikely lads taking a bow and the Celtic players storming off in disgust with themselves.
Morten Wieghorst booted the match ball wildly out of the ground in his frustration. But the Dane's temperament for the occasion and that of the rest of Wim Jansen's squad had better be improved over the next five days.
For this coming Saturday, Celtic, a team with an alarming propensity for throwing away championship initiative, must go out and beat St Johnstone. Rangers, at Tannadice, are not likely to be in a generous mood for the second weekend in succession after their 1-0 defeat at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday.
Anticipation had filled the air inside and outside the ground for over an hour before kick-off, an atmosphere of supreme confidence fuelled by Rangers' unexpected slip.
While green and white surrounded most of the ground, this was no colourful occasion for Dunfermline. Wearing black shirts, they were to have the hoods to match and guillotine all of Celtic's optimism.
Certainly, it was rough to start in a chaotic beginning which Celtic made without Darren Jackson in the 14. The rugged midfield hunted in a pack, with Phil O'Donnell only denied the chance to shoot by a timely slide from Jamie Squires.
But the Dunfermline midfielder was caught out soon by Simon Donnelly. The Scotland striker had been a prime example of Celtic nerves in the opening ten minutes with some wasteful football, yet he tricked the ball out of Squires, ducked inside a challenge, only to send the first shot on target straight into the arms of Ian Westwater.
Celtic would gratefully accept a goal of any description to settle them and it almost arrived when Henrik Larsson's free-kick took a wicked deflection, caught out Westwater, but spun a yard shy of his right-hand post.
Celtic, however, have done things the beautiful way for much of the season and that's the way the opening goal arrived on 35 minutes.
Delightful movement from Larsson allowed O'Donnell to find the Swede in space on the edge of the box, and it was Donnelly who reacted one step ahead of the rest to make a darting diagonal run which Larsson matched with a perfectly laced pass. Donnelly then gave an exhibition of the finishing which Scotland are in such need of, sending a clinical drive below Westwater and sparking the premature celebrations.
Enrico Annoni was waving at others to calm down but few were paying attention in the stands and Celtic seemed to revel in that atmosphere.
Larsson has delighted all season with his skills and although this was no place for the fancy footwork, he couldn't help himself. Dashing inside Andy Tod, there were options aplenty in the centre but he fooled all by lashing a low shot designed to catch out Westwater at his near post.
The goalkeeper was down sharply to collect – in contrast to Gould whose rare slip from an Annoni passback almost let in Andy Smith.
Gould – with major claims for the third choice Scotland goalkeeper slot for the World Cup -recovered in time to boot the ball clear and settle the nerves for half time.
Dunfermline refused to calm down, however, confirming Paton's assertion that they would be up for the match. Craig Ireland saw yellow for a tackle from behind on Larsson, McCulloch was cautioned after a clash with Paul Lambert and there were calls for tougher action against the fiery Marc Millar when he lashed out in retaliation at Alan Stubbs and found himself in John Underhill's book.
Any panic having disappeared with a Jansen half-time chat, Celtic's football was far sweeter early in the second period. Whether it was Marc Rieper charging dominantly out of defence, Larsson twisting off the backline of defence to cause havoc, O'Donnell's industry or the intelligent links between Jackie McNamara and Donnelly, Celtic were in a different class to their hardy opponents.
The Westwater for Scotland campaign may have ground to a halt a matter of minutes after Paton casually mentioned the prospect earlier in the season, but he did succeed in giving Celtic cause for concern.
His save from a 22-yard O'Donnell drive was the pick of his efforts but he was also out well to block Donnelly and was at his near post in time to watch Larsson hit the woodwork.
Dunfermline replaced Hamish French and Marc Millar with Stewart Petrie and David Bingham but all eyes were on Larsson again on 71 minutes.
He worked his way goal-side of Ireland but when the Dunfermline defender barged him in the box, there was only nervous fury as consolation for Celtic fans who had screamed with good reason for a penalty.
But superiority rarely counts against this Fife lot. Paton was clever enough to use his substitutes earlier than Jansen and they all had their effect before Celtic brought on Harald Brattbakk and Wieghorst.
After Faulconbridge's stunner, the Danish midfielder was denied by Ireland in a frantic scramble eight yards out. He then had to watch in agony as Westwater managed a touch to his header from the resultant corner and McCulloch bashed the ball off the line.
In the final moments it wasn't beyond the realms of reality for Dunfermline to score a winner. It's been that kind of weekend, that kind of season, and the Old Firm have one more Saturday to savour – if they can bear it.
Title down to the wire as Celtic lose their nerve again
The Scotsman 04/05/1998
NEIL McLEMAN
HISTORY must wait another week. Whether Celtic win their first title in a decade or Rangers register a record ten in a row will now be decided on the final Saturday of the season after Wim Jansen's side lacked the killer touch to finish off Dunfermline, and claim the championship, when destiny beckoned at East End Park yesterday.
After Simon Donnelly had given Celtic a precious first-half lead, they were just seven minutes away from claiming the title when Craig Faulconbridge, an English striker on loan from Gordon Strachan's Coventry City, rose unmarked to loop a header over the helpless Jonathan Gould to give Bert Paton's side the 1-1 draw their efforts merited.
Following Rangers' 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock on Saturday in Walter Smith's final game at Ibrox, this was another result, and performance, which was symbolic of a mediocre yet grippingly exciting season where no team has exhibited the required skill or nerve to establish a meaningful lead at the top of the table.
The draw for Celtic was useless. They extend their lead to two points, but must still win Saturday's home game against St Johnstone – themselves still pushing for a European place -to be sure of the title. A draw, accompanied by a Rangers victory at Tannadice, would see the championship decided on goal difference. If Celtic are held and Rangers win by a solitary goal, the Scottish Football League's final Premier Division title would go to the Ibrox club on goals scored.
Although the destiny of the title remains in their hands, Celtic yesterday failed another test of character – the tension in the camp was underlined when all the players again refused to speak to the media after the game – and Faulconbridge, 20, making only his sixth appearance for the Pars, said that arguments within the Celtic ranks had helped to inspire his team.
"When I went on I saw some bickering amongst their defenders," said the player, who expressed a desire to remain in Scotland longer that his current loan spell. "I thought with them not playing as a unit there would be gaps and chances. When one came my way, I didn't look back."
Jansen denied that nerves had cost his team the victory, instead blaming the result on Celtic's inability to score a decisive second goal despite intensive pressure and the referee, John Underhill's, decision not to award a second-half penalty after Craig Ireland appeared to pull down Henrik Larsson.
"We were seven minutes from winning the league and then they scored a goal," the Dutchman observed accurately. "We didn't score a second goal and then they scored a goal from nothing. That is what happens when you don't score the second, but these kind of things happen in soccer. The pressure was on today, but I can't blame them for not doing everything. I think everyone was working very hard."
Jansen was clearly frustrated at the denial of his team's penalty claim. "It looked like a penalty but he didn't give it again," he said in reference to a first-half claim which Underhill also turned down. "But you cannot be angry about this after the game. You can't turn it back."
The Dutchman then promised that his side would be fully focused on their final challenge of a long and arduous season.
"We have to face reality after today," he added. "We didn't win today so we have to win the next game on Saturday. Everyone is down at the moment, but that is normal. We all have to pick ourselves up again and prepare ourselves for Saturday. We know we must do it by ourselves and not blame anyone else."
Paton, who said he had witnessed a return of his team's old spirit in their run of five unbeaten matches which has taken them clear of relegation, claimed Dunfermline's preparation and performance made any doubts about their application unnecessary.
"We had two player of the year dances last night, but we withdrew all the players to make sure they were up for it today," he said. "I am just delighted to finish the season on a high for the fans. I was also pleased for the players because they battled hard in difficult conditions.
"Craig Faulconbridge has come on in the last four games and hit the post and the bar and seen the keeper make some great saves. We knew sooner or later one would go in, but what timing. As for the substitution, I am either a tactical genius or a lucky b******. I will leave it up to you."
Andy Smith reiterated Dunfermline's desire to put on a good performance for their supporters in their final home fixture of the campaign to ensure that the only post-match lap of honour was done for their fans. "We didn't want the party at our expense today," he said. "We wanted them to wait another week and I don't think they deserved to win."
Despite their stumble under the weight of expectation yesterday, Smith thought Celtic were still favourites to win the title. "It is hard now and they have now had four or five chances to wrap it up and not done it. They now face St Johnstone, who are also pushing for Europe, and an early goal is needed.
"If they do get that you have to fancy them in front of their own fans. Rangers must be really kicking themselves. If they had won they would now be sitting in a very good position."
- Manager Interview
on the 'penalty'
"You can get angry about the decision but after the game, it was over. We cannot turn back time – but it was a penalty."
"There goal came from nothing and it is what happens so often when you do not score the second goal. They did not really have any chances but these things happen in soccer.
"Everyone in the dressing room was down but we have to pick ourselves up for Saturday.
"We still have to do it all by ourselves and we can. We realise there will be tension, but we worked very hard at Dunfermiline and we will do the same against St Johnstone."
Classic retelling of Hun referee getting bitten on the arse (Bobby Tait 1998). Retelling from Anyone But Celtic by @paullarkin74
Rangers 0-1 Kilmarnock match review
http://www.killiefc.com/en/02-05-1998-rangers-a-spl_50922/
Rangers 0 Kilmarnock 1
(SPL Match No.35 May 2nd 1998 – Ibrox)THEY say that all political careers end in failure. Football is just as harsh a trade. Rangers have been on the verge of disappointment for months, but it must have been excruciating for Walter Smith that they should tumble into desolation in the final seconds of his last game at Ibrox. As his team hurled more and more players into strenuous and clumsy attempts on goal, Rangers were left vulnerable.
Pat Nevin found John Henry and his low cross from the right was squeezed past Antti Niemi by Ally Mitchell, the substitute, to giveKilmarnock victory. In that moment, it became virtually inevitable that the League championship trophy will be taking its leave of Ibrox at the same time as Smith and many celebrated players.
This game was supposed to be the occasion when Rangers rallied, called upon traditional strengths and mounted a challenge to Celtic that would be fired by pride and tradition.
Instead, we were to see comprehensive evidence of a team's deterioration. Gordon Marshall, the Kilmarnock goalkeeper, needed to make only one vibrant save, when he dived to his right to flick away Brian Laudrup's drive.
For the most part, Rangers could bring only a lacklustre diligence to their work and the searing pieces of invention on which they have previously depended were totally absent.
Laudrup looked eager enough, but hardly ever got beyond the first layer of a composed Kilmarnock defence. After this, Craig Brown must have even more doubts about the wisdom of taking Ally McCoist to the World Cup. The substitute seemed to have all 35 of his years crashing down on his shoulders as he made a ponderous attempt to wheel onto Laudrup's cut-back in the 49th minute. Gus MacPherson blocked.
The frustration of Rangers was glaring when they threw Richard Gough forward in the last 20 minutes. That strategy was made to look futile by the orderly work of people such as Jim Lauchlan, a centre-half with an aversion to the crude clearance. His insistence on attempting to pick out a teammate, no matter how desperate the circumstances, was impressive, even if it is likely to stop his manager's heart.
With so many veterans at the club, Rangers' dwindling resources have failed to last out a long season. It has been poignant to watch players accustomed to success striving to ensure that happiness endured just a little longer. Rangers had not really expected to be so reliant on the faithful retainers, but the new recruits have been a beleaguered band.
Some are injured, others failed to deal with the demands of a club such as Rangers and Marco Negri, so prolific in the first half of the season, now seems to be at odds with Rangers and cannot command even a seat on the substitutes' bench. The bleakness of the situation was only disguised in the spell before kick-off yesterday when the players took the field with several mascots, including Laudrup's children.
There was a benign, sunlit tone to the scene. The abrasions of the match, however, soon scoured away that contentment. Kilmarnock were too solid a team to allow Rangers an easy victory. They have not come to the verge of a Uefa Cup place by capitulating and it was soon evident that most of the important corridors had been closed off on the Ibrox pitch.
Beside Lauchlan, Ray Montgomerie,the veteran centre-half, was full of spring and tenacity. On the flanks, the full-backs were supplemented by midfielders and ensured that the byline was usually off limits to Rangers. There was much to admire in all departments of the visitors' team, with Nevin operating thoughtfully and the awkward Jerome Vareille waging a lonely war on Rangers' defence.
In the first half, the endeavour of both sides produced equilibrium.
There was little controversy in yesterday's contest and, for long periods, incident was also in short supply. MacPherson's failure to clear, after 12 minutes, gave Laudrup an opportunity that he drove wide, but the visitors threatened in the 35th minute. Niemi fended away Vareille's attempt and Mark Reilly miscued the rebound.
Rangers were forced into increasingly anxious endeavours and the possibilities for Kilmarnock on the counter-attack grew throughout the second half. MacPherson received a luscious chance, after 61 minutes, when Vareille's pass sent him clear, but he betrayed his true identity as a right-back by hesitating fractionally and then hitting a moderate shot from which Niemi made a composed save.
Rangers supporters had not expected to observe that sort of sure handling from their team. None the less, this has been a campaign in which the Ibrox fans have gradually discovered that the side is no longer effective enough to be masters of its own fate. Great though the anguish may have been, this result was not the inexplicable freak it would have appeared in seasons gone by.
Rangers: Niemi, Cleland, Porrini (Ferguson 70), Gough, Amoruso, Bjorklund (McCoist 45), McCall (Durrant 80), Gattuso, Durie, Albertz, Laudrup.
Kilmarnock: Marshall, MacPherson, Kerr, Lauchlan, Montgomerie, Reilly, Nevin, Holt, Roberts (McGowne 85), Vareille (Henry 80), Burke (Mitchell 67).
Scorer: Kilmarnock: Mitchell 90
Booked: Marshall (81min).
Referee: R Tait (East Kilbride).
Attendance: 50,116.
Bobby Williamson's Comments…Jerome Veraille, (right) who worked tirelessly…."He has pace, strength and links up well with the other players, I felt we created chances throughout the game and we defended well. But the secret was that everyone worked so hard and that pleased me more than anything else."
Walter Smith's Comments…"We were not really in the title race six or seven weeks ago then hauled ourselves back into contention. It is disappointing not to maintain our challenge until the final hurdle. We have been inconsistent, losing to Aberdeen, then beating Hearts last week and slipping up today. But you have got to congratulate Kilmarnock on their performance. They played well again against us today."
Rangers Captain Richard Gough…., "This could be the first time in 10 years that we have not won a championship and that hurts. I hope that it will hurt the newer lads as much as it has hurt those of us who have been here winning these titles. It will let them know what they have to do next year when we have gone. Today it seemed as if we could have played forever without being able to get a goal. It was terrible for us. Sentiment didn't affect us, we just did not play well enough after pulling ourselves back into a good position."