| Match Pictures | Matches: 1998 – 1999 | 1998-1999 Pictures |
Trivia
- Venglos had to leave the country to obtain his work permit which had been granted just prior to the previous game against St Pats. He could not apply for it from inside the EU and had to briefly return to Slovakia.
- Jansen and MacLeod made a pointed media show of being around in the stadium as guests of Brian Dempsey for the unfurling of the flag.
- ‘Stand Up If You Hate Jock Brown’ got a good airing.
- In some respects, some of the most despicable scenes at Celtic Park on the unfurling of the Premier League flag. Fergus McCann was booed long and loud by a section of the crowd as he delivered his speech from pitch side. Yet others in the crowd attempted to drown out this booing with applause. Against this was the applause for Jansen and MacLeod as they took their seats courtesy of Brian ‘stirring’ Dempsey.
- “We’re Irish but we’re not bigots, Mr McCann” was unfurled at half time. This got the thought police out in force and the banner was soon removed.
Review
The Premier League flag unfurled – but to what a noise! A comfortable win but the stirring just would not go away.
Teams
Celtic:
Gould , McNamara , MacKay, Boyd , Stubbs , Burley , Lambert, Brattbakk (Jackson, 63), Larsson, Blinker, Donnelly
Subs not used: McKinlay, McBride, Elliot, Kerr,
Scorers: Burley (45), Donnelly (58), MacKay (83), Burley (84), Burley (89)
Bookings: Mackay (Celtic)
Dunfermline:
Westwater, Shields, Tod, Linighan, Ireland (Den Bieman ,55), Thomson, Millar, Huxford, Smith (Faulconbridge ,8), French(Ferguson ,57), Shaw
Subs not used Butler,Templeman,
Bookings: Huxford ,Ireland (Dunfermline)
Attendance: 59,220
Referee: Kenny Clark (Scotland)
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Articles
Gulf in class is striking
The Scotsman 03/08/1998
Celtic 5
Dunfermline 0
WHAT a way to celebrate flag day, and your first one for ten long seasons at that.
The script had seemed perfect. A gloriously sunny day, 59,000 adoring fans filling the magnificent new stadium, and a suspect Dunfermline side unlikely to spoil the party.
Then step forward the man who started the Celtic revolution when he ousted the old board, and the mood darkened.
Fergus McCann's attempt to address the crowd before kick-off saw him booed by a sizeable section of the Celtic support, but by no means the majority. A definite split in the camp became apparent when a burst of spontaneous cheering tried to drown out the dissenters.
Arguments broke out in the stands, but there was one issue which united the warring factions – Wim Jansen, the former coach who walked out on Celtic, was cheered by all who spotted him in his main-stand seat.
The Celtic support also found common ground on the subject of Jock Brown. Celtic's general manager was treated to a rendition of that new classic, "Stand Up If You Hate Jock Brown".
The side-show didn't finish there. At half-time, fans unveiled a banner which criticised McCann for asserting that some Celtic fans are bigots.
The banner proclaimed: "We're Irish but we're not bigots, Mr McCann." Somebody somewhere decreed that this was unacceptable, and stewards moved in to grab it .
This didn't go down well. After its removal, there followed a few choruses in support of a terrorist organisation in Ireland. Figure that one out.
It must all have been bewildering for Dr Jozef Venglos, Celtic's new coach, who leaves Scotland for Slovakia this week to pick up his work permit.
As part of his trip, Venglos will watch European opponents Croatia Zagreb , and it must be in his mind to keep an eye open for a striker, given that Harald Brattbakk again failed to find the net in this five-goal rout.
The last 20 minutes was no more than shooting practice for Celtic, but Brattbakk could not take advantage. He had already been substituted.
By then, it was no longer a case of men against boys. This was men against old men.
The Dunfermline goalkeeper, Ian Westwater, was hobbling around his goalmouth like a cripple, having sustained an ankle injury. With three substitutes already deployed by Bert Paton, the Fifers' manager could only watch and cringe.
Hat-trick hero Craig Burley claimed afterwards not to have noticed Westwater's pain; he was too busy causing him agonies .
But while he, Simon Donnelly and Malky Mackay scored the goals, Brattbakk rued five missed chances.
With one effort, the corner flag was in more danger than the net, but Brattbakk had fallen over by that time, didn't see where it landed and probably didn't want to.
While such attempts can be laughed off when there's championship flag unfurling to be enjoyed, if he tries that stunt in Zagreb later this month or against Rangers it will not be looked upon too kindly .
That is why finding a hardened striker to wear the hoops is an early must for Venglos.
Rumours of an approach to Brondby for the Danish World Cup forward Ebbe Sand are entirely understandable given the current striking provision at Parkhead.
Burley and Lambert were able to spray the ball around at leisure, Regi Blinker has never looked happier in a Celtic jersey and Jackie McNamara must have found the open plains of Parkhead a little different from life at the World Cup.
Against Dunfermline, Celtic didn't actually need an out-and-out striker because it seemed the ball could have walked into the net in the closing ten minutes.
Burley was the man to show Brattbakk the way with three clinical strikes – one at the end of each half and goal number four for Celtic on 85 minutes.
The first hat-trick of his professional career complete, Burley confessed that Celtic's cause was helped as early as the seventh minute, when Dunfermline's chief goal threat Andy Smith was stretchered off with an ankle injury. The visitors were not to threaten Jonathan Gould's goal until the 75th minute.
"This wasn't a massive test for us, but for confidence it's not going to do any harm," admitted Burley.
"When big Andy Smith went off, that was a help, although I hope he's all right. He is one of their better players and a right handful.
"I think it is going to be more difficult overall this year, especially with Hearts signing one or two players and Aberdeen coming strong, but I feel we are going along on the right lines.
" We've not signed anyone at this time, we've not had a manager for the summer and I think he needs time to assess what he sees. I think it's been a bonus not to have the same as last season, with seven or eight players coming in at the same time.
"We are more or less playing the same way as last year but I am sure the new coach will start to tamper with the shape."
Not much changes at Dunfermline, either. The introduction of former Rangers player Derek Ferguson with 22 minutes remaining was the only major diversion from last season's squad.
Paton agreed that the sloppy play of his Dunfermline side had contributed more to the defeat than any Celtic brilliance.
For Celtic, there follows two friendlies – at Bolton in Jimmy Phillips' testimonial tomorrow night and next weekend against Liverpool at Parkhead.
There are no points to play for, but they are likely to prove a far more competitive test
- Manager Interview
Dr Jo Venglos, post match
"I think the chairman deserves respect and support for what he has done for a great club.
"It is important for all the directors, supporters and players to be part of the same Celtic family."