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Trivia
- This was a Testimonial on behalf of former Rangers defender Jimmy Phillips that Celtic had agreed to play.
- There was debate amongst the support about playing a testimonial for an ex Ranger. Many believed this showed how out of touch Jock Brown actually was.
- Along with the match reports of the Dunfermiline game and the righteous indignation spouted by the chipwrappers following the booing at the flag unfurling, the jouros alleged that Celtic were about to sign Ebbe Sand of Schalke and Robert Jarni of Real Betis.
- On the day of this game the Record linked the club to Kostas Frantzeskos, a midfielder with Greek club PAOK. This one blew up when it was learned that the player’s agent was Dr Jo’s son.
- Darren Jackson responded angrily to suggestions that he had fallen out with Dr Jo after being named as a sub in the Dunfermiline game. Dazza said the newspapers’ view was rot, the truth being that Venglos had called him to his room to explain to him why he was not starting. Nothing new there then.
- Bolton's new signing GudJohnsen was highly impressed by the Celtic fans, see below:
Review
Nearly 4,500 Celtic fans made the journey south for this game and had to wait till the 87th minute to find something to cheer. Dr. Jo rushed off after the game to head to Slovakia for his work permit leaving Eric Black to enthuse about a game that most saw as little more than energy-sapping.
"When I signed for Bolton they presented me to the crowd before the Jimmy Phillips testimonial. The Celtic fans made an impression on me because there were more of them than Bolton supporters at that game. Celtic are popular for testimonials because everyone knows they will fill the stadium – and I've always had great admiration of them. Their fans have a reputation as one of the best and that's on merit because of the great atmosphere they create."
GudJohnsen (Norway footballer)
Teams
Bolton
Wanderers: Jaaskelainen; Todd, Bergsson (Strong, 50), Fish (Duncker, 45); Cox, C Jensen, Frandsen, Sellars (Johansen, 63), Phillips (Whitlow, 58); Blake (Taylor, 45), Holdsworth (Gunnlaugsson, 65)
Sub not used: Ward
Scorer: Sellars (33)
Celtic:
Kerr; MacKay, Stubbs (Annoni, 56), Boyd ; McNamara , Burley (O'Donnell, 45), Hannah, Jackson (Elliot, 66), McKinlay; Larsson (Brattbakk, 45), Donnelly (McBride, 66).
Scorer: McNamara (87)
Referee: E Lomas (Manchester).
Attendance: 17,479
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Stats
| Bolton | Celtic | |
| Bookings | ||
| Fouls | 9 | 10 |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 7 |
| Corners | ||
| Offside | 2 | 5 |
Celtic draw on strength of Burley
The Scotsman 05/08/1998
Bolton Wanderers 1 Sellars (33)
Celtic 1 McNamara (87)
TOMMY Docherty, the former Scotland and Manchester United boss, stuck his neck out last night and predicted: "At the end of the season, Craig Burley could well have proved to be the most influential player in the Scottish Premier League."
Docherty, a spectator at Bolton's Reebok Stadium for the Testimonial match of former Rangers defender Jimmy Philips, who has spent ten years at Bolton, was impressed even in the low key atmosphere of a non-competitive game by Burley's all action display, despite the midfielder playing for only 45 minutes.
He said: "His standing as an international has seen him grow in stature and he is getting better all the time."
Even so, it was wing-back Jackie McNamara who saved the day for Celtic, with a blistering 18-yard equaliser three minutes from the end following a defensive error, cancelling out Scott Sellars opener for Bolton from a free-kick after 33 minutes.
However, while the match provided a much-needed opportunity for Celtic to sharpen their match fitness. Assistant coach Eric Black admitted that it had come at a cost. "The only slight casualties from what was an excellent fitness test for us was Stubbs, who has a slight ankle knock and Brattbakk who has a groin strain. We will not know the full extent of the injuries until tomorrow but neither seems serious," he said.
"There was a good tempo to the game and in view of the short break to the season, this was a good performance, because if we advance to the Champions' League there are a lot of games to play and fitness will be of vital importance. We created five or six chances tonight as did Bolton, and it was a wonderful goal by McNamara."
Celtic were without the injured Marc Reiper and rested Paul Lambert, and both will be needed to polish up the team's defensive strategy if they are to make a creditable attempt at Europe.
The Scottish champions gave away too much room to Bolton in the first-half and as a result were pushed back by the first division side for long spells.
Stubbs, Tom Boyd and Malky Mackay in the Celtic defence were put under constant first-half pressure and frequently caught out ball watching as far post chances were created.
In the second minute, keeper Stuart Kerr failed to hold a Sellars corner from the right which Gudni Bergsson then headed just over. Moments later, Nathan Blake headed wide from a Dean Holdsworth flick on, before then hitting Kerr's left-hand post. Sellars also headed wide with the goal at his mercy shortly after.
Having taken the strain of the early Bolton attacks, Craig Burley, Darren Jackson and David Hannah began to gel in the centre of midfield, and Burley had a shot charged down while Finnish goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen made a fantastic point blank save from a searing drive by Henrik Larsson.
In the second half, Celtic continued to pressurise, and Harold Brattbakk should have done better than head carelessly over the bar from a Simon Donnelly cross after 53 minutes
- Manager Interview
Eric Black, Post Match
"It might have been a Testimonial match but it was very competitive and we created five of six chances, as did Bolton. It was good to take the fitness aspect of the game.
"Our passing was good and we have to be happy – especially as it will be the end of October before we see the final midweek game should we qualify for Champions League games.
"It's a real credit to the lads to have put in so much effoprt for a Testimonial game when they have had so little rest time over the summer.
"It was good for Hannah and O'Donnell to vcome back for their first games in a while and they will benefit for getting in a game or teo before Croatia Zagreb.
"It was a very open game played at a good tempo and a very worthwhile exercise topped off by a wonderful finish from Jackie McNamara.
"Alan Stubbs didn't receive the warmest of receptions but the fans seemed to warm to him before he came off."