2003-03-13: Celtic 1-1 Liverpool, UEFA Cup

Trivia

• UEFA Cup 2002/03: The Road To Seville
• Gerry Marsden lead the 60,000 crowd in a rousing version of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
• Henrik Larsson bagged his 25th European goal.
• The closing stages were marred by Diouf spitting into the crowd. Bizarrely, his manager backed him in this!!!! No one else did thankfully. It was twelve years later before his manager admitted: “And, of course, what happened at Celtic, when he spat at a Celtic fan, was totally out of line. He was fined and banned for that.”
• “Best atmosphere I ever played in was at Celtic Park in the UEFA Cup for Liverpool.” – Michael Owen (ex-Liverpool, Man U, Newcastle and Real Madrid Striker, via Twitter Feb 2013) (link)
• “It seemed to me that Diouf had no real interest in football and that he cared nothing about Liverpool. For example, the way he spat a huge globule of gunky phlegm at a Celtic fan in a UEFA Cup match at Parkhead in March 2003 summed up his contemptuous and spiteful demeanour.A few people have since asked me if I saw any comparison between Diouf and Mario Balotelli – and I’ve always said no. I’ve got respect for Balotelli; I’ve got none for Diouf.” – Liverpool legend Stephen Gerrard (2015)

Review

It took Larsson just 100 seconds to make his presence felt. Hartson knocked the ball across the Liverpool goalmouth and it was driven back hard and low by Alan Thompson for Larsson to stick out a knee and divert it into the net.

Either side of the opener, Hartson hit the bar with a dipping strike and blasted a fierce shot narrowly over the top as the Liverpool wobbled.

But after weathering the early Celtic storm, Liverpool pulled level. John Arne Riise surged towards the heart of the Celtic defence and stabbed a pass into the path of Heskey, allowing the striker to slide a low angled shot home.

With 53 minutes gone, Larsson found room behind the Liverpool defence but goalkeeper Jerzey Dudek was quickly off his line to block at the striker’s feet.

Teams

Celtic:-
Douglas, Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren, Smith, Lennon, Petrov, Sutton, Thompson (Guppy 26), Larsson (Lambert 76), Hartson.
Subs Not Used:- Marshall, Sylla, McNamara, Maloney, Crainey.
Goal:- Larsson 2.
Booked:- Petrov, Guppy.

Liverpool:-
Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Diouf (Biscan 90), Owen, Heskey.
Subs Not Used:- Arphexad, Baros, Smicer, Diao, Cheyrou, Mellor.
Goal:- Heskey 17

Attendance: 59,759
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway).

YNWA before the game.


Goals from both games.

Match Pictures

• Match Pictures

Articles

• MoN relishes Liverpool game (BBC)
• Liverpool Hold Celtic (BBC)
• MoN Interview
• Houllier (Liverpool Mgr) Interview (BBC)
• MoN pleased with Celtic (BBC)
• Diouf fined over spit row, and faces police probe.

Liverpool hold Celtic

BBC
Liverpool earned the slight edge in the Uefa Cup’s Battle of Britain after drawing with Celtic at Parkhead.

Henrik Larsson bagged his 25th European goal to give Celtic the perfect start but Emile Heskey hit back for Liverpool. There were precious few opportunities for further goals in a match that was high on sweat and endeavour but lacked quality. A whirlwind start gave way to a rather limp finish as the visitors successfully absorbed Celtic’s attacking thrusts and the home team ran out of ideas. It took Larsson just 100 seconds to make his presence felt. Hartson knocked the ball across the Liverpool goalmouth and it was driven back hard and low by Alan Thompson for Larsson to stick out a knee and divert it into the net.

Either side of the opener, Hartson hit the bar with a dipping strike and blasted a fierce shot narrowly over the top as the Liverpool wobbled. But after weathering the early Celtic storm, Liverpool pulled level. John Arne Riise surged towards the heart of the Celtic defence and stabbed a pass into the path of Heskey, allowing the striker to slide a low angled shot home. From the moment Gerry Marsden lead the 60,000 crowd in a rousing version of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the decibel level at Celtic Park reached a deafening intensity, matched by the frenzied action on the pitch. Play fizzed from one end to the other at a bewildering rate of knots, while thunderous challenges clattered in from every angle. Owen, who was an isolated figure in the first half, made a threatening run into the Celtic penalty area early in the second period, but the England striker was well blocked by Bobo Balde. With 53 minutes gone, Larsson found room behind the Liverpool defence but goalkeeper Jerzey Dudek was quickly off his line to block at the striker’s feet. Heskey burst into the Celtic box in search of a second goal but he had to stretch to make contact with El-Hadji Diouf’s cross and sent his shot wide. Both sides appeared to run out of steam midway through the second half. But Owen had a chance to win the leg, when he found room at Celtic’s back post before snatching his shot wide..

The closing stages were marred by Diouf spitting into the crowd.

O’Neill relishes Reds tie

BBC
Martin O’Neill is relishing an all-British Uefa Cup quarter-final against Liverpool but insists that his Celtic side will start as underdogs.

The Scottish champions added Stuttgart to previous victories over Celta Vigo and Blackburn Rovers this season after completing a 5-4 aggregate win in Germany.

Houllier gunning for Celtic

Shortly afterwards, Michael Owen helped Liverpool clinch victory over Auxerre before waxing lyrical about the “mind-blowing” atmosphere provided by the Celtic support the last time the two clubs met in European competition.

The English Premiership side won that game on away goals after a 2-2 draw in Glasgow followed by a goalless encounter at Anfield in the 1997-98 Uefa Cup.

I have never played in such an atmosphere
Liverpool striker Michael Owen
And O’Neill said: “I suppose there will be all sorts of comparisons made.

“They are a talented side and we will be underdogs, but we will give it everything.

“Michael Owen is a top-class player and it will be nice to see Emile Heskey, who did wonderfully well for me at Leicester, again.

“I will concern myself with that closer to the time, but it’s a great tie for us and we will try and defend a wee bit better than we did in the last 10 minutes or so tonight.”

Celtic were two goals ahead in Stuttgart before losing 3-2 on the night.

The German outfit would have required a 5-2 win in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium to go through, but O’Neill admitted: “Those last 20 minutes seemed like an eternity.

Celtic see off Stuttgart

“We started to cramp up, both physically and metaphorically.”

Celtic survived to reach their first-ever Uefa quarter-final – and go further in European competition than they have since 1981.

They will face both Liverpool and Rangers twice in the space of a hectic 12 days next month.

“That’s a bother to us, no doubt about it, but we are in the quarter-final and still going for four trophies so that is absolutely outstanding,” said O’Neill.

Owen fondly remembers facing Celtic as a 17-year-old in that previous Uefa Cup meeting.

“I have never played in such an atmosphere,” he said. “That was just mind-blowing.

“They are a great club and it’s great to be playing them again.”

Liverpool hold Celtic

BBC
Heskey struck on 17 minutes
Celtic Park match photos
Celtic 1-1 Liverpool

Liverpool earned the slight edge in the Uefa Cup’s Battle of Britain after drawing with Celtic at Parkhead.

Henrik Larsson bagged his 25th European goal to give Celtic the perfect start but Emile Heskey hit back for Liverpool.

There were precious few opportunities for further goals in a match that was high on sweat and endeavour but lacked quality.

A whirlwind start gave way to a rather limp finish as the visitors successfully absorbed Celtic’s attacking thrusts and the home team ran out of ideas.

It took Larsson just 100 seconds to make his presence felt.

Full Uefa Cup round-up

Hartson knocked the ball across the Liverpool goalmouth and it was driven back hard and low by Alan Thompson for Larsson to stick out a knee and divert it into the net.

Diouf should not have responded the way he did
Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier
Diouf faces police probe
Either side of the opener, Hartson hit the bar with a dipping strike and blasted a fierce shot narrowly over the top as the Liverpool wobbled.

But after weathering the early Celtic storm, Liverpool pulled level.

John Arne Riise surged towards the heart of the Celtic defence and stabbed a pass into the path of Heskey, allowing the striker to slide a low angled shot home.

Larsson and Lennon celebrate the Celtic goal
Henrik Larsson fired Celtic into an early lead

From the moment Gerry Marsden lead the 60,000 crowd in a rousing version of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the decibel level at Celtic Park reached a deafening intensity, matched by the frenzied action on the pitch.

Play fizzed from one end to the other at a bewildering rate of knots, while thunderous challenges clattered in from every angle.

Owen, who was an isolated figure in the first half, made a threatening run into the Celtic penalty area early in the second period, but the England striker was well blocked by Bobo Balde.

We are still in the tie
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill
O’Neill pleased with Celtic

With 53 minutes gone, Larsson found room behind the Liverpool defence but goalkeeper Jerzey Dudek was quickly off his line to block at the striker’s feet.

Heskey burst into the Celtic box in search of a second goal but he had to stretch to make contact with El-Hadji Diouf’s cross and sent his shot wide.

Both sides appeared to run out of steam midway through the second half.

But Owen had a chance to win the leg, when he found room at Celtic’s back post before snatching his shot wide..

The closing stages were marred by Diouf spitting into the crowd.

Celtic: Douglas, Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren, Smith, Lennon, Petrov, Sutton, Thompson (Guppy 26), Larsson (Lambert 76), Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Sylla, McNamara, Maloney, Crainey. Booked: Petrov, Guppy.

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Diouf (Biscan 90), Owen, Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Baros, Smicer, Diao, Cheyrou, Mellor.

Attendance: 59,759
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway).

Have your say: BBC Scotland Fans Forum

Diouf fined over spit row

BBC
Celtic fans were outraged by the Diouf incident
Liverpool have fined El-Hadji Diouf a maximum two weeks’ wages for spitting at Celtic fans during Thursday’s Uefa Cup quarter-final at Parkhead.

The club will liaise with Celtic to discuss sending the money to charity in an effort to ensure the good relations between the two clubs are not soured over the incident.

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier said: “The boy has made a mistake. He knows that. We all make mistakes in life because we are all human.

“I am not going to make excuses for him but the boy is young and I can tell you he is devastated by what has happened.

“It is sad this has overshadowed a great night’s football.”

Match report:
Celtic 1-1 Liverpool

Diouf will have to wait at least a week before learning whether he will face police prosecution over the incident.

The allegation has been passed to the Procurator Fiscal’s office in Glasgow, which will decide whether to charge the Senegalese player.

Uefa has also confirmed that it will study the incident and take the appropriate course of action.

“Uefa has the power to impose a fine or a suspension on El-Hadji Diouf ahead of the second leg but we look at all incidents case by case.” said a Uefa spokesman.

I didn’t like what Diouf did, it is not acceptable in any way
Gerard Houllier

Strathclyde Police questioned Diouf after the 1-1 draw and also arrested, then released, two 18-year-old fans who ran onto the pitch after the incident.

A police spokesperson confirmed: “He was spoken to last night, so now it will be up to the Fiscal to press charges.

“I would usually expect a gap of at least a week before we get something from them.

“Presumably they are going to report him for breach of the peace on the basis that if he did it, it could have led to some crowd trouble.

“So we will take it on its merits and look at it when it comes in.”

Diouf was clearly seen to spit at the Celtic fans on television pictures and Houllier issued an apology on behalf of the player after seeing the images.

“The player has apologised for his reaction,” Houllier added. It was totally inappropriate whatever the provocation.

“He should not have responded the way he did.”

Feature: Bad boy Diouf
It is the second time Diouf has been involved in such an incident this season.

In November, he was accused by West Ham fans at Anfield of spitting at them. Police investigated and took no action.

Celtic supporter Anthony Cosgrove told BBC Radio Scotland: “The Celtic fans tried to help the player up and lift him back on to the wall.

“Some of them gave him a pat on the back as they helped him up. He then turned round and spat into the crowd.

“One young lad, about 16, got the brunt of it in the face.”


Note: In May 08, Rangers and sycophants in the media riled against “Injustices” done against them in that the SFA & league would not lie down to them and rearrange fixtures to suit them in the UEFA cup, shame they didn’t try to help us out (see below), else we might then feel sympathy for them (if ever):

Kop spy storm(2003) (the sun)

By ANDY DEVLIN

LIVERPOOL have been caught up in a UEFA Cup spy storm ahead of tonight’s clash with Celtic.

The Kop kings were sent video tapes of Celtic in action – by deadly Glasgow rivals Rangers.

Gerard Houllier’s side face Martin O’Neill’s men at Parkhead in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Our photographer snapped a courier delivering the tapes to Liverpool’s East Kilbride base at the posh Crutherland House Hotel. The package is clearly marked for Alex Miller, a Liverpool coach and former Rangers star.

Miller is a close friend of Ibrox marketing executive Sandy Jardine, who organised the delivery.

An Ibrox insider said: “The tapes were of recent Celtic games and they were sent to Alex Miller.”

A Rangers spokesman added: “Sandy Jardine and Alex Miller have been friends for 35 years and Sandy did send a package to Alex, the contents of which remain private.”

Earlier, Glasgow-based Eagle Couriers had picked up and signed for the parcel at an Ibrox reception before heading off to Liverpool’s hideaway.

The dossier was collected at around noon and then driven the 10 miles to the Crutherland House Hotel by an unsuspecting driver.

The employee was happy to pose for our photographer.

Rangers also helped out Blackburn when they played Celtic by offering Rovers their multi-million training complex at Murray Park.