Details
Title: Majic, Stan and The King of Japan
Author: Matt Corr
Published: 20 October 2023
Homepage: Celticstar books
Synopsis
Majic, Stan and The King of Japan – Gordon Strachan’s first season at Celtic by Matt Corr
In the summer of 2005, incoming Celtic manager Gordon Strachan faced one of the most difficult jobs in world football, charged with restoring the fortunes of the grand old club after a heartbreaking end to the previous season, which saw legendary boss Martin O’Neill and many of the stars who had delivered such incredible success in the early part of the new millennium take their leave. The end of an era.
But this is Celtic…and our nights are darkest just before the dawn. Soon we would witness the thrilling emergence of a team of exciting new heroes who would create their own magical history in those iconic Hoops, as the next chapter in the greatest football story of them all was written, roared on by that Celtic constant, a fanatical worldwide support.
And what a remarkable chapter it is…Celtic theatre at its rollercoaster finest with last-minute dramas, the tragic loss of another of our immortal Lions and the onset of illness of another beloved redhead with Celtic pouring through his veins, then ultimately title triumph as the Hoops battle through a season dismissed by many as being purely transitional to regain their mantle as Scotland’s Champions, the Celts once again the dominant football force in the land.
It’s a season full of characters befitting of any Celtic Story. From Poland came Artur Boruc, the eccentric but brilliant Holy Goalie, and Maciej ‘Majic’ Zurawski, the international duo thrilling Hoops supporters at either end of the pitch. We had the perfect Irish Heartbeat in midfield, new skipper Neil Lennon joined by Roy Keane, the world-class Cork Bhoy fulfilling a lifetime dream by wearing those colours, the duo in their element as they dominate proceedings in a vital win at Ibrox.
And the incredible, lung-bursting power of Stiliyan Petrov, Stan the Man, the Bulgarian captain with his trademark winning goals turning one point into three in Celtic’s relentless pursuit of the honours. It’s a campaign where the young pretender Shaun Maloney steps out of the shadows with a series of stunning performances to become Scotland’s Player of the Year, and where John Hartson ends his Celtic career by becoming the latest in a long list of striking superstars to pass the century mark of goals for our club.
Finally, there is the genius of Shunsuke Nakamura, The King of Japan, commencing a Celtic career blessed with the most incredible footballing moments. Little known before his arrival on these shores but still revered two decades later. Technically perfect, he lights up Paradise.
It’s time to tell this story. To relive those goals. To remember those songs.
When we had Majic, Stan and The King of Japan…
Review
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