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Venue: Tannadice, Dundee
Match: Dundee United V Celtic – SPL
Occasion: It's the last day of the league season. After a dramatic run in Celtic sit top of the league, courtesy of a seven match unbeaten run which has put them on 86 points – the same as Rangers but four goals better off in terms of goal difference. With the Huns playing at Aberdeen a nerve-shredding night of championship deciding drama awaits.
Result: 0-1
Attendance: 13,613
Celtic Team: Bourc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor (Wilson 76) Nakamura (S Brown 62), Hartley, Robson, McGeady, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras 81). Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Donati, Sheridan, O'Dea.
In The Big Wide World: Oil hits an all-time high price of $135.04 a barel. Drivers in Scotland are feeling the pinch, with petrol stations charging an average of 112.55p for a litre of petrol and 124.17p for diesel.
A man is arrested after a small explosion at a restaurant in Exeter, which caused the city centre to be closed off. Nobody was hurt in the blast.
A Bit of Culture: Ting Tings are No 1 in the singles charts with 'That's Not My Name'. Also in the charts are Madonna with '4 Minutes' and Coldplay with 'Violet Hill'.
At the cinema 'Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' is released this week while 'Iron Man' tops the UK box office chart.
Who Was There: DanBhoy
What do you remember about the build up in the days prior to the game?
The run up to the league was a weird one. After the loss to Motherwell at home in April, basically everyone had given hope of the title. But after beating the Huns back to back, some belief was restored. But even then this was more in hope than anything else, and I especially never expected us to win the league.
The final week was just one I will never forget. This was the week that the huns truly imploded. Drawing away to Motherwell, not getting enough past St Mirren and then the title deciding day, all of this and we could do nothing but sit back and watch.
This was overshadowed with them complaining about fixture congestion with their UEFA Cup run in, and to be fair, it was a lot of games but that the price you pay for European success. They got an extension of some sort; this angered a lot of fans and made the fans want to win the game at even more. The tension between fans was at the highest it had been all season.
Had you always intended to go along to Tannadice?
I had been to a few away games that season. It was my aim as soon as I knew the league situation to go to the game as it really was my first proper run in. I wasn’t at Love Street in 86 and I feel at 14 I was too young for “Black Sunday”, although I’m very thankful for that! I contacted absolutely everyone for this one, including the ticket office! But I nothing came about for a good while, until fellow KDSer Bleward stepped in and that was it, I was going to Tannadice!
Our biggest game in years in terms of dominating the huns, entry to Europe and financial costs, this was the big one. And I was going to it.
So how did you spend the hours leading up to kick-off?
Because I live in Paisley, Dundee is quite a considerable distance to get to. So up and early for me and since the St Mirren v Huns result on the Monday night, I had been quite a nervous chap. That morning was worse. When I think about it now, I didn’t realize just how important that game with United really was. Anyway, I had to get a bus, two trains and a taxi to get to Dundee, costing me a lot of money, but you cannot buy these sort of moments.
The four or more hours I travelled, I tried my damndest to not think about the game. When I think about a massive game that we are involved in, I can only think of negative thoughts, what ifs and the repercussions. I listened to a Celtic Underground podcast to on the way up eventually to get rid of these thoughts, but even then I was still in doubt. I still think that is the most nervous I have been for a game in my life. I was too young for Porto I think, only 13.
I met Henrik The King (another KDSer) in Dundee and we tried to meet up with the other Kerrydale posters, but the chosen boozer was as bad Bairds is for a drink. So I met Bleward and got the ticket, I felt like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, I had got the golden ticket! After this both us went away for a couple of drinks and really, I could hardly drink, my stomach was all over the place. I just wanted the match to start.
Can you remember how you were feeling as you finally reached the turnstiles?
Once I had broken away from the Celtic fans (DanBhoy's ticket was with the home fans!), I had to find my seat, which was not easy. By this time I was a wreck basically, I was too nervous. This was made even more so by the fact that the pacts of Dundee United fans were confident of taking something from us, so this boosted my beliefs!
I spent a good 10 minutes getting through the turnstiles, something which was very hard to do, as four Celtic fans were chucked out right in front of me. At this point I was sure I was going to get caught out, but I just smiled and strolled in. Seemed easy enough. Now to win the league…!
Can you describe the scene as you took your seat?
After getting in without any problems, I sauntered into the stadium, and when I walked downstairs all I can see is an ocean of green and white taking up half the stadium; it was a sight I’ll never forget. Fantastic.
After taking a few shots of the fans (Photos that is, not bullets), I had to just sit and wait as I was surrounded with orange shirts in the Family section. But to my surprise, the very fellow on my right whispered, “who you support?” and stuttered some non English word. “Don’t worry, me too” he replied and patted my shoulder. At least there was one tim I could relatively speak to.
Despite that, the massive Police presence was frightening. The threats of removal before the game to any Celtic fan seen in the home end was constantly ringing though my head, and everytime I seen a police officer, I hesitated. At least this took my mind off of the game. All there was left was for the game to start. I was very tense and nervous, just waiting for the whistle to blow. This was it. The waiting is nearly over. The singing from the away fans is deafening. The players are coming out. Everyone is on their feet. This is it.
What are your memories of the first half?
To be honest, my memory during the game isn’t the best. The game itself was very tight; our best chance was the McGeady shot that neared the bar. I spent a lot of the half gazing at the Celtic support across from me – It was magnificent. They were so loud for the entirety of the half even though the game itself was a tight and tense affair.
Of course I was checking my phone every five minutes or so for updates in Aberdeen. Because I had internet access on my phone, I could see the result at first hand, so I was at least in the know correctly. Unfortunately that spurred me on to check the score line every few minutes! The football wasn’t the best we had seen all season, all the more reason to worry about the result in Aberdeen. Saying that, we were the better team in the game. Just.
With both games goalless at the break what was the feeling in the ground at half-time?
Half time was treacherous as far as I was concerned as I had to sit and twiddle my thumbs for 15 minutes, just thinking about the consequences of tonight. I did get a phone call from my Dad saying the huns were not at their best in Aberdeen, so that was re-assuring.
I do think at half time the Celtic fans were starting to get a little nervous, despite us still in a winning position. We didn’t really create too many clear cut chances and the huns were still drawing, so even if they scored one in Aberdeen the pressure would be on us massively. I was just as confident of us winning the league at the start of the match, so not very.
Just under 30 minutes of the season remaining – a goal for Aberdeen at Pittodrie! Can you describe the scene at Tannadice when the news came through that the Huns were losing?
When the news came through from Aberdeen that Miller had scored, it was the most extraordinary thing I have ever witnessed. Every Celtic fan in the away end was jumping in jubilation for no apparent reason, so much so a couple of players were looking bewildered at each other at the sight of this.
This was the moment I thought we could do this, we can now win the league. Of course I had to sit and do nothing because I was in the home end, and people around me were getting thrown out due to celebrating the Aberdeen goal by the Police, so I was very nervous that I was going to be next. This I think spurred the players on too, the match continued from the first half, it was quite tight and now they knew that Rangers were losing in Aberdeen; the title was in sight.
With the celebrations already started Jan Vennegor of Hesselink seemed to seal matters with his header. What are your memories of that moment?
We had a spring in our step when the news came through, and 10 minutes after Aberdeen’s goal, we get a corner. I can still remember the goal in its entirety, with Hartley swinging it in and Jan heading it down the middle. Pandemonium in the stands ensued. This was the moment we won the title.
I just put my head in my hands. It was more relief than anything else. We had won the league, something I just couldn’t grasp. This and the fact that every Celtic fan in the Dundee end were practically being flung out by the Police. But I tried my damnedest to not flinch, and although I got a few looks from people, I was ok.
But after the goal, the party had started. The huns were losing in Aberdeen and we were winning. They would need to score around 5 or 6 goals in Aberdeen to win, and that simply wasn’t going to happen. This was a great moment to be a Celtic supporter.
Then the Huns lose another goal and Nacho Novo is sent off in disgrace – it must have been a giant party in the stands at Tannadice?
Five minutes later we see the Celtic fans again jumping for joy when there is not a lot happening in the game, so that only mean one thing, ABERDEEN HAVE SCORED AGAIN! The scenes were incredible, even better than the first goal that Aberdeen had scored. There was no denying it now, we had won the league. The joy and emotion just cannot be described to how we all felt.
And to top it off, Ratboy himself gets sent off for lashing out. By this point the Dundee fans around me had figured it I was a “timposter” but I didn’t do anything to upset them, so there content with me being there. But even the United fans laughed when I told them Novo had been sent off.
The night could simply not get any better.
The final whistle. Given the recent loss of Tommy Burns, and the remarkable comeback from the team it must have been an emotional moment?
After the goal, we played out the game very well, very sufficiently. But when that final whistle went, I could hardly contain myself to how we had won the league. How at only a couple of months previous, we had lost one of the most dedicated and passionate Celtic men we have ever witnessed and were at an all time low with points behind Rangers and the morale of the fans. All that and we had won the league. It was a special time to be a Celtic fan.
I celebrated with the Celtic supporters around me and we all were just so relieved to have got through the match still in the same seats. Turns out there were a couple more Celtic boys around me; just they were quite good at keeping their identity too. This added to the occasion for me, and now it was time for celebration.
Did you catch a glimpse of the helicopter carrying the league trophy to the Bhoys?
I did see the helicopter, but my phone was too slow trying to get a shot! What a great way to get it up the huns, and it was and still is bitter sweet revenge for “Black Sunday” back in 2005.
What was the after-match party like?
The post match celebrations were just fantastic. The stewards let the fans who had been kicked out back into the stadium, so that was a nice gesture. Because of Tommy’s death, the celebrations were more emotional than any other title celebration, but it was more special because the title was for Tommy, and everyone in the stadium knew that.
Every song in the book was sung after the game, fans and players alike, and it was just one big party. This celebration was different though. You could see it in the players and fans, the relief and ecstasy of the league being over. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as much emotion from our fans. Ever.
It was just a special time to be a Celtic fan and to be there in the stadium, because I doubt I will witness another moment like that night for a long time.