The Lisbon Lions

Raith_C_Chattonell

Heard the Hazel Irvine documentary on radio 5 last night. Really good 30 minutes marking Celtic’s famous European Cup win 50 years ago (yesterday).

This is not just about football, but a social statement of the times. The living conditions of some of the players in their early lives almost beyond belief.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08r2zm6


The longer TV version also available on iplayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08rg0bd/glasgow-1967-the-lisbon-lions

Henry Irving

Good programme on Sean Fallon, asst manager, on BT last night.

guinnessaddick

Also good programme on BBC iPlayer.

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

The longer time passes the more astonished I am that the Lisbon Lions were all bar one born within 10 miles of Glasgow and the other within 30.

Tutt-Tutt

The thing that comes across with Celtic, is that they are still the club for the people fifty years on, whereas most are the other big clubs in the U.K. are now businesses or play-things for a rich owner, and have lost their souls.

Henry Irving

Six-a-bag-of-nuts said:

The longer time passes the more astonished I am that the Lisbon Lions were all bar one born within 10 miles of Glasgow and the other within 30.

iaitch

Tutt-Tutt said:

The thing that comes across with Celtic, is that they are still the club for the people fifty years on, whereas most are the other big clubs in the U.K. are now businesses or play-things for a rich owner, and have lost their souls.

Bet they'd love to become a rich soulless club.

Henry Irving

iaitch said:

Tutt-Tutt said:

The thing that comes across with Celtic, is that they are still the club for the people fifty years on, whereas most are the other big clubs in the U.K. are now businesses or play-things for a rich owner, and have lost their souls.

Bet they'd love to become a rich soulless club.

Relatively they are already much richer due to their constant Champions League appearances an the other Scottish clubs

iaitch

The usual rumours about Celtic and Rangers joining the Premier League.

Is that from a football perspective or a financial one?

Blucher

I thought that was a cracking documentary on Celtic's outstanding achievement, as well as a window into another era. How good must it have been to make that pilgrimage to Lisbon.

I particularly liked the interview with the priest who managed to get a plane ticket through what he described as a "soft porn magazine" - not that I'd quite categorise 'TitBits' in those terms.

Afternoon Delight

Cracking documentary, the story about Steve Chalmers surviving tuberculosis meningitis (which had a 100% mortallity rate at the time) and his friendship with the Rangers supporting Doctor who saved his life was fantastic.

Raith_C_Chattonell

Willie Wallace childhood account: Night time trips to the outside toilet, so scary there was never a problem unloading. Living by gaslight, bathing in a tin tub and cooking on an open fire. It spoke volumes of the poverty in the TB ridden Glasgow area. Fortunately for Willie, the luxury of a council house came along.

When I started going to football in the mid sixties, Scots featured in most English teams, primarily to add a bit of steel. The Scots were a hard old lot, there can be no denying. I reckon they must have lost that edge as the living conditions improved.

Blucher

Raith_C_Chattonell said:

Willie Wallace childhood account: Night time trips to the outside toilet, so scary there was never a problem unloading. Living by gaslight, bathing in a tin tub and cooking on an open fire. It spoke volumes of the poverty in the TB ridden Glasgow area. Fortunately for Willie, the luxury of a council house came along.

When I started going to football in the mid sixties, Scots featured in most English teams, primarily to add a bit of steel. The Scots were a hard old lot, there can be no denying. I reckon they must have lost that edge as the living conditions improved.

Lennie Lawrence said that he always liked a few Scotsmen in his team for that very reason. People like Mark Reid, Colin Walsh and Jimmy Melrose were quality players but also tough and very determined individuals.