BRENDAN RODGERS REVEALED YESTERDAY how he watched Celtic live in the flesh for the first time as an 11-year-old at Finn Park in 1984.
From Camlough in County Antrim, Rodgers was a boyhood Celtic fan and was unveiled at Celtic Park yesterday as the Hoops’ new manager.
“I have my uncles and cousins here in the room and they started me off from early years, listening in on the radio,” he said.
“The first game that I went to was in 1984, a friendly, Celtic versus Finn Harps. That was when I was 11 years of age.”
A delve into the archives shows that the game, played on July 29th 1984, in front of around 5,000 spectators, was a far from memorable outing.
Picture caption: Alan McInally in action for Celtic against Finn Harps in 1984. Picture from The Celtic Wiki
‘Celtic canter as fans lose out in bore’ screamed the headline in the following morning’s Irish Independent, who reported on the 3-0 win for Celtic.
“In a match which never rose above the mediocre, Finn Harps found themselves at the receiving end of a 3-0 scoreline in yesterday’s challenge game against Glasgow Celtic in Ballybofey,” the Independent said.
[adrotate group=”43″]“The large Finn Park crowd, made up by a majority of Celtic supporters, can only have been put to sleep by the lacklustre fare on display as both sides seemed to be out for a Sunday afternoon stroll.”
The previous year, Charlie Nicholas played his last game for Celtic and scored in a 4-0 win at Finn Park.
In ’84, Celtic took the lead when Alan McInally steered home from Davey Provan’s centre and Roy Aitken’s late double sealed an easy win for the visitors.
The game was the first in a three-game ‘Soccer Spectacular’ that saw Harps welcome Celtic, Southampton and Manchester City to Finn Park.
The media reported that three new ‘cross-channel players’ had been added to the squad before the Celtic game: John Hoyland and Paul Simpson of Manchester City and Michael Lewis of West Bromwich Albion
“The loan of Hoyland and Simpson is a throw-back to McNeill’s promise of last summer to make available reserve Celtic players to Harps before he took the job with City,” it was said at the time.
Tony Guard arrived too from Swansea City and the Celtic game also saw an appearance for John Beresford, who later made his name with Newcastle United in the 1990s.
Johnny Giles was the West Brom manager of the time. Like McNeill, he was a close ally of Harps Chairman Fran Fields.
The local media was unimpressed by the fare on offer.
[adrotate group=”50″]“Woe betide Finn Harps if last Sunday’s performance is a pointer to future League of Ireland form,” the following week’s Donegal News said.
“Celtic ‘allowed newcomers Lewis, Simpson, Guard and Beresford only momentary flickers of their potential’.
“Harps looked like a side put together overnight. It would be unfair to pass judgement on the four Engliush players.”
But they nevertheless passed judgement: Lewis, it was said ‘looked a highly capable midfielder’, Simpson ‘was styarved of the ball, Guard ‘emerged in the second half to exhibit promising touches and a hunger for the game’; and ‘likewise Beresford but time will tell their true value’.
[adrotate group=”51″]Only Guard and Simpson played competitively, with Simpson playing nine times and hitting three goals and Guard making six appearances before Guard was released and Simpson rejoined City.
Against Celtic, Harps had little to offer, with Con McLaughlin foiled by Packie Bonner on the one time they did get in behind the Celtic rearguard.
Finn Harps: McIntyre, Carlyle, Boyle, Sheridan, McGinley, Lewis, Guard, McGroarty, Bradley, Beresford, Simpson. Subs: Gilligan for Simpson, McElwaine for Boyle, McLaughlin for Beresford, McGettigan for Lewis, McDermott for Carlyle.
Celtic: Bonner, McGrain, Reid, Aitken, McAdam, Sinclair, Provan, W.McStay, McGarvey, Burns, McInally. Subs: Colquhoun for McGarvey, McClair for Provan.
Tags: