The Celtic Rising: David Potter on The Day Everything Changed – Part 4

If I have no distinct recollections of the actual goal, I can recall with vivid clarity the last nine minutes. Flags waving all around the ground, a growing swell of noise, smiles, cheers but with myself holding on to the gangway 25’s post and unashamedly praying to God, whether he was a Catholic or a Protestant, to let us win today. Surely, we could not be denied now!

But 10 years ago, Celtic had been 1-0 up in a Scottish Cup final against Clyde and had lost a last-minute equaliser from a corner kick. This kept going through my mind, as no doubt it did through the thoughts of so many people – possibly even Jock Stein who played in that game. They were perhaps better at hiding their emotions than I was but were undergoing all the agony just the same.

Those who tried to tell me after the event “Ah knew we were OK when Billy scored” are, frankly, liars. Still more hideously wrong was the fatuous statement “It’s just a fitba match! ” We still had these minutes to see out.

Bertie Auld did not seem to be worried though. He took his time, pretending to trip over a pile of police coats placed too close to the pitch, and generally clowning. In truth, Dunfermline seldom got over the halfway line in those last desperate minutes.