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Men Against Boys - The Rovers Return

This document summarizes Celtic's UEFA Cup match against Blackburn Rovers in 2002. It discusses how Blackburn's manager Graeme Souness and captain Gary Flitcroft had made arrogant comments before the match, saying it would be "men against boys". Celtic won the first leg 1-0 and then dominated the second leg, winning 3-0 on aggregate. Their performance demolished the conceit of Blackburn's players and management, proving Celtic were a top team and could win the tournament. The victory also boosted Celtic's reputation in the UK football media.

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86 views3 pages

Men Against Boys - The Rovers Return

This document summarizes Celtic's UEFA Cup match against Blackburn Rovers in 2002. It discusses how Blackburn's manager Graeme Souness and captain Gary Flitcroft had made arrogant comments before the match, saying it would be "men against boys". Celtic won the first leg 1-0 and then dominated the second leg, winning 3-0 on aggregate. Their performance demolished the conceit of Blackburn's players and management, proving Celtic were a top team and could win the tournament. The victory also boosted Celtic's reputation in the UK football media.

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Men Against Boys - The Rovers Return The Martin ONeill era was punctuated by significant, landmark victories

that heightened supporters expectations of what his team could realistically achieve. European triumphs over Juventus, Lyon and Barcelona were indisputable high points, while the 6-2 game served notice of a club on the rise and kick started a period of domestic dominance. However, the elimination of a provincial club in the early rounds of the UEFA Cup, on a wet night in Lancashire, is for many fans a memory to be treasured along with the other wonderful achievements of the Irishmans reign. Ten years ago this month, 10,000 Celtic fans pitched up in Blackburn, in fine voice and good spirits, hoping to see ONeills men defend their one goal lead from the first leg in Glasgow. At the time, Rovers were enjoying their best season in the Premiership since winning the title in 1995 and would go on to finish in sixth position. They had lifted the league cup in the previous campaign and boasted international players of high calibre including Freidel, Duff, Dunn, Yorke and Cole. Their modern day equivalent would be Everton - talented, workmanlike and operating just below the top six, but it is inconceivable that David Moyes or his players would exhibit the air of superiority adopted by Graeme Souness and his players a decade ago. The build up to the return leg had been peppered by displays of bravado and arrogance from the Rovers manager. Not content with an orchestrated rail journey to Glasgow, he arranged for his team to train at Rangers training base and conspicuously arrived at the mouth of the Celtic Park tunnel an age after the first leg had kicked off. When his captain, Gary Flitcroft repeated Souness post match assertion to the media that it had been men against boys, despite Rovers defeat, the stage was set for an evening of high drama at a rainsoaked Ewood Park. The kick off was delayed by fifteen minutes due to the size of the travelling support but when Larsson finished beautifully in the 15th minute for a precious away goal, it was evident Celtics progress would be delayed no longer, as they imposed their will on their opponents with alacrity. Rovers were unprepared for the unrelenting pressure applied upon them from first minute to last, perfectly illustrated in the performance of Didier Agathe, who showcased his defensive capabilities by neutralising Damien Duff to an extent that had yet to be seen in the English Premiership. Valgaaren cut a commanding figure in the backline and the attacking triumvirate of Larsson, Hartson and Chris Sutton simply could not be contained. In the aftermath, even Souness would concede that Sutton had been unplayable.

The Celtic faithful, colourful, boisterous and drookit in the Darwen end behind the goals, departed from their set list only once in the second half, to greet Chris Suttons thumping header with a collective roar of triumph. By this point the Blackburn players were forlorn and weary, while Souness and Flitcroft were exposed as not only indiscreet and unprofessional, but foolish, given their 3-0 aggregate hiding. As we know, Celtic would reach the final in Seville but this victory felt like more than just a pit stop en route. Once again, the clubs credentials and the reputation of the fans had been emphatically reasserted in front of a UK wide audience as the players demolished the conceit of the Blackburn players and management team. When Sutton and Larsson were interviewed post match they could scarcely contain their contempt for the men against boys jibe, confirming it had been a motivating factor for the return match. Similarly, the manager felt moved to respond to the trash talk which had emanated from Ewood, insisting afterwards that Celtic had went into the game with a point to prove. Victory at Anfield later in the competition cemented the belief that Celtic could actually win the tournament, but the comprehensive nature of the win over Blackburn provided further proof that Celtic, as a club, were on the road again. The victory also prompted southern journalists into reappraisals of their pre match assessments of the standard of ONeills team, most of which appeared to have been drafted in a state of dismissive ignorance. The balance was redressed the following morning as sports sections all over the UK led with articles of praise for the team and admiration for the thousands of sodden supporters, who had given a masterclass in how to be the twelfth man. The eternal footballing principles of teamwork, discipline and belief provided the foundation for the win against Blackburn and crucially, the team grasped the chances that came their way over both legs. While tactics, personnel and good fortune are also necessary ingredients for success, the players who took the field at Ewood were hungry for the win and gave their English adversaries a merciless chasing. While the tie was not on the same scale as the epic cross border clash with Leeds in 1970, for many younger fans, the defeat of a contemptuous and disdainful rival from the south was a first, and the sense of satisfaction and pride at upstaging an ex rival in such a comprehensive manner was enormous. There would be more to come from this team as they exceeded our wildest expectations and the Ewood experience was a wonderful appetiser. Chris Collins

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