Former goalkeeper Peter Latchford is glad that the 70’s Bhoys weren’t put under the media spotlight that current players face.
Barely a week goes by without some minor incident involving a player hitting the internet then quickly finding it’s way into newspapers.
Celtic players have always carried celebrity status but the current crop have a wealth of media outlets interested in their every move with every second person in the street a would be photographer ready to take a picture or video that can quickly become public knowledge.
Earlier this year Scott Brown decided to spend his birthday down in Newcastle, before the last of the cake had been eaten a ‘controversial’ video of the midfielder on a train discussing something or other was being brought to the nations attention.
The 70’s players were hardly angels but lived in and around the supporters, drinking and enjoying themselves amongst the people that paid their wages and with whom they had a greater affinity than today’s detached ‘superstars’.
COVERAGE
Latchford said: “There was nothing like the media coverage that you get now, it’s a circus now.
“The players now live and work in a goldfish bowl, personally that’s one thing that I’m very glad that I missed out on.
“Players can’t do anything, they can’t go anywhere, every day they are scrutinised by the media and supporters. Everything is recorded and debated.
“Thank goodness that didn’t go on in my day, it would have got quite embarrassing!
“We did lead quite normal lives and for that I’m very grateful. I loved coming to do my job, I thoroughly enjoyed my job but I also valued my private life, my family and my life away from it.
“My family weren’t in the glare of publicity, they appreciated that as well.”
RARITY
It’s hard to picture an age when live televised football was a rarity, before nightly radio phone-ins, pre message boards and websites and when football was only played on Saturday afternoons or Wednesday nights.
Only the champions played in the European Cup, the Uefa Cup was highly rated, clubs had supporters rather than fan-bases and the club shop consisted of a couple of scarves or tammies that had to be pre-ordered.
Despite the lack of add-ons the Celtic-Rangers fixture was always fiercely competitive with the fabled 4-2 match containing everything and more for the supporter.
Only this grainy cine camera tape exists to preserve the drama of the night, a fixture without parallel as the destiny of the championship was decided between the Glasgow rivals in Celtic’s final game of the season.
RECAPTURE
A strike at STV prevented the highlights being shown on television and with Radio Scotland committed to commentating on the following nights Scotland-Northern Ireland Home International match only those that were inside Celtic Park or who played able to recapture the drama of a special Monday night.
Latchford admitted: “Probably because the 4-2 game wasn’t on television we can tell more lies about it, Murdo’s goal gets longer and longer every time that you talk to him.
“I’ve seen the grainy video of the match, I really wish that that game had been recorded. What a fabulous game.
“Just to capture the atmosphere in the park that night was incredible.
IMPORTANCE
“The build up wasn’t like you get these days but there was no doubting the importance of the game, we needed to win to win the league, it was clear cut.
“Winning the league is always fantastic, to do it against Rangers in the circumstances that we did was amazing.
“It was a fantastic night for everyone involved and one that we’ll all remember for the rest of our life’s.”
Peter, Peter give us a wave