Barcelona 04- when history was made

Who can forget their first time in Barcelona?

Generations of tourists have visited La Ramblas, hopped up a tour bus and visited the Nou Camp, spent their euros in the Barcelona club shop or gone on the stadium tour.

Watching a match in the Nou Camp is a bonus, seeing your own team in action a thrill and witnessing Celtic knock Barcelona out of the UEFA Cup is Carlsberg material.

Back in the glory days of March 2004 Celtic headed to Barcelona with the memories of Seville still very fresh and a one goal lead to protect in the last-16 tie.

With Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton up front we were always in with a chance but at the back teenager David Marshall was about to be thrown in at the deep end due to Rab Douglas’ suspension and Magnus Hedman’s latest injury.

Bobo Balde’s suspension caused further problems at the back but ready to step into the team and partner Stan Varga was John Kennedy who’d spent the best part of three years waiting for a chance like this to play on the big stage.

In 2004 I had the misfortune to be writing for the sleazy down market, phone tapping rag known as the Sunday Mirror but there were a few perks in amongst the grief and embarrassment of working for a company whose name is best whispered.

One of them was travel and already that season I’d watched Celtic lose in Munich, Brussels, Lyon and Teplice as well Rangers crashing out of Europe following defeats to Manchester United and Stuttgart For good measure I’d also watched Scotland get hammered in Holland, Wales and go down predictably in Germany.

Barcelona was different however, it was a mini Seville with supporters grasping the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to see Celtic play in the Nou Camp unaware that there would be another two trips to the footballing cathedral over the next four years.

With my travel arrangements through Cambuslang Travel looking quite boring, others were making more roundabout journeys to the match with my younger cousin enjoying a more exotic trip than flying direct.

On the morning of the match I picked Alex and his pal John up at a railway station following their train journey from the south of France after flying in from Birmingham!

After sneaking them into my hotel for a much needed shower it was time to hit the tapas and sangria and savour the pre-match sunshine and atmosphere before the almost inevitable end of the European campaign.

Going out on a high without disgrace to Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona was about the limit of Celtic’s ambitions before some strange things started falling into place in the Nou Camp.

With Celtic supporters located in every nook and cranny of the old stadium Marshall pulled off a great one handed save in the opening minutes. Kennedy followed his instructions to the letter as he struck up an unlikely partnership with Varga to keep tabs on Ronaldinho.

As half time approached Celtic remained ahead on aggregate. Barca got more and more agitated as O’Neill’s side stuck dogedly to their task. The substituted Carlos Puyol almost came to blows with Stan Petrov over a throw in as the clock ticked towards towards 90.

Suddenly it was over. Celtic were through, Barcelona were out. That night the words ‘Barcelona, Real Madrid they will make a gallant bid’ from an old song rang true. In a state of shock the Celtic fans celebrated, no-one who was there will ever forget the experience.

The UEFA Cup campaign ended down the road against Villareall, Barcelona finally took our Larsson away but the result that night will never ever be forgotten.

Tonight in the shadow of the Nou Camp Kennedy’s u-19 side take on their Barca counterparts. If they take the lead from their boss and recreate the spirit of 2004 they can create their own footnote of Celtic folklore. History awaits the Next Gen Bhoys.

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