Neil Lennon returns to Dens Park tonight, the scene of his Celtic debut 12 action packed years ago.
Two new stands behind each goal is about all that has changed around the ground which still has the old traditional feel about it.
With very few exceptions it’s been a happy hunting ground for Celtic teams with a good surface and plenty of width unlike across the street at Tannadice.
Trips to Dens Park have usually been laced with goals with the five matches below typical of clashes between Dundee and Celtic.
Looking back on that match in December 2000 Lennon admitted: “Dens Park holds a special place in my heart. It was the first place I pulled on the Celtic strip.
“It is a very traditional ground. There is a slant on the pitch and you feel like you are running down a hill sometimes.
“I remember the dressing room being very tight and compact, and totally different from the Premier League grounds.
“I was used to that at Crewe — playing in tight grounds — and there was a great crowd that night. It also started to snow.
“I remember the game very vividly. We started like a house on fire. Stan Petrov scored before Tom Boyd did his usual own goal to make it 1-1! Didier Agathe nicked a 2-1 win at the end and we went on this really great run afterwards.”
FIVE MEMORABLE DUNDEE V CELTIC MATCHES
Dundee 2-6 Celtic 24/9/83
The start of the 83/84 season wasn’t an easy one for Celtic following the departures of Billy McNeill and Charlie Nicholas.
McNeill’s departing gift had been the £80,000 signing of Brian McClair from Motherwell but new manager Davie Hay seemed determined to prove that his own signing, Jim Melrose was the man to partner Frank McGarvey in attack.
A midweek injury for McGarvey playing for Scotland gave McClair his chance and he took it in style with four goals either side of strikes from Tommy Burns and Melrose.
Cammy Fraser of Dundee was sent off in the second half with the home side also having Tosh McKinlay, Stewart McKimmie and a certain Albert Kidd in their line-up.
Despite his four goals McClair was relegated to the bench for Celtic’s next match, a 4-1 win away to Aarhus with McGarvey teaming up with Melrose.
Dundee 1-1 Celtic 9/3/85
Over 20,000 packed into Dens Park for this Scottish Cup quarter final with no-one left complaining at the end of the 90 minutes.
Dundee had put Rangers out in the previous round thanks to a John Brown hat-trick with the Scottish Cup representing Celtic’s best chance of ending over two years without a trophy.
A former tracksuit salesman opened the scoring for Celtic in the 67th minute but five minutes later Brown headed the equaliser for the home side with Celtic holding on to earn a replay at Celtic Park.
Celtic won the replay 2-1 at home on route to beating Dundee United 2-1 in the Hampden Final to claim the 100th Scottish Cup.
Dundee 1-2 Celtic 13/2/88
Momentum was building in Celtic’s bid to win the double in their Centenary season as they travelled to Dens Park for the second time of the season.
After a goal-less first half Chris Morris curled a brilliant free kick around the Dundee wall in the 49th minute to open the scoring but Ian Angus quickly equalised for the home side.
Celtic had struggled to single goal wins over Stranraer and Motherwell in the previous weeks and weren’t quite firing on all cylinders but in the final minute Frank McAvennie headed home from a Morris free kick.
Dundee’s strikeforce consisted of the prolific duo of Tommy Coyne and Keith Wright but by this stage of the season nothing was going to stop Celtic as they marched towards the double.
Dundee 0-3 Celtic 27/12/98
The momentous year of 98 came to a halt with Celtic trailing Dick Advocaat’s Rangers despite a 5-1 victory over the Dutchman’s allstars in November.
Retaining the title was to prove a step too far but after nine years of suffering it was party time at Dens Park with a number of fans turning up in fancy dress.
Towards the end of the first half the chant of ‘choorio-10-in-a-row’ first went up and was continued throughout the half time break and beyond.
The team wasn’t sitting in the healthiest place but the relief of stopping 10-in-a-row will never be forgotten with the team responding in style with a comfortable 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Vidar Riseth, Phil O’Donnell and an own goal from Rab Douglas.
Dundee 0-1 Celtic 13/9/03
Bobo Balde headed the only goal of the game but the match was best remembered for the ordering off of Didier Agathe.
Celtic were already in front when Nacho Novo fell to the ground in the 20th minute after minimal contact with Agathe around 40 yards from goal with Martin O’Neill furious at the decision.
Henrik Larsson dropped back into midfield as Celtic dug in for three important points at the start of a 25 match winning run that had the SPL title done and dusted early in the new year.
There was one more great Dens Park memory during the 80’s a 1-0 Scottish Cup Third Round Second Replay in the 86/87 season.
Following a 2-2 draw at Pittoddrie and 0-0 replay at Celtic Park the SFA took the second replay to Dens Park where a 16th minute goal by Brian McClair seperated the teams in front of 21,255 supporters.
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A former tracksuit salesman…. Brilliant!
Former tracksuit salesman? Who would that be?
Judas Johnson?