A last minute goal, or two can be a nightmare for publishers to report on.
In the old days of newsprint a reporter would have a word count to deliver, almost certainly on the final whistle.
Getting 80% of the report in place with 10 or 15 minutes left to cover an introduction or late drama was the target. The ultimate about-turn came at the 1999 Champions League Final when in the 88th minute Manchester United were well beaten before launching a thousand re-writes as they became Kings of Europe five minutes later.
Last night’s drama at Celtic Park wasn’t quite on the same level but somewhere down the line someone at The Times went into meltdown as word came through of two dramatic late twists.
Hamilton’s equaliser threw a very unexpected twist on the previous 90 minutes but in true Roy of the Rovers fashion Scott Brown decided to have the final say- or was it a former Scotland manager that came to the rescue?
At the sports desk of The Times panic set in as someone came up with the headline below. In the olden days that mistake could be dismissed alongside the chip-wrappers- in 2019 the digital footprint is there forever more.
Utterly embarrassing from @magnusllewellin & his bunch of amateurs….. pic.twitter.com/LhLlSWseia
— Slimshady (@Slimshady1961) December 5, 2019
I think that wins the internet today…… ??
— Slimshady (@Slimshady1961) December 5, 2019
— ????32???? (@sc32ie) December 5, 2019
