Happy Celtic memories of Tommy Coyne’s winner against Rangers

The Celtic Star

·26. Februar 2025

Happy Celtic memories of Tommy Coyne’s winner against Rangers

Tommy Coyne’s winner in the Scottish Cup tie against Rangers brought back plenty of memories, for some more than others…

Tommy Coyne during Celtic’s Scottish Cup victory over Rangers at Celtic Park on 25 February 1990. Photo The Celtic Wiki

35 years ago this week Celtic took on Rangers in a Scottish Cup tie at Paradise. In an era when we were in the Ibrox clubs shadow due to their incredible spending power, it was to put it mildly a very difficult period to be Celtic supporter.

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Rangers spending like there was no tomorrow

The cup however is different to the league in that it’s a one off and anything can happen on the day. We were a distance behind the Ibrox club on and off the park, not that anyone would dare to admit it openly at the time. But this game was a chance to put one over on Rangers, and earn the bragging rights just as we did nine months previously when we beat them in the final of the same competition to lift the trophy and deny them a treble in the process.

Celtic celebrations during Celtic’s Scottish Cup victory over Rangers at Celtic Park on 25 February 1990. Photo The Celtic Wiki

This was also our only realistic chance to win silverware that year. We were the holders and we were at home, we were fully fired up and didn’t need any extra encouragement.

Paradise was a cauldron of noise

Celtic Park was as usual as it always was on these occasions a cauldron of noise as we took on our fiercest rivals. In the end we prevailed and beat the Ibrox side by a solitary goal through Tommy Coyne which arrived just on the cusp of half time.

It was a scrappy but opportunistic finish by the talented Tommy Coyne who bundled a cross come shot by Joe Miller into the net, and even the cowardly brutality of John Brown who stuck his knee into our goal hero as he ran off to celebrate couldn’t contain Tommy or the Celtic supporters elation at scoring such a vital goal.

Butcher almost took the hinges off a door

Those unfortunate enough not to be at game could watch the action which was broadcast live on TV. Those viewers would witness the hilarious moment when winning manager Billy McNeill’s post match interview right on full time was disturbed by a raging Terry Butcher who almost took the hinges off a door leading to the dressing rooms. Billy’s raging stare at the Englishman suggested he would have given Butcher similar treatment to the door if the cameras weren’t rolling.

Some unfortunately couldn’t witness the action at the stadium or on the TV, and even the radio. One of those being a ten year old boy who had recently moved down south in an age well before the numerous easily accessible satellite television channel’s or internet access.

Celtic celebrations during Celtic’s Scottish Cup victory over Rangers at Celtic Park on 25 February 1990. Photo The Celtic Wiki

A kind hearted Aunt

The boy in question had to rely on frequently refreshed teletext updates to finally celebrate the joyous victory. He did however get to watch the game in full thanks to a kind hearted Aunt who had taped it on the VCR before shipping it down south to her grateful ten year old nephew.

He throughly enjoyed it as he watched the game over and over until the tape had nearly ran out. The boy in question was of course me. Happy memories indeed.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy