Celtic on this Day – Big wins and a big birthday for Simon Donnelly

The Celtic Star

·1 December 2024

Celtic on this Day – Big wins and a big birthday for Simon Donnelly

Celtic on this Day – Big wins and a big birthday for Sid

Emilio Izaguirre celebratesHearts 0 Celtic 7, 1 December 2011. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

1 December 2013

Mikael Lustig celebrates Hearts 0 Celtic 7, 1 December 2013. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

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Hearts 0-7 Celtic. “When the Celts go up to lift the Scottish Cup, you’ll be deed, you’ll be deed,” sung the travelling away support as a humorous dig at the Jambos who were going through a period of financial turmoil. This was at a time when Hearts gave Celtic the full stand behind the goal. How times have changed, for the worse.

Scott Brown celebratesHearts 0 Celtic 7, 1 December 2013. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Flying high in the league, but out of the Champions League and embarrassingly exiting the Scottish League Cup to bottom of the Scottish Championship Greenock Morton, the Scottish Cup had become a priority for Celtic. Neil Lennon’s side’s fourth round victory over Hearts was Celtic’s biggest ever victory over the Tynecastle club in their 126-year history.

It was also Hearts’ record worst defeat since a 7-0 thumping to Hibs in the 1970s. Amazingly, the Hoops were five up at half-time and disappointingly scored just the two times after the interval. It could have been double digits in the capital. Kris Commons took the match-ball home, Broony grabbed a double and Joe Ledley and Mikael Lustig joined in to pile more misery on Gary Locke’s men.

Mikael Lustig celebrates. Hearts 0 Celtic 7, 1 December 2013. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Lennon described it as the best Celtic performance under his managerial reign. However, it would count for nothing as Celtic would be beaten in the round thereafter to Aberdeen at Paradise ending any hopes of a double.

1 December 2019

Ross County 1 Celtic 4, 1 December 2019, Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Ross County 1-4 Celtic. Neil Lennon’s side were motoring both on the domestic front and on the continent. The win in Dingwall was Lennon’s side’s 10th consecutive victory in the league taking their tally to 37 points from a possible 42.

Tom Rogic celebrates. Ross County 1 Celtic 4, 1 December 2019, Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Maintaining their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership table courtesy of a Ryan Christie brace, and goals from Tom Rogic and Mikey Johnston, Celtic were heading into the Scottish League Cup final against theRangers a week later in remarkable form. However, anxiously, the Celtic support would wait for an update on the fitness of Odsonne Edouard who had been sidelined through injury.

1 December 1974

Simon Donnelly of Celtic football club taken during the team photocall in Glasgow. Photo Allsport UK

Happy 50th birthday to Simon Donnelly, born on this day in 1974. Spending six years at Paradise, Donnelly made his debut for the green and white Hoops against Hibs in a Scottish Premier Division encounter towards the end of the 1993/1994 season.

Part of the Tommy Burns side that clinched the 1994/1995 Scottish Cup, the following season, Donnelly would only miss one league match scoring six goals in the process. Integral in stopping Rangers winning the 10, Donnelly played a significant contribution under the guidance of Wim Jansen during the iconic 1997/1998 campaign.

26 August 1997: Simon Donnelly of Celtic celebrates a goal during the UEFA Cup Preliminary round second leg match against against Tirol Innsbruck at Celtic Park. Celtic won 6-3 on the night and 7-5 on aggregate. Photo: StuForster /Allsport

Harald Brattbakk who immersed himself in Celtic folklore had actually been subbed on for Donnelly before scoring in the legendary league clinching match in 1998 against St Johnstone. Scoring 42 goals in 150 appearances for Celtic and winning three major honours during a challenging period in the history of the club, Donnelly joined Sheffield Wednesday in 1999 along with Phil O’Donnell on a Bosman free transfer.

30 September 1997: Bjorn Kvarme of Liverpool (right) clears the ball under the close scrutiny of Simon Donnelly of Celtic during the UEFA Cup first round second leg match at Anfield. Photo: Shaun Botterill /Allsport

Remembered fondly, Sid now works for Celtic TV covering the Hoops matches for supporters outside Britain and Ireland.

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