Celtic fans & a Lisbon Lions: A 50-year adore affair

• Celtic supporters have been nominated for a FIFA Fan Award
• Full-stadium tifo one of many tributes to European Cup-winning Lisbon Lions
• Jim Craig, a member of that team, tells FIFA.com of his honour and gratitude

“Football is zero yet fans.”

It is a quote that, over a years, has turn a slogan. Indeed, many supporters opposite a universe will have seen these difference – splashed, likely, opposite t-shirts or banners – yet meaningful a male who spoken them.

But Jim Craig knew that male well. He played underneath a good Jock Stein during Celtic for 7 years and, together, they rewrote annals and became champions of Europe.

50 years ago today, Celtic Football Club became Kings of Europe #Lisboa50 pic.twitter.com/JBp12moMjS

— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) May 25, 2017

Craig remembers, too, that Stein’s mythological line about a stress of supporters was no small sound bite. It was executive to his ethos, and that of his dear team.

“Nothing yet a fans? Big Jock stressed that constantly. And he meant it,” Craig told FIFA.com. “In roughly each organisation talk, he would make a indicate of how critical a supporters were, how distant they had trafficked to see us play, a sacrifices they had made. And he would remind us that we had a energy to give them a good day – to make them proud.”

Craig Co didn’t need many convincing. They competence have been heroes, a first British organisation to win a European Cup but, famously, all yet one of them had been innate within a ten-mile radius of Celtic Park.

“We were typical guys. Still are,” pronounced Craig. “The immeasurable infancy of us were Celtic fans ourselves, and those who weren’t fast became fans.

“I always contend that there competence have been improved teams in a story of football – nonetheless we consider a Lions could give anyone a diversion – yet we don’t consider any organisation of players has had a improved attribute with a supporters. The fact it continues all these years later, and is as clever as ever, unequivocally is amazing.”

More conspicuous still is that a fast devotion is not cramped to a supporters who saw Stein’s side and revelled in their swashbuckling aggressive style. The songs sung in their honour, a shirts and scarves ragged in tribute, infer usually as renouned among generations who missed out on that privilege.

This year, with a jubilee of that ancestral 1967 triumph’s 50th anniversary, a commend has risen nonetheless further. Events from London to Las Vegas have been hold in a Lions’ honour, and each Celtic compare in 2017 has been noted by fans singing and displaying their mobile phone flashlights in a 67th minute.

The many fantastic arrangement of all, though, came on 21 May, 4 days forward of a anniversary. It arrived in a figure of a stunning full-stadium tifo that warranted a Celtic supporters not usually a assignment for a FIFA Fan Award, yet a almighty thankfulness of a group they were honouring.

Watch in slow-mo as Paradise pays a wise reverence to a Lisbon Lions. #Lisboa50 pic.twitter.com/fWbxAyplbk

— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) May 21, 2017

“That was a special day,” pronounced Craig. “You get some moments in your life that you’d adore to be means to usually keep in your mind, and that was one of them.

“It was also one of those moments, and there are many of them, when we looked around and wished that a rest of boys were there to see it,” combined a former right-back, referring to a flitting of 4 of a Lions, not to discuss Stein and his backroom staff.

“I know they would have desired it given a track looked magnificent. we can positively see because it has been shortlisted for this endowment and we unequivocally wish a fans win it.

“I’m intensely beholden to them, as we know all a guys are, not usually for that arrangement yet for all that’s been finished for a Lions this year – and ever given ’67. The Celtic fans are a special bunch, and we count ourselves really propitious that they’ve kept us so tighten to their hearts.”

The leader of a FIFA Fan Award is motionless by you, a FIFA.com users. Don’t forget to cast your vote!

Article source: http://www.fifa.com/the-best-fifa-football-awards/news/y=2017/m=10/news=celtic-fans-the-lisbon-lions-a-50-year-love-affair-2914309.html