Celtic hero issues plea to title-chasing Hoops as squad urged to channel spirit of dramatic 1986 league triumph
A key member of Celtic’s 1985/86 league title-winning squad has recalled one of the closest finishes in Scottish top-flight history
May 3rd, 1986 is a date that Celtic hero Peter Grant still recalls with fond memories. The Scottish Premiership title race had gone down to the final day of the season.
The Hoops would go on to lift the trophy on goal difference after overturning a two-point deficit to Hearts by beating St Mirren 5-0 at Love Street while the Jambos lost 2-0 to Dundee in a dramatic chain of events that few onlookers envisaged.
Few expected Celtic to emerge with the silverware and it’s for that very reason that Grant has pleaded with Martin O’Neill’s side to channel the spirit of 86’ and apply it to their own title bid this season.
“Hearts had gone unbeaten in 27 games – with another four cup ties,” Grant recalled. “We really had to dig in and win all of those remaining eight games.
“I remember I missed a couple with a hamstring injury and was on the bench for the Fir Park and Paisley. We were up against it, but the one thing we had were goal scorers. I knew going out there we could score the goals we needed.
“I didn’t think for a million years Hearts would lose, I didn’t think they would even draw. But you have to have that sort of belief.
“Goals have been difficult to come by this season and you wonder where they are going to come from. It was great to see (Kelechi) Iheanacho getting part of the game at the weekend. The problem is you have to take these guys off because none of the strikers have played a lot of games.
“Tomas (Cvancara) has come in, but he didn’t play a lot in the first half of the season, Iheanacho has been injured, you saw what happened in the cup final when Celtic capitulated when he went off.
“You need all these guys to be available. They need to do something they haven’t done all season – and that’s put a run together. There’s no hiding from it. There’s no an inch they can give now, if they lose again then it is game over.
“We felt we had to win every game, but I always think you are under that pressure at Celtic anyway. You are not allowed to lose a game at any time.”
Grant: Celtic must get back to basics to stand chance of winning Premiership title
Celtic have lacked consistency in their performances this season and Grant has urged the current squad to get back to basics and come out firing after the international break or run the risk of becoming detached from the top two in the title race.
“There’s no doubt it’s been a tough season,” he added. “I always used to think about judging players and asking who are the seven and eight out of tens every week. There’s no one really in there who have been more than a six most weeks
“I just think they haven’t played well enough. It doesn’t matter if you are a good player, you need good players around you to perform, to win and Celtic haven’t had that this season.
“You turn up at Celtic Park as a supporter and you don’t know what you are going to get that day. It’s been a long time since I felt that. It’s not through a lack of effort, but it happens.
“You also don’t know what the team is going to be playing. It’s been a combination of injuries, form or whatever, but it’s not been consistent.
“I also think you have to win your midfield battles, especially against teams that go long, you need to be winning those second balls. People think it’s nothing, but it’s a skill to do that. We were always aggressive. I think we’re a better side when we get the ball out wide and get crosses in, but it’s not happening enough.
“Celtic are at their best when the full backs are pushing up and getting balls into the box. You need to go these basics well, but you need goal scorers on the end of them.
“We had the likes of Brian (McClair), wee Mo (Johnston), midfielders like TB (Tommy Burns), Murdo (McLeod) and Paul McStay, who could all get a goal. We had attacking players so knew we could get at teams. We’d get it forward, get it in the box and if the strikers weren’t there it was their fault.
“Sometimes we’ve not made it as basic as that this season. Very rarely do you see Celtic games when they haven’t scored.
“We’ve had strikers over the years that could have a stinker but then pop up with the winner. Right now, you are hoping Celtic score, rather than expecting them to, and that’s the big difference to back in ‘86.”
*Peter Grant was helping to launch a campaign to build a statue of Lisbon Lion Jim Craig in Govan at the Glasgow Irish Centre.