Celtic icon slams timing of Parkhead Oasis concert as Lisbon Lions legacy 'means nothing' to chiefs

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie slammed the timing of the Oasis concert at Parkhead on the 60th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions - the legacy of whom he suggests will truly live forever.

The date May 25 will forever be etched in Celtic folklore following the sides heroics in the 1967 European Cup, when Jock Stein’s heroes defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in the final at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon. In years gone by, Celtic have commemorated their triumph by way of various methods, however, next year, it’ll be marked by an unrelated rock concert.

Having expressed admiration for the Hoops in the past, Oasis frontmen Liam and Noel Gallagher have made no secret they’d enjoying performing a gig at Celtic Park. Earlier this month, for their upcoming tour it was announced that the venue would play host to the band’s concerts in Glasgow. May 25 is one of five dates pencilled in for Oasis at Parkhead. Each gig sold out over the weekend.

Why is McAvennie annoyed at Oasis concert timing?

The former Hoops and West Ham number nine played under legendary Celtic captain Billy McNeil during his second managerial stint in the late 1980s. He thinks that the club’s hierarchy have undervalued the achievement of the Lisbon Lions, by hosting a rock concert instead of something in their memory.

On his Let Me Be Frank concert, he explained: “It should mean everything to Celtic Football Club (the Lisbon Lions). But it obviously means nothing to Celtic. I'm really annoyed at that. I love Oasis, but they've got Oasis playing on the night of the 60th anniversary of the cup.”

A decade ago, for the half-century anniversary, Hoops-daft performer Rod Stewart headlined a concert at the Hydro named ‘Celebrate ‘67’ - a night designed to acknowledge Celtic’s greatest ever triumph. As another milestone is now reached, McAvennie thinks they should’ve done something similar?

How does McAvennie think Celtic should’ve celebrated the 60th anniversary?

He continued: "Do they (Celtic chiefs) not read the room? Does the people running Celtic not have a clue what's going on? They had a 50th at the Hydro, Rod Stewart did it and it was a brilliant night. They've got to have a 60th. Are they going to try and sell tickets somewhere else when Oasis is on? Do you know what should have happened? They've got the stadium for five nights. What they should have done is said, 'Look, you're not getting it for the 25th because we're going to have something for the anniversary. How about you guys playing, like Rod Stewart did?'

"Could they not have done something like that? Noel Gallagher is a big fan of Celtic. I'm sure Liam and the boys would've got behind it. Do Celtic not think about the fans anymore? Celtic Football Club is the Lisbon Lions, let's be honest about it. We've all played under great managers and won Doubles and Trebles. But the Lisbon Lions are what put Celtic on the map."

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