Final Curtain: Tony Mowbray's Last Old Firm Game

Published on Friday 26 February 2010 23:26

AS A player, Tony Mowbray forever changed the face of Celtic FC, and on 16 June, 2009 he made his triumphant return as manager.

In succeeding Gordon Strachan, fans had high hopes that he could implement the same sharp and controlled passing football which saw his West Bromwich Albion side promoted to the Premier League in 2008 (apparently forgetting that his refusal to change from all-out attack saw the same side relegated the following season). His Parkhead reign started brightly with Celtic

While the mild mannered Paul McStay was officially the club captain during Mowbray's tenure as a player, it was the latter who was the voice of Celtic Park. He was the embodiment of the heart and spirit of the club and his legacy, the "huddle", has since become part of the Celtic lexicon. Celtic were a club in transition at the time, trailing Rangers and Motherwell in the race for the league title and going nowhere fast. Mowbray's huddle was a defiant symbol of solidarity from a team in the midst of a difficult period.

In August 1994, Mowbray made his final appearance in an Old Firm game. Ibrox was the setting – and a Rangers team right in the middle of a historic nine-in-a-row series of league titles were stunned by a 2-0 defeat. In ten minutes Brian Laudrup went clean through on the Celtic goal and, had it not been for a brilliantly timed last-ditch Mowbray challenge, it could have been a very different scoreline that day. Mowbray was booked ten minutes later for another goal-saving challenge, this time on Mark Hateley, before collecting the ball to start a Celtic break which led to the first goal from John Collins. McStay earned a second goal for the visiting side after the break, and a back four marshalled by Mowbray held out for the three points and a brief stay at the top of the league. Mowbray remained at Celtic for the rest of the season before moving to Ipswich Town.