Rangers serenaded at Celtic Park as 30-year anniversary goes unnoticed - Celtic v Club Brugge extras

After Celtic’s 1-1 draw with Club Brugge in the Champions League, Alan Pattullo picks out some extra talking points from the match:

Freak goes continue

What is it about Club Brugge and freak goals when they come to Scotland, which admittedly has not been very often? Last night’s 1-1 draw with Celtic was only the second time they have played a competitive match in this country.

The Belgians profited from a goal they had little hand in scoring when Cameron Carter-Vickers played a blind pass back to his ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel. Unfortunately for the defender his ‘keeper was not where he thought he should. Carter-Vickers watched in horror as the ball trundled over the line.

It might have been eve of Thanksgiving Day but this was not the kind of gift the American was presumably intending giving. Nevertheless, Brugge were appreciative, especially given their experience on their last visit. Perhaps some among their noisy band of fans might even have been in Glasgow on a rain-lashed night in March 1993. Their team fell to a 2-1 Champions League defeat against Rangers after a goal even the scorer admitted was “heading towards Harthill” before the ball hit a divot and arced over ‘keeper Dany Verlinden.

Cameron Carter-Vickers scored an own goal during Celtic's 1-1 draw with Club Brugge. | SNS Group

That unlikely goalscorer was Scott Nisbet, who recently re-lived the goal in an interview with The Scotsman. “It was a tackle!” he said of the moment he swung his boot at the ball near the main stand touchline at Ibrox. “It was a tackle. Because we were down to 10 men, the half time team talk from the gaffer (Walter Smith) was, 'Keep battling, keep winning everything'. And we did. And luckily I went in for the ball. And the boy pulled out at the last second. (The ball) caught part of his boot. And then it must have hit the driest spot on the pitch, because it was just torrential rain that night. The last time I saw the ball it was heading towards Harthill!”

When Nisbet looked up again, the ball was nestling in the net. One theory promoted by Nisbet for Brugge not having been back in Scotland since is that his fluke “finished them off”. It must be said that they looked pretty handy last night and might have been two or even three goals up at half-time.

Their fans even seemed to underline that there were no hard feelings about that Nisbet goal, which saw Rangers triumph despite having ten men (Mark Hateley was sent off in the first half). The visiting contingent tried to antagonise their Celtic hosts by singing “We love you Rangers, we do!” during the pre-match build-up.

The Club Brugge fans during the game at Celtic Park. | SNS Group

Raith game kept quiet

Celtic like their history though it was notable – and understandable – that there was not a peep about the 30th anniversary of one of the club’s darkest days last night.

Competing in the Champions League seemed a long way away when Tommy Burns’ side were beaten in the Coca-Cola Cup final by Raith Rovers after a penalty shootout at Ibrox on 27 November 1994. It was a memory to help bring some perspective as the home fans left the stadium, perhaps grumbling about a chance missed to hit the 10-point mark that seems to be the agreed first target for knockout phase play-off involvement.

Aitken’s flag day

One club legend certainly knows how to appreciate the current good times. Emphasising how Champions League nights at Celtic Park never seem to lose their appeal, Roy Aitken, the former Celtic skipper, was seen filming the shaking of the Champions League flag ceremony on his mobile phone before kick off. Aitken, who won six league titles with Celtic and five Scottish Cups, turned 66 on Sunday. Tuesday was another League Cup associated anniversary – 29 years since 'The Bear' led Aberdeen to victory over Dundee at Hampden to lift their last-but-one major trophy (and their last when scoring a goal).