Too Many Games? Gie Us Peace says our old friend Para Handy…
After last weekend’s 3–0 doing at Ibrox, I’m probably not the only Celtic supporter getting a wee bit tired of hearing about “too many games.”
So here’s a thought…
Celtic played 57 competitive games in 1966–67, the Lisbon Lions season, and 52 the following year. Nottingham Forest played 63 in 1978–79 and 65 in 1979–80, winning the European Cup both times. Martin O’Neill, a Forest stalwart, knows that world.
But there’s a wee detail missing from those figures.
They had squads of about 14 players.
There was no modern squad rotation. No “managed minutes”. No “rested”. If you were fit, you played.
I once spoke to Evan Williams, who joined Celtic in 1969 from Wolves, having trained twice a day there and at Aston Villa. He arrived at Celtic and discovered he wasn’t fit enough. It took him more than a year to catch up with his new teammates.
Then there’s John Robertson. Forest’s brilliant winger played all 63 games in 1978–79 and all 65 the following season. And he was a heavy smoker. Aye. A heavy smoker.
Celtic played 59 competitive games last season, and could be looking at around 62 this season if they go all the way.
The game is faster now. Players are better athletes. Fair enough. But they’re also mollycoddled to an extent their predecessors would scarcely recognise. Once upon a time:
“Are you fit?”
“Aye.”
“You’re playing.”
Maybe there aren’t too many games.
Maybe there’s just too much flaming fuss about playing them.
Para Handy
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