Celtic FC Foundation match
Celtic Park, Glasgow
Sunday, May 28, 2017
HENRIK’S HEROES…5
(Petrov 11, Larsson 21, 35, 45, Brattbakk 33)
LUBO’S LEGENDS…2
(Commons 27, Moravcik 65)
THAT Celtic is a club like no other was magnified again today as an extraordinary 60,000 supporters turned up in Paradise all in the name of charity. It was the biggest attendance in Scottish football this season and the fantastic generosity of the Hoops faithful will make a huge difference to thousands of people in the local community and across the world.
Net proceeds from the match will benefit the wonderful work of Celtic FC Foundation. Some of the funds will be used to extend the charity’s existing projects such as the award-winning ‘Ability Counts’ – a scheme aimed at children and young people who live with Down’s Syndrome or Autism. It will also assist in caring for those with dementia, a devastating disease which is sadly close to home for so many.
On a global level, money raised from the match will help the Foundation’s '67 Kitchens' campaign with Mary’s Meals. This will support the building of 67 school kitchens for children in the developing world and send emergency food aid to South Sudan and Syria.
Helping those in need was a founding principle of Celtic and, as demonstrated by events like today, it remains at the core of the club. It’s a concept embraced by everyone at the club, including the players, and that is why a host of former favourites were delighted to return to Paradise for the occasion.
The likes of Henrik Larsson, Lubo Moravcik, Neil Lennon, Artur Boruc, John Hartson, Tom Boyd, Stiliyan Petrov, Jackie McNamara and Dariusz Dziekanowski all graced Celtic Park again. Among the Celtic-supporting celebrities who took part were Martin Compston, Ross McCall, Gianni Capaldi and John Higgins.
While everyone involved was given a terrific reception, unsurprisingly, the biggest cheers were reserved for Larsson and Moravcik, two of the all-time Celtic greats. The Swedish sensation rolled back the years with a first-half hat-trick, while the Slovakian magician also found the net in the second period.
Current club captain Scott Brown and Kris Commons also participated in the match, and it was a special moment for Kris and his family as he made his final appearance in Paradise after six-and-a-half years of sterling service. Fittingly, he also got on the scoresheet. The final score was 5-2 to Henrik’s Heroes but charity was the real winner.
There was a carnival atmosphere in the ground long before kick-off, with fans still revelling in the current team clinching the fourth domestic treble in the club’s history less than 24 hours earlier following the dramatic Scottish Cup triumph over Aberdeen.
Brendan Rodgers and his backroom staff, along with four of the Invincibles – captain Scott Brown, Leigh Griffiths, Kieran Tierney and Patrick Roberts – paraded the three pieces of silverware before proceedings got underway to huge acclaim.
It capped off a memorable week for the club after the Lisbon Lions had been honoured on the 50th anniversary of their glorious European Cup success with a series of events, culminating in Thursday night’s incredible extravaganza at the SSE Hydro, which also raised a considerable sum for Celtic FC Foundation.
Six-in-a-row, treble winners, Invincibles, helping those in need – this is how it feels to be Celtic.