Martin O'Neill was just a schoolboy when Celtic conquered Europe almost 60 years ago. But the veteran boss remembers that iconic night like it was yesterday.
As a 15-year-old in Northern Ireland, O'Neill sat in front of the TV at boarding school as the Lisbon Lions became the first British team to lift the European Cup. It was so long ago that O'Neill watched history unfold in black and white as Inter Milan's star-studded side were stunned by 11 local lads from Glasgow.
He even had to rely on the priest's magic touch to produce a signal from the boxy old television. Little could that teenage boy from Kilrea have imagined he would go on to lift the biggest trophy in club football himself - not once, but twice with Nottingham Forest.
A Priest's Miracle and a Lifelong Memory
Yet it's the story of the Lisbon Lions that still inspires the 74-year-old to this day. He said: “I can remember watching the game. Of course I do, absolutely. I was at a boarding school at the time.
“There were around 200 boarders, stretching from 11 years of age up to 18. I was around 15 the time and we were allowed to watch the game. It was a black and white TV and we all gathered around it - and before the game started it stopped working.
“Then one of the priests came down, gave is a thump on the back, and it started to work again. We thought he’d worked a miracle! So we saw the whole game and Celtic were brilliant.
“Given where I’m from, you’re either Celtic or Rangers. But most young boys, who had an interest in football, also had an English team to support.
“My English team was Sunderland because of Charlie Hurley, a big Irish boy who played for them at the time. He was a bit of a hero of mine.
“But obviously in Northern Ireland you’re either Celtic or Rangers. After watching in ’67, fast forwarded to 1971 when I went to Nottingham Forest and about six weeks later Tommy Gemmell arrived. He made his debut on Boxing Day of 1971 and I played with him. That’s a long time ago.”
Pilgrimage to the Estadio Nacional
O'Neill has yet to tick the Estadio Nacional off his bucket list. And Celtic's flying visit to the Portuguese capital means it's unlikely he'll get the chance this week.
Of course, O'Neill has more pressing matters on his mind as he devises a plan to take on a formidable Benfica tomorrow night. But the gaffer does plan to make his own special pilgrimage to the iconic site that thousands have done since May 25, 1967.
He said: “I’ve never been to the stadium but I’d love to go. I intend to do it. There may even be a possibly of going before our game. We’ll see how the day goes.”
Most of Celtic's squad have already visited the historic ground during pre-season under Brendan Rodgers last season. And O'Neill hopes Callum McGregor and Co can use their poignant trip as inspiration to produce another fairytale result in Lisbon.
He said: “Well, it's good to know that a lot of the players have been here before, which is lovely. It's a great old feeling, the history of the football club. It'll be 60 years next year, so it's a good anniversary.
“So a lot of those things. Maybe during the build-up, when you start to think about it, it'd be great. Then during the course of the game, I think the game takes precedence.”
Europe's Growing Challenge
O'Neill followed in the footsteps of immortal Jock Stein when he led the Hoops to a European final of his own. More than 23 years on, the Parkhead great still can’t bear to re-watch that heartbreaking 2003 UEFA Cup Final defeat to Porto in Seville.
While that team proved over many years they could compete against the continent’s best, this current crop has regularly come unstuck. Kings of Scotland domestically, but whipping boys in Europe.
While the Hoops capitulated in the Champions League play-offs, Club Brugge this week beat Inter Milan 4-3 at the San Siro, while Viking held Bayern Munich to a draw in a six-goal thriller. They are the latest reminders of how far other clubs have grown - and the challenge facing Celtic as they attempt to restore their standing on the biggest stage.
But O'Neill doesn't necessarily accept the suggestion that Celtic's Euro reputation has taken a beating in recent times.
He said: “I think there were a couple of years in the doldrums in European football and then they had some great results in that run in the Champions League and taking Bayern Munich on.
“I was at the game. That can happen and my own views is that I think it will happen. I think what you want to do is play really well in this game if you can. It'll be difficult for us, but we're capable of doing it. And we will cause them problems during the course of the game. We certainly will do it.”
Learning from Last Season's European Battles
O'Neill masterminded shock away wins at Feyenoord and Stuttgart last season. And he added: “We went to Feyenoord, they scored early and we showed great resilience and the ability to play.
“That gave us plenty of confidence and we took it on to Bologna. We had a man sent off after 30-odd minutes or whatever it was. We drew 2-2 and that gave us the impetus to go and grab the last victory, which we did.
“Stuttgart eventually won well at our place obviously the disruption of the tennis balls I think psychologically helped them. But they were a very fine side and they proved that.
“The point I want to make is that while the European games are hard, they are exciting at the same time. It’s lovely, even now, for me to come here to Lisbon and try and win a game against Benfica.”
