Former Celtic striker Darren Jackson reflects on a heated training ground altercation between Tosh McKinlay and Henrik Larsson in 1997-98, which he believes ultimately united the team and helped them stop Rangers' 10-in-a-row bid. Drawing parallels to current tensions between the Celtic board and supporters, Jackson suggests that resolving conflicts could similarly fuel a late title push.
A bust-up in the camp. Internal factions fighting against each other. Potential harm being inflicted on a title challenge . The club is the same.
But the season is 1997-98. And it’s not a rammy between the Celtic board and a section of supporters that’s threatening to disrupt the charge towards one of the most important titles in the club’s history. It’s a full-blown scrap between team mates on the training pitch at Barrowfield.
Darren Jackson remembers the scenes as Tosh McKinlay and Henrik Larsson lost the run of themselves with tensions boiling over amid a campaign where the Hoops simply HAD to stop Rangers winning 10-in-a-row. The former Hoops striker reckons Wim Jansen’s loyalty to a group of first team favourites early in the campaign didn’t help those simmering hostilities.
It blew up and McKinlay has himself spoken about apologising to the Swedish icon for his “red mist” moment that brought him a two week suspension from the club. But Jackson believes that moment where pent-up pressure exploded on the training ground was actually the spark that helped UNITE the Hoops. Fast forward nearly three decades and a truce has been called in the blistering fall out between the Celtic board and the Green Brigade. It may be temporary.
But with four games to go and Martin O’Neill having somehow dragged the champions right back into the running for a fifth title in a row, Jackson reckons that same new-found harmony might just be a well-timed catalyst to propel the side on to what appeared unthinkable a few months ago. Casting his mind back to late 1997, he said: “Yeah, it blew up in training one day and I think it was the best thing that happened.
“No criticism of Wim – he did what he was asked to, which was stop the Ten – but he had his 11 players and if they were fit they played. “The rest of us were kinda brushed aside and it kicked off in training. But see after that, it was brand new.
“We could not have been any closer. ” When it was suggested that backdrop has similarities to what’s gone on at Parkhead this season, Jackson pointed to Saturday’s atmosphere in the 3-1 victory over Falkirk as a sign the stars could be about to align. He continued: “I watched on Saturday and I have not seen an atmosphere like that for a long time.
“They were singing the old songs, one end was singing and then the other was replying. “That feeds onto the players, especially when you have 60,000 there. It has not been like that for a while.
“When you have 60,000 there and they are not singing off the same hymn sheet it is very hard, but I thought Saturday’s atmosphere was back to what it normally is at Celtic Park. “I think it is way too hard to call. I actually don’t know who is going to win it.
“Rangers losing on Sunday was a blow for them but they go to Tynecastle next. “If they go to Celtic off the back of beating Hearts they could be confident so it is hard, yes, probably as hard as 1997-98. “Back then we drew 0-0 with Hibs the third last game of the season and were left thinking Christ Almighty have we blown this here? “There are a lot of similarities.
” The parallels between that season when Jansen’s Celts stopped Rangers winning the Ten and now don’t end there. Back then Hearts were right in the mix of a three way race with the Old Firm at this stage too. Just like now there was a World Cup weeks away which was an added incentive for the stars in all three sides to be at the top of their game.
For Jackson, who had undergone brain surgery at the start of the campaign after being struck down by a build-up of fluid known as hydrocephalus, it would end up on a positive note for club and country. He said: “I had had my brain surgery so was in and out of the Celtic team.
“It was the year of trying to stop Ten in a Row, so we had a lot on our minds. That was full on.
“Winning the league that year was so important for us that it made it hard to think about the World Cup until it was over. “It was back and forth. We didn’t start the season too well but once we got into our stride, we got some big results.
“I can remember going to Tannadice and Kilmarnock being behind and winning. Which was just massive. ” Should O’Neill inspire this side to another title then it will go down as one of the most unexpected Hoops triumphs of modern times. Without a recognised striker worth the name.
Without a single January signing in the line-up against Falkirk. And, perhaps most telling, without a single contender among the eight nominees for PFA Scotland Player and Young Player of the Year awards last week. But Jackson said: “I am amazed Benjamin Nygren is not in the nominations. Twenty goals from midfield.
When was the last time anybody in the league had a player who scored 20 goals from midfield?
“That is more than Lawrence Shankland or Claudio Braga or anybody. “Then for the team, you look at Kieran Tierney. I thought it would take Kieran time to get into his stride with having been out so long.
“But he has 19 goal involvements from left back! But the Hearts boys have been consistent, and the Motherwell boys have been fantastic.
“I was reading that on Saturday none of the January signings were involved in the starting XI but Martin O’Neill is going to do it his way. “And his staff, I always like to mention them. Shaun and Fozzy they do incredibly well. Martin has got them in an incredible position.
” * Darren Jackson was speaking at the launch event for the official Scotland Shop in the St Enoch Shopping Centre. The stores, which have opened around the country, will sell officially licensed products ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
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