Celtic’s Sixth Manager – The manifestly likeable Davie Hay

His appointment was sudden and Davie found Celtic at the start of the 1983 season without Charlie Nicholas. He also was the first Manager for a long time to face three major threats, and none of them were Rangers! Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts continued to be strong challengers and then Rangers rose again in 1986.

In Europe he had the scarcely believable cheating of Rapid Vienna to deal with and then in his final season, no fewer than four of his first team wanted to leave, one of them being the poisoned chalice that Hay had brought to the club and was called Maurice Johnston.

His first season saw Celtic nowhere really close to Aberdeen in the League race, and two very unfortunate domestic Cup finals where Celtic were the victims of some strange refereeing decisions and some sheer bad luck.

Hay’s bad luck continued into the next season, and he approached the Scottish Cup final of 1985 knowing that a defeat would probably spell curtains for his managership. However he made the inspired (and unpopular) decision with 15 minutes remaining to hook Paul McStay and bring on a defender to allow Roy Aitken to move forward and take a grip of the game.

1985/86 saw the terrific Albert Kidd finale to the season, but that did not disguise the fact that this season had also seen one or two distinctly ordinary performances, and then season 1986/87 was the season of the inevitable Rangers fight back.

Rangers bought players from England while Celtic and Hay now floundered, and the cause was not helped when, in a move that suggested either ingratitude or pessimism about the future of Celtic, Johnston, McClair, McInally and MacLeod announced that they wanted to move on. The season finished with a whimper, and it was no great surprise when the ill-starred four year tenure of the manifestly likeable David Hay came to an end.

David Potter

Green Friday Sale Now on at Celtic Star Books, all books other than David Potter’s Celtic in the Eighties, are now HALF PRICE! Great Christmas Shopping bargains, choose from Celtic in the Thirties, volumes One and Two, Harry Hood – Twice as Good, Bould Bhoys – Glory to Their Name – The Story of Celtic’s First Title Win,  Invincible, Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style, Majic Stan and the King of Japan – Gordon Strachan’s first season at Celtic and there are also a few remaining copies of Alec McNair – Celtic’s Icicle.

All these books shown below are now HALF PRICE at only a TENNER each and please note that you will only be charged postage on the first book in your order, so order two or more and get FREE postage on the second book onwards.

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