Davie Hay watched from the posh seats at Ibrox and he’s confident his old team can win a thrilling title race.
During Sunday’s derby at Ibrox, Sky cameras focused on a familiar face in the Rangers directors’ box.
Davie Hay watched from the expensive seats as Brendan Rodgers attempted to become only the third Celtic manager in 40 years to win three consecutive Old Firm games. Hay accomplished it initially in 1984. Twenty years later, in 2004, Martin O’Neill reached the same milestone on his route to a league and Scottish Cup double.
Rabbi Matondo’s injury-time strike ended one of the most dramatic and high-scoring draws in this fixture’s storied history, preventing Rodgers from repeating his success from two decades prior. At that point, Hay’s thoughts turned to another barnstorming Ibrox clash in 1986, when Celtic fled across the city with a 4-4 draw before clinching the title on the final day of the season with a memorable five-goal turkey shoot at St Mirren.
Hay admitted, “I wasn’t even aware of the statistics about winning the first three Old Firm games of the season,” in an exclusive interview with Record Sport. “To be honest, I had no notion Brendan might become only the third Celtic manager to do this.
“But what I do know is that Sunday’s draw reminded me very much of what happened at Ibrox in 1986, when we drew 4-4. It feels like this encounter could be similar.”
Hay sincerely hopes so. Murdo MacLeod scored Celtic’s ninth goal of the day, bringing them level late on.
Hearts had been leading from the front for months and remained in pole position until the last seconds of the season’s final weekend, when Kidd climbed off Dundee’s bench to force history’s helicopter to shift course. But, from the moment MacLeod saved Celtic from loss at Ibrox, Hay could feel the momentum shifting.
He recalled: “That tie was actually part of a 16-game unbeaten streak till the end of the season. Following that Rangers game, we won eight straight. And as that run progressed, I began to believe that we could be able to win because Hearts was feeling the pressure.
“The week before the final day fixtures, they only beat Clydebank 1-0 at home, and while they still had a massive goal difference advantage, I simply felt it was all starting to get to them while we were playing good and on a roll. It might be similar this season because Celtic understands that if they win all of their games, they would win the title.”
As a result, Hay left Ibrox on Sunday afternoon believing his old club had won big, despite the celebrations that followed Matondo’s late surprise. He stated, “A draw was the appropriate result. Celtic dominated the first half and could have scored more than two goals. If they’d done that, the game was over.
“At halftime, you say, ‘There’s almost no way back for Rangers.'” But I’ve learned over the years that you shouldn’t say things in a game like that. Prior to the game, I believed that if either team won, that club would most likely win the league title. The draw means they can both win it.
“While Sunday’s match may have been defining, the one at Celtic Park will be. Although Celtic may believe they were 2-0 up and should have won, and Rangers may believe they fought back to earn a well-deserved draw, I believe the balance has shifted in Celtic’s favour.
“Had they lost at the weekend, they may have been five points behind heading into the post-split fixtures. But that is not the case. It is now a matter of winning six games to secure the league title.
“Yes, Rangers will believe a draw at Celtic Park is enough. However, considering the previous history of these games, I believe Celtic has a little advantage heading into the closing stretch. Who knows? There could still be a slip-up somewhere that none of us see coming!
“That’s the beauty of having a legitimate title challenge because there hasn’t been one in a long, and both teams will believe they can accomplish it. But Celtic’s first half at Ibrox was the best they’ve played all season, and with players like Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor returning to match fitness, it bodes well for what’s to come.
“All you have to do is keep your energy levels high and don’t think about what has happened up to this point. That’s how we saw it during the 1986 season, as we gained speed towards the finish line. It was a steady barrage by the time we arrived at St Mirren for our final game.
“You just have to say to yourself, ‘We can’t afford any more drop offs – we have to maintain our energy levels in every single game until the end,’.”
Hay is full of admiration for Rangers’ mid-season revival efforts since Philippe Clement arrived. And he insists that the turnaround has been beneficial to the health of the Scottish game, even if it may have harmed Celtic’s blood pressure.
He went on to say, “You have to give credit to the manager because he appears to have instilled a real steeliness in this Rangers team in terms of a winning mentality.” The results since he arrived will show you that. Since he took charge, there has been a significant shift in thinking, which will be critical as the final few weeks approach.
“But I keep coming back to it: the big one will be at Celtic Park. If there are no mistakes elsewhere, Rangers will go into that game believing a draw will enough. And that’s not always the ideal way to approach a Celtic-Rangers encounter. Yes, Rangers will want to win, but Celtic must win. And sometimes it’s preferable to be in that s*** or bust scenario!
“The good news is that this rivalry has returned to the level that everyone expected. This makes it exciting for all concerned. But I’d say it’s a lot more fun when you’re on the winning team at the finish line!”
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Leave a Reply