Celtic's centenary fairytale, tears on Kerrydale Street and still talking to Tommy Burns - Peter Grant Big Interview

He wore his Celtic heart on his sleeve.

It was the ultimate badge of honour for him... it still is to this day.

Grant spent 15 years at Celtic from 1982 to 1997.

It's fair to say during his time at Celtic Park, he saw it all and then some. He made his first-team debut in a Rangers v Celtic match at Ibrox 1984 when a Bobby Williamson overhead kick handed the Ibrox side a 1-0 victory.

It was the day then manager David Hay reduced him to tears and Grant learned the true meaning of 'family club'.

Grant said: "I made Celtic my debut in April 1984 against Rangers at Ibrox and we lost 1-0 as Bobby Williamson scored with an overhead kick.

"I was 18 at the time and you never think those moments are going to come.

"I was preparing to play Airdrie in a reserve game.

"I had gone to mass early in the morning, which I always did, and I came back and my mum said that Bobby Lennox had been on the phone.

"I had to go in an hour earlier to Celtic Park and I never thought anything of it.

"I walked into Celtic Park and Bobby Lennox and Jimmy Johnstone - God rest him - were coming towards me and they just started laughing and they gave me a cuddle and a pat on the head.

"I started laughing nervously because it was two Lisbon Lions joking with me.

"I walked in the door and Brian Scott the physio said Davie Hay wanted to see me in Brian's room.

"I thought he was winding me up and then Davie Hay walked in and said, 'Listen son you are playing over at Ibrox today and if I didn't think you could do it, I wouldn't be picking you.'

"That's all he said to me and he walked back out. I was stumbling and cursing and swearing at the manager for the first time ever.

"It was bizarre and surreal. My insides were doing somersaults.

"I am glad it worked that way because if Davie Hay had told the night before I would have been in pieces and wouldn't have slept a wink.

"I have gone outside to see my mum and I was crying as I broke the news to her that I was playing over at Ibrox.

"My dad was working and in those days you could not get a ticket for love nor money for a Rangers vs Celtic game.

"I didn't know this at the time but I have since found out that one of my neighbours managed to get word to my dad that I was playing against Rangers.

"He gave my father his ticket for the game and it was a wonderful gesture.

"The Celtic family and all that.

"I have no complaints about how it all came about other than the fact we lost the game.

"That was the start of my Celtic career and I stayed in the team for the rest of the season and beyond."

No reference to 1984 would ever be complete without the mention of two words that still bring a grimace to many supporters' faces... Rapid Vienna.

Grant played in the infamous European Cup-Winners Cup clash against the Austrians whereby Celtic had overcome a 3-1 deficit in the first leg and won 3-0 in the second to advance 4-3 on aggregate - or so they thought.

Tommy Burns was then involved in an incident that led to the referee sending off Rapid's Reinhard Kienast.

A bottle was thrown from the notorious Celtic Park 'Jungle' terracing.

Rapid player Rudi Weinhofer claimed to have been struck by the missile when TV footage clearly showed it had landed nowhere near him.

Rapid were down to 10 men had already used all of their substitutes.

Captain Hans Krankl threatened to take his team off the pitch in protest, but the match eventually resumed after a 15-minute delay.

Peter Grant then missed a penalty during an explosive European night in Glasgow. Rapid Vienna telexed a protest to UEFA before they had arrived back in Vienna.

After a UEFA inquiry, the result stood and Celtic were fined £4000 for the bottles thrown and Rapid also hit with £5000 for Kienast's behaviour.

However, Rapid appealed again and although UEFA doubled their fine to £10,000, they upheld their complaint.

UEFA also expunged the game from the record books and ordered a replay to be played 100 miles away from Celtic Park.

The game took place at Old Trafford and Celtic lost 1-0 to exit the competition. Rapid went on to lose 3-1 in the 1985 European Cup-Winners Cup final to Everton.

Grant believes the team could have gone all the way in the tournament but revealed that he still laughs to this day at teammate Paul McStay's attempts to communicate with Hans Krankl.

Grant said: "My outstanding memory of the Rapid Vienna debacle was Paul McStay calling Hans Krankl a cheat.

"Paul adopted this outrageous French accent and he sounded more like somebody out of 'Allo, Allo' as he said: 'Hans, you are a cheat!'

"Even though they were Austrian, Paul was speaking in broken French, it was hilarious at the time.

"I looked at him and I have just doubled over and creased my sides laughing. There is some things you don't forget."

Grant gained his first medal in 1985 when Celtic lifted the 100th Scottish Cup by defeating Dundee United 2-1 at Hampden but he missed the big day through injury.

However, success followed in the 1985/86 season as the Hoops come from nowhere to pip Hearts to the Scottish Premier Division title on the last day of the campaign.

They needed to beat St Mirren by four clear goals and hope Hearts lose to Dundee at Dens Park.

Celtic duly won 5-0 and two late Albert Kidd goals for the Dark Blues hands Davie Hay's side the championship amidst scenes of utter pandemonium in Paisley.

Grant said: "I was injured in the lead up to that game but Davie put me on the bench for it and I came on for Danny McGrain, but like the 1985 Scottish Cup final I thought I was going to miss out on the big day again.

"That was an unbelievable day. It was historic.

"The league championship win was most unexpected as we knew we would win our game as we had that confidence in ourselves but we never thought that Hearts would slip up on the last day considering they had been on such an amazing run.

"It was special because it was my first league winners medal and I was delighted to win that title.

"I won a league winners medal alongside the likes of Danny McGrain, Davie Provan, Tommy Burns, Murdo MacLeod and Paul McStay and that for me is phenomenal.

"I had to drive to Fort William Celtic Supporters club for their player of the year the same night after we won the league.

"Davie Hay told me I had to go back to Celtic Park to celebrate and I did.

"I stayed at the ground for about 90 minutes and then myself and Paul McGugan drove up to Fort William and we had a fantastic night."

Rangers' revolution under Graeme Souness began in earnest in 1986/87 and the Light Blues snatched back the Premier League crown.

However, the balance of power shifted again in 1987/88 which just happens to be Celtic's Centenary season and under new manager Billy McNeill the club swept to a wonderful and historic League and Scottish Cup double.

Grant revealed that the bond still exists between the class of 1987/88 to this day although they did have their moments.

It was Billy McNeill who famously said in the aftermath of the Scottish Cup win: "There is something of the fairytale about this club."

Grant said: "I don't think anybody actually realised how much 100 years meant in the history of a club like Celtic.

"The Celtic fans always remind us that we lost 5-1 to Arsenal in the last pre-season friendly.

"The supporters were worried about the campaign that lay ahead.

"For whatever reason, we got together and we had a quality group of men.

"The senior pros were all great players but they were great people too.

"We worked our socks every day and we fought for every ball and we never gave in.

"How many games did the Centenary team win in the dying embers of matches?

"There was a litany of games where we won in the last minute.

"It all pales into insignificance when people remember how it all turned out in the end.

"The Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts when we were 1-0 down with three minutes to play and we win 2-1.

"We won the Scottish Cup final in the last minute against Dundee United after coming from 1-0 down again.

"I ended up missing the Scottish Cup semi-final and final through injury after I broke my foot in a midweek match against St Mirren. It was soul-destroying.

"I missed out on a lot of big occasions with Celtic because I was injured.

"Big Billy had a heart-to-heart with me before the Scottish Cup final in 1988 and he came to my room and we both knew I was unfit.

"I wanted Bily to make that decision for me. I remember walking on the beach at Seamill and I was distraught and in floods of tears.

"I was missing another Scottish Cup final and I couldn't get over the line when it came to playing in cup finals for Celtic.

"This one hurt a lot because it was the Centenary season.

"The boys wouldn't get the team celebration picture taken until I came and sat in front of them with the suit on.

"Paul McStay carried me round the pitch when I was on crutches on the day we clinched the title against Dundee.

"I had done my bit throughout the season and we are known as the double-winning team.

"We are a band of brothers because that group of boys have all stayed close and that shows the camaraderie that exists within that group.

"We did have our moments though as Mick McCarthy and myself came to blows during a training session at Barrowfield.

"I think I've let the ball go and the opposition player has scored and big Mick is giving me stick. I've called him an 'effin balloon' and all hell has broken loose. There are serious fisticuffs and we have each other by the throat.

"It was Tommy Burns that had to split us up. Billy sends the two of us back to Celtic Park to get changed.

"Little did he know that as we are walking over the ash park, I had driven Mick down to Barrowfield.

"The pair of us were ending ourselves laughing at the fact that we'd been sent packing like two naughty schoolboys and had to share the same car back to the stadium.

"It was forgotten about within seconds. It galvanised us and that is why we never gave up that season and it was such a special time.

"Billy McNeill was right. There was something of the fairytale about Celtic that season.

"It was fitting that Billy was the manager of that team and all that he represents as a Celtic icon and being the 1967 European Cup-winning captain.

"It was an unbelievable achievement for him and we are known as the 'Double-Winning team'.

"That is a great accolade to have and it is something I am very proud of especially the fact I shared it with those guys."

The midfielder also found himself in hot water for a religious gesture he makes in a derby clash at Ibrox.

A Scotsport tribute to the champions called 'In Praise of Ceasar' freezes the frame at the moment Grant gets down on his knees and blesses himself in front of the Celtic supporters at the Broomloan Road end.

The shot then turns to black and white, but the hooped Celtic shirt remain green and white.

Ironically it is dubbed the "Old Firm Shame Game", as Celtic striker Frank McAvennie and Rangers trio Chris Woods, Terry Butcher and Graham Roberts all ended up in court.

Grant believed he got away with his misdemeanour, but the Scotsport documentary blew his cover and there were even calls for him to answer criminal charges.

Whilst making a name for himself in Glasgow's East End, Grant then ended up in prison in the soap opera Eastenders because of his act!

A strong practitioner of the Roman Catholic faith Grant explains: "I don't even know why I did that.

"It was not pre-meditated. My religion is my religion. I do not put it upon anybody else. It is my belief and I would never throw it in people's faces.

"I didn't want my religion to be shown like that or to get mixed up with the football. I look back and I genuinely couldn't remember doing it.

"But nobody had mentioned it. Then on Sunday, Scotsport did the tribute programme and it was there for all to see.

"People were saying that I should have been dragged into a court of law!

"Out of everything, I totally regretted that incident in my career. I look back and it did happen, but that was never representative of me as a person.

"I was a young man and sometimes you do things without thinking and you regret it, but you learn from it and I certainly did.

"People were 100 per cent wrong for saying I should be going to jail for what I did. Are you kidding me on?

"It made the front page of the Corriere Dello Sport in Italy and football supporters sent me clippings of it.

"Then unbelievably I started appearing on soap opera Eastenders every night of the week!

"People used to say to me, 'you are in Eastenders!'.

"I would be like, 'what are you talking about?' as I never watched the show.

"The famous character Dirty Den was put in jail for a crime and every time he was in his cell that picture of me blessing myself at Ibrox was on his wall.

"I have heard of prisoners having pictures of naked women on their cell walls.

"Dirty Den had a picture of Peter Grant of Celtic blessing himself during a Rangers game at Ibrox. You couldn't make it up!"

In 1989, Celtic defeated Rangers in the Scottish Cup final to prevent a Light Blues clean sweep.

Joe Miller's goal separated the sides as Celtic triumphed 1-0 at Hampden Park.

Grant prevented Miller from doing what he did at Ibrox with a waist-high, rugby-style tackle which took him out just as Joe was blowing kisses to the Rangers support and making a beeline for them to rub their noses in it.

Grant said: "I jumped in him to pull him to the ground as I did not want him to make the same mistake that I did all those years ago.

"It was the quickest I have ever run in my life. I was very conscious of what had happened to me and I didn't know what Joe was going to do but he was off and running and heading straight for the Rangers supporters until I thankfully intervened."

Then came the abyss.

Six barren trophyless years which Grant describes as 'six years of torture'.

A Coca-Cola cup final loss to Raith Rovers compounded the misery as the club stumbled from one crisis to another with managers like Liam Brady and Lou Macari at the helm.

Grant said: "It was six years of torture.

"Not many players lived through it all - myself and Paul McStay were there for the duration - other players and managers like Liam Brady and Lou Macari carried the baggage for a small stint.

"It was torturous for that period. I was suspended for the Coca-Cola League Cup final against Raith Rovers.

"I got ruled out of the final because I got booked for nothing. The referee Willie Young booked me after a minute in a game and I never forgave him for it.

"It was a terrible booking. It had been in the press in the lead up to the game that I'd miss the final if I got booked and sure as fate, Willie booked me for my first challenge and I don't even think it was a tackle.

"I was just distraught at missing another cup final for Celtic."

Under Tommy Burns, Celtic started heading in the right direction.

Celtic ended their trophy drought when Pierre Van Hooijdonk's goal defeated Airdrie in the 1995 Scottish Cup final which has since been dubbed the 'Peter Grant final' by supporters.

Grant was plagued by a knee injury once again in the run-up to the showpiece and his final jinx appeared to have struck again.

However, he made a miraculous recovery and not only plays in the final through the pain barrier, but robs Alan Lawrence of a late equaliser with a superb last-ditch tackle in a man of the match performance full of spirit, blood and guts.

Grant's display has entered club folklore and embodied Celtic's will to win that day.

It was Burns one and only trophy success as Celtic manager.

The mood is encapsulated by an iconic image that shows an emotional and tearful Grant being hoisted high by a delighted Burns.

It is an enduring image that is entrenched in the hearts and minds of the Celtic supporters and the whole of Scottish football.

Grant said: "The Airdrie final was strange as we played at Tannadice in the lead up to the Scottish Cup final and Jim McInally has hit me full on. He caught me an absolute belter.

"I had problems with my knee and I had been out for four months beforehand.

"They told me I had no chance of playing in the Scottish Cup final.

"Again there were tears. I don't know who was in a worse state Tommy Burns or myself. Both of us were crying in the car.

"We went to Italy to prepare for the cup final and I wasn't training and I was on the top floor and I could see them.

"I remember sobbing. There were 10 days to go before the Scottish Cup final.

"I had the brace on and I was sidefooting the ball against the wall and I was thinking, 'it doesn't feel too bad'.

"I didn't see my wife Lorraine come in and she said to me: 'Are you off your head?'

"I could hardly walk but I was telling her that I could get through it.

"I vowed to tell Tommy that I felt alright. I told him on Tuesday and he couldn't believe it.

"I trained a wee bit on Tuesday and then again on Thursday.

"I'll always remember the first ball I hit on Thursday and I thought somebody has hammered a nail into my knee.

"Through gritted teeth the pain was excruciating but I never said a thing because I knew Tommy Burns would be looking at me.

"On Friday we went to Seamill and Tommy asked me what I was thinking.

"I knew if I had said, 'what are you thinking?' he wouldn't have played me.

"So I told him I felt great and that there was no reaction or anything.

"Brian Scott taped it all up and it was like going out with a stookie on my knee there was that much tape on it.

"I played the final and I made that last-gasp challenge on Nipper Lawrence and Celtic won the cup. Six years of torture ended.

"It was a great relief more than anything else. Paul McStay and I were just crying tears of relief and not joy.

"It was phenomenal to win something again with the club you loved after so long. It was indescribable.

"Just to have that feeling of being a winner again was terrific.

"I went back to Tommy Burns house and celebrated with a can of Coca-Cola. I wanted to drink it all in and just remember and savour every moment.

"Like every Celtic supporter, I thought the club would win a trophy every year.

"I would never take that for granted again."

Burns would go on to build a side that was capable of challenging Rangers for the title.

In 1995/96 Celtic lost one match all season but are pipped by their city rivals to the flag.

It is a side that is still celebrated and lauded despite winning nothing.

Tommy Burns had built a swashbuckling Celtic side which was aided and abetted by 'The Three Amigos' - Van Hooijdonk, Paolo Di Canio and Jorge Cadete - but they still came up agonisingly short.

Grant said: "Tommy galvanised Celtic after that Scottish Cup win and the following season we lost just one game and we never won the league. How is that possible?

"We were a very entertaining team and we attacked, attacked, attacked.

"There was Jorge Cadete's first goal in a 5-0 win against Aberdeen, Paolo di Canio's golden boot goal at Pittodrie.

"The atmosphere was electric playing in that Celtic team. Everybody remembers that team.

"I remember going around the pitch for a lap of honour after we beat Raith Rovers 4-1 on the last day of the season.

"We got a standing ovation and I told the players this is the one and only time this will ever happen.

"No Celtic team that has won nothing will ever get clapped off the pitch or reception like that at the end of a campaign.

"It was an appreciation of that team and Tommy as a person really.

"Tommy wanted to take it to the next level after the Three Amigos era.

"He was so close to talking Celtic back to the top of Scottish football but unfortunately he never got the opportunity to do that."

Grant still misses his old friend to this day.

He said: "I miss Tommy Burns every day. My faith allows me to speak to him every day.

"He was a big part of my career, not just as a teammate.

"Playing under him as the Celtic manager was probably the quietest we have ever been with each other. Our families used to holiday together.

"When he became my manager, I wanted to stop talking to him as a friend out of respect for the position and high office as a Celtic manager that he held.

"It was difficult because we were good mates. He was a terrific man.

"I miss him dearly and I will never forget Tommy.

"They are always there. It is the simple things.

"I still have Tommy Burns phone number stored in my phone - that is still there.

"He is sadly missed and he was taken away from us when he was far too young."

No chat with Peter Grant would be complete without asking him about his nicknames whilst he was at the club.

The first one is "Pointer", the second is "Pope".

Grant said: "The Pointer is just basically because I was one of those guys that spoke with my hands.

"I never ever knew and then I saw myself on TV and I did think 'Peter the Pointer.'

"Celtic fans then turned up with those foam hands which pointed and I found that hilarious.

"When you watch me on TV playing for Celtic, I am always looking the other way.

"I'll be looking to the left but I will be pointing to the right.

"It is just an automatic reflex.

"The Pope nickname is self-explanatory.

"I remember a very early 'Only An Excuse' radio skit said, 'And we go over to the leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics' and you are expecting to hear the name Bishop whoever and they said, 'Peter Grant'."

Grant brought the curtain down on his Celtic career in January 1997.

He was rewarded with a testimonial against Bayern Munich.

It was a competitive match that ended in a 2-1 defeat in front of 40,000 plus supporters.

Jurgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthaus and Oliver Kahn all turn out for the Germans and Giovanni Trapattoni was the manager.

He left Celtic after 15 years of sterling service to sign for Norwich City. Grant did return as part of Celtic's management team alongside Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus in 2009.

It was a short ill-fated spell that lasted all of nine months before all were dismissed after a dismal 4-0 Premiership loss against St Mirren in Paisley.

Grant said: "Celtic were going to play Inter Milan to celebrate 30 years of the European Cup win.

"Italy then cancelled their winter break and Inter had to play Serie A matches.

"Bayern Munich took the game on and they were unbelievable to deal with.

"They sent Gerd Muller over and they accepted the game on the condition that it was a competitive encounter.

"Tosh McKinlay was scrapping with Ruggiero Rizzitelli.

"People always say to me Celtic gave you a testimonial but I always say the supporters did as they turned up and spent their money on a horrible night.

"I fell out with Fergus McCann as they put on a friendly against Barcelona prior to this game and I was fizzing.

"I feared the worst that the crowd would not come out as it was a horrible night in Glasgow.

"I was in the dressing room and Tommy Burns came in and said the game was being held up for half an hour because of the crowd.

"The Celtic supporters come out in their droves and it is one of the most humbling moments I have ever had.

"It was great for me as I couldn't claim to be a fans favourite but they respected what I did for the club.

"It was an emotional night and I look back on it with great pride.

"I knew the time was right to go as Wim Jansen had just been announced as the Celtic manager.

"I explained to Wim Jansen that I could not be a Celtic player and sit in the stands.

"I had agreed to sign for Wolves and that fell through and I ended up signing for Norwich City.

"I remember Jock Brown told me of Norwich's interest and I told him I wanted to speak to them.

"I went into Angie's room as she was the kit lady and I grabbed my boots.

"Angie asked where I was going. I told her I was playing 5-a-sides.

"Deep down I knew I was putting my boots in the car for the last time and my Celtic playing career was at an end.

"I knew I was going to sign for Norwich City.

"Not a soul knew I was leaving Celtic.

"I was driving down Kerrydale Street and I had tears in my eyes but I never looked back as it would have hurt me too much.

"It broke my heart to leave Celtic.

"At the time it was right for Celtic and it was right for me.

"It was a big wrench and there was huge emotion because Celtic was my life."

If ever a set of supporters identified with a player it is the Celtic fans and Peter Grant.

Peter Grant once famously said: "You leave Celtic, but Celtic never leaves you."

He was whole-hearted and a fully committed dyed-in-the-wool footballer.

The twice capped Scotland star has achieved many things in his playing and coaching career.

He won two Scotland caps and made his debut against England.

He won two league titles and four Scottish Cups with Celtic.

He won a League Cup as a coach with Birmingham City.

Whatever Peter Grant does and wherever he goes he will always be respected by the Celtic supporters.

He is the true definition of one of their own.

“One of the greatest things for me after all these years is that I’m still remembered as ‘Peter Grant of Celtic’.”

He wouldn't have it any other way.