FEW Celtic fans will ever forget Alan Stubbs' late equaliser against Rangers in November 1997. The Parkhead club's arch-rivals were bidding to win a tenth successive title - something that no Scottish club has ever achieved - and the momentum was with Walter Smith's side.
The Ibrox men were leading 1-0 at Celtic Park, seemingly on their way for yet another Old Firm victory, until Stubbs' late intervention ensured a share of the spoils in Glasgow's east end.
The goal, quite simply, changed everything. A win would have moved Rangers six points clear of Wim Jansen's side and dealt a significant psychological blow to Celtic, who had already lost the first derby that season. And although it was only a draw, Stubbs is adamant that the players and fans felt triumphant after the full-time whistle.
“We were losing 1-0 and this was one of the games where Rangers seemed to have their voodoo over Celtic," Stubbs told the Athletic. "This was the time when it was a one-man show with Andy Goram keeping Celtic out, and that game was similar.
“We were on top and had the better chances, but Rangers found themselves taking theirs. When there’s that extra quality, especially with that Rangers team at that time, if you gave them one or two chances they’d probably take them. We had good chances and Goram produced ridiculous performances — you’d be thinking, ‘how on earth has he saved that?'
"We stopped Rangers winning the game. Walking off, it clearly had an effect on them, that we showed the spirit to not give up, to carry on until the end.
“That was maybe something that was labelled at Celtic at the time, that after we did go behind we sometimes didn’t show enough to get back in the game. That goal and result changed things.
“You could feel it, walking off the pitch, it was as if we won the game.
“You could see the Rangers players were really downbeat walking off. You’d have thought that they’d lost the game and we’d won. The sense of euphoria around the stadium was incredible. It really did give us a sense of momentum.
“The biggest indication of its importance is how other people react to it. A lot of people, still to this day, come up to me and tell me, ‘that was the goal that stopped ten in a row.’ Other people will be the judge of that and a lot of fans say that that goal was the deciding factor.”
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