Gordon will always have elevated place in Hoops’ glory era
There’s nothing like going out in a blaze of glory – and this was nothing like going out in a blaze of glory.
It was more like crashing in f lames and landing on a Gulf petrol station.
After 30 years of delusion I knew it was time to stick the goalie gloves in a tatty old sports bag – and leave them in the loft for good.
The moment of truth came not long ago, in a performance that Benny Hill scriptwriters would have dismissed as too farcical.
I’d chucked in more than my fair share over the years in a career that never reached mediocrity.
It took me from the badlands of Glasgow and District Saturday Morning League and a stint in the juniors that saw me loaned out more times than a Stephen King library book.
Then it was the Sunday Hangover Leagues in Wales, the north east of England and Aberdeen, to being the occasional custodian of the Scottish press team.
But when it’s over, it’s over. Bizarrely it happened on a rugby pitch as wel l – blooming Murrayfield of all places. The SRU were flogging it as a potential home away from Hampden and gave us hacks a game.
I think we actually won but I didn’t care after lobbing in four howlers – including two own goals.
The first was bad enough ... trying to catch the ball at the second attempt, I only managed to shove it between the posts.
But the second was a real corker, racing out for a cross, punching our centre-back on the nut while the ball hit me on the ear and trundled in to the back of the net.
Barry Ferguson – our star ringer – howled: “F*** sake Mick, they said you were a goalie!” Cheers captain. Now that’s a sad ending for a keeper. Craig Gordon leaving Celtic when the time comes will be anything but.
No matter what happens either next month or at the end of the season, Gordon won’t be left with a sense of shame.
It seems inevitable that he will be on his way shortly, probably back to Hearts who have barely had a decent keeper in the decade since he left.
Gordon is an exceptional one. He proved it again against Cluj the other night.
Any time he has been out of the Hoops side it has been through no fault of his own. Sure, there’s been the odd gaffe but show me a goalie who doesn’t make the odd ricket?
Outfield players get away with half a dozen a game but if a keeper makes one or two a season he has branded a dud.
It’s no fun on the bench eithe r, especially when the other guy is making worldies every week.
Gordon may be 37 years old on Hogmanay but he still has plenty to offer.
Scott Bain is on the books on a long- term deal but Fraser Forster is only on loan until the end of the season and would cost a fortune to make permanent.
Celtic should make Gordon an offer but it says a lot that he would rather play every week than pick up his dosh as a back-up. He will have an elevated place in Celtic’s history no matter what.
It might be a low-key departure rather than the fairytale chance to say goodbye but punters will always appreciate the role he has played in a hugely successful era.
He will exit Parkhead with his head held high rather than staggering out of Murrayfield with it in his hands.