Clyde had X factor when we Bullied Roy Keane and Co
Confession time. My name is Gordon Parks and I’m a Clyde fan.
It has never been about the Old Firm, never been interested. Clyde are the club closest to my heart.
And when the Bully Wee go in against Celtic this afternoon it will be Danny Lennon and the boys I’ll be rooting for.
After six seasons as a player, and a second stint back in the day when we humbled Roy Keane and Co, a strong affection was forged.
It’s hard to believe it’s now 14 years since those wild scenes in the home dressing room.
To have a first-hand account of that day in January 2006 was both unforgettable and a privilege.
All week we prepared for that Cup shock of an age and the planning had been meticulous.
It was a tactical masterclass by comanager Joe Miller. He was the brains of the operation, the same can’t be said of his co- conspirator Graham Roberts who was more of a Mr Motivator than a mastermind when it came to plotting the shock of the century.
The game plan was executed to perfection. It was all about using the pace and quality of Alex Williams and Tom Brighton to get in behind Celtic. Supporting runs by Craig Bryson, Stephen O’Donnell and Stevie Masterton were more than Keane and Neil Lennon could cope with.
Special mention also goes to Eddie Malone and Mikey McGowan who were immense out wide and the surreal feeling of being two up inside 45 minutes remains fresh in the memory.
But the real story was about so much more than the humbling of the big names.
It was the fact that a group of players assembled in a matter of two weeks during an X-Factor style audition could inflict such a mauling. It was 2-1 going on five or six to Clyde, who had two goals wrongly ruled out and even missed a penalty.
It was an education in team building. The majority of the squad had been spat out by bigger clubs, they were still young and ambitious and tore into Celtic with a collective will to make the most of their Sky Sports moment.
The chemistry contained within our dressing room was something which Celtic just couldn’t cope with that day.
Memories live on of the full- time whistle triggering bedlam as shockwaves were sent across football’s world and barely anyone comprehending just how seismic the achievement.
The dignity and class of Gordon Strachan coming into our dressing room after the game to pass on a few words of congratulations said so much about him as a person.
It was Miller’s finest moment as a manager but he had created a blueprint for giant killing and within it lay a bit of tactical genius. Allied with belief and assembling a team who had complete disregard for reputations and a willingness to work harder than the superstar they were up against, that was the way the class of 2006 humbled the Hoops.
Clyde may not have the Williams, Brightons, Malones or Brysons in their ranks these days but the ghost of Clyde 2 Celtic 1 remains at Broadwood and no game should ever be a forgone conclusion.
And as the song goes: I sing of a team that fills me with pride. The name of the team is the Bully Wee Clyde. Of all Scottish teams they are dearest tae me....