Celtic v Rangers - Champagne Charlie's Derby Debut

Celtic v Rangers, Scottish Premier League, 21st February 1981. Nineteen year-old 'Kid Goals' Charlie Nicholas makes his debut in the Glasgow derby and makes his mark with two goals in a stunning performance from the Bhoys. Roy Aitken puts the icing on the cake with the third as the Celts recover easily from the loss of an early goal.

[@markoplo2008]

Big Roy Aitken.. Magic 🍀🇮🇪🍀

[@seandoc1948]

I was at this match. The Celts dominated throughout. At half time I said "it is only a matter of time". A wise older fan sitting in front of me responded that he had seen this too often and a 0-1 loss was still possible. Charlie Bhoy did the business in the end!

[@tearitloosetearitloose4670]

Where was this match played?

[@guddlom7655]

@@tearitloosetearitloose4670 Parkhead

[@stephenmcwilliams6487]

Impressive speed shown by big Roy Aitken,what a goal!

[@hugohackenbush1554]

Almost 42 years now. I was in my 20s back then. Way too fucking long lol I'll never forget this match. My 2 uncles and their friends, bunch of lads the same age, late 30s. I have a pronounced West London accent and we were all Celtic Bhoys. Great game. Amazing atmosphere. It was truly electric! Must admit, the derby is a bit tamer these days. Still, thanks for reviving a very happy memory. Hail Hail 🇨🇮

[@sookmajoaby]

When big Roy went on his mad runs forward he was dangerous lol

[@ShaunSayinStuff]

"Feed The Bear!"

[@Kelly14UK]

Aitken done a belter of a goal. Good clean attacking play.

[@colinfraser8317]

5.35 Aitkens one-two with Jackson is hilarious

[@jasonladd6400]

Charlie Nic reminds me of singer Bono

[@gavinreid8937]

Nearly all Scottish teams, no shirt sponsor, fans mostly standing, & all games played on a Saturday (don't f with the Pools), WTF went wrong!

[@ellenmccormick9293]

Greed. Its all about money and sponsorship now. I went to first celtic game in 1964. I was 12 lol. My dad lifted me over the turnstile.

[@vinnymitchell2550]

Those were happy days in so many, many ways !!!!

[@gregfox8132]

Great tough tackling football, no diving, or cheating, fantastic commitment. Ynwa.

[@mikesmith22050]

Davie Provan oozed class in those days.

[@100tonyjensen]

Charlie made his OF debut against Rangers in a 3-0 defeat at Ibrox (Nov 1980)

[@mrcoolsdream1]

Who needs a striking partner when you can have a one-two with the opposition's defender 3rd goal.

[@Kelly14UK]

Chalmers and McNeill RIP

[@alistairadamson169]

Absolutely brilliant, now that's futbaw, real futbaw.

[@martin77722]

what a game and a the start of charlie nicholas a one off player great players dont come round that often

[@darrenpark11]

Big Roy's hun taunting celebration... Lol

[@georgelove3385]

What a game!

[@jay67glasgow]

fantastic ..well done.

[@paullevi5598]

cheecky Charlie setting up the third for big Roy ' brilliant.

[@josephmontague396]

Roy Aitkens celebration was awesome, the Bear loved sticking to them, watch him laugh with his fist is the air , what a fkn strike.....look at all the Ranger fans trying to get near him to cry and weep....are they the only fans that piss and moan for every goal against

[@johnclark7049]

Aye it was great a few seasons later when Walters ripped the piss out of him at the Ibrox massacre. He wept that day more like a gummi bear LOL.

[@andrewcook1159]

@@johnclark7049 have a banana

[@patricklyons7000]

superb, mike Conroy and Dom Sullivan vastly under rated

[@haroldbhoy67]

+Patrick Lyons Sullivan was garbage mate. Big Roy is the man, for me, who was the most under rated player of his generation, his sheer will and love of Celtic drove the team on, 85 cup final, 88 semi and final, the 88 season and many more. Legend

[@marley18ish]

Brilliant I was there

[@DanielM2910]

Rip tommy burns YNWA good goals :)

[@michael6255]

The defending on that second goal was a farce

[@onlyIknowthetruth1]

Feed the Bear, feed the Bear, feed the Bear

[@converse91970]

Loved at the Arsenal too was Charlie....would fare better within the current team because the football under Wenger is much more his style.

[@gerryquinn5578]

Charlie Nick had a brilliant start to his career and could have been he new "King Kenny." Unfortunately, the lure of the big money and the wrong choice of English club ruined a great talent.

[@andrewleask5447]

He had 2 great years at the start of his Celtic career and we'll on the way to a third but for the leg break,loves Nicolas the player,a class apart apart from maybe mcstay and a brilliant but aging Migraine.. still great days and the old gets really were in the doledrums back then apart from the odd League cup#fantasticmemories

[@johnnyM809]

I'm a Hibs fan, but I have t say that Charlie Nicholas was one of the finest talents Scotland has poduced in the last 40 years. A pitiful amount of inernational caps to show for it. He picked the wrong club to sign for when he went to Arsenal.

[@danbreen6946]

@@midnightmover2329 It was all about the bright lights of London for Champagne 🥂 Charlie

[@bossmatt1976]

feed the bear feed the bear feed the bear ............ mon the hoops

[@stargazer6675]

Charlie Nic...Good Maryhill Bhoy COYBIG

[@TokyoJoe703]

Charlie seems to divide opinion on his talent. Definitely on his day he was a class act

[@TheCosmicFunker]

Divides opinion? 🤨 I can accept people may have differing views on the amount of utter shite he talks as a pundit, but I can't believe any Celtic supporter would honestly deny he was a superb footballer.

[@randybackgammon890]

​@@TheCosmicFunker.Never really did it when he went south though.

[@TheCosmicFunker]

@randybackgammon890 He definitely chose the wrong team. He should have gone to a team who played more to his strengths. Also, I don't know if he was a great trainer as he played like a veteran in his late 20's when he should have been at his peak. He comes across as a bit of an arsehole, but he was a superb footballer

[@randybackgammon890]

@@TheCosmicFunker Like Gazza and Aaron Ramsey he suffered a leg break just when he was flying and like both never quite(despite the odd great goal/performance)attained those early heights again.

[@TheCosmicFunker]

@@randybackgammon890 Did he break his leg playing for Arsenal? He broke his leg playing for Celtic, in a reserve game iirc, but he came back from that and was a sensational player for Celtic in his first spell at the club.

[@acousticmotorbike2118]

Champagne Charlie is hard to listen to now.

[@padraig7744]

I think Charlie's debut was at Ibrox a few months earlier not in this game.

[@heather26xx]

Aye it came back to haunt him when Walters ripped him to shreds in 5-1. game at IBROX.He was a big COO!

[@darganx]

But Walters was still at Villa when Nicholas went south to Arsenal??

[@johnclark7049]

@@darganx Aitken ?

[@darganx]

@@johnclark7049 what's Roy Aitken got to do with this?

[@TheCinderellaMan]

Bono played for Celtic??? :)

[@michaeldignan2206]

Frank McGarvey's hair lol

[@junglejamesie]

Feed the Bear....

[@ViceCityDJ]

won the league cup scoring twice against the bindippers.

[@darganx]

That's all he did in his career from then! By the time Arsenal had a credible side he was back up north.. turn down Liverpool FC for Arsenal HA!! Shoulda stayed at Celtic.

[@CMEAGAIN]

This short clip shows how the game has changed. The celtic players could easily have gone down easily in the rangers penalty area on numerous occasions. Proves todays players are a bunch of pansies

[@GOONERDOZ]

And it was snowing..... No tights no snood no gloves... But its north of the border.... Not England 😂

[@gordonmathers6489]

The Worlds Loneliest Man not pansies.... cheats

[@iamnoone5478]

What is the Music, please????

[@TheMullen]

Was Charlie's second game v rangers.

[@paulmclean6613]

This WASNT Charlie,s debut ,av3-0 defeat at ibrox was his Derby debut the previous November!

[@tearitloosetearitloose4670]

Where was this match played?

[@ThefightingCelt]

Celtic Park, before refurbishments by Fergus McCann.

[@Markfeldzy]

go home ya huns go home ya huns go home ya huns home ....end was magic hail hail!!!!

[@TheMullen]

Wasn't Charlie's derby debut, that was earlier in the season.

[@russellmcghee2172]

3-0 Rangers.

[@keepercoach]

Hunskelpers

[@ThefightingCelt]

A good young Celtic side managed by Billy McNeill, winning easily against a poor, ageing Rangers team managed by John Greig.

[@cheapspellcheque]

The quality of the football isn't as good as I remember it. The players look a bit stiff actally.

[@viewer3091]

How come Charlie had lost all his pace when he went to Arsenal ? ?

[@nasreireinas3392]

Thats a good question i was thinking the same he looks a lot slimmer here maybe thats why

[@garypmcgovern2321]

A big factor of Charlie’s so called failure at Arsenal was he was played out of position

[@randybackgammon890]

Leg break?

[@cannonfodder6654]

huns Mark 1 run for the exit after the bear makes it 3

[@godblessthepope.]

Go Home you Huns go Home......................

[@DarrenTS13]

Lol has John Clark ever left Celtic

[@johnclark7049]

Nope

[@acousticmotorbike2118]

You couldn't listen to him. What a jerk.

[@dpiper1281]

No, Scottish Premier Division

[@KitCurranRadioShow]

It's shocking tbh. Too much long-ball Wimbledon-style. I'm not surprised Ferguson could put together teams to beat both of these.

[@jamesdownie1968]

Wasnt his old firm debut.... he played in 3-0 defeat at ibrox in previous game on 1st November 1980

[@andrewcook1159]

Home debut you clown listen

[@KitCurranRadioShow]

4:01, Nicholas' second goal... bloody hell, was Dave Bassett coaching Celtic in this match? Talk about 'hoofball' and the long ball game of the 80s...

[@peterdougie]

he could have been a celtic great but in my eyes he will always be a duffer

[@peterdougie]

turncoat

[@jonathanclarke7066]

If you go round to ibrox think you will see Rangers F.C. on the main stand !

[@johnclark7049]

Ma answer all the time !

[@andrewcook1159]

@@johnclark7049 but its more lies and everybody knows it its sev co or team 12

[@ALEXB564]

What a damaged human being he turned out to be. Whatever kind of Celticness he had in his body has well and truly be drained. Thanks for nothing.

[@t1mTV]

first division not premier league.

[@KryptonitetoallBS]

I saw quite a few of his early years @ Celtic but like many footballers he kind of lost his way. And YES I know the gooners loved him BUT he just didnt fullfill his potential. Arsenal was the wrong club for him.Liverpool's pass back mind numbingly boring style would not have suited him either. He was flash, he was cocky, he was Champagne Charlie and would have been adored @ OT because there he would have had the right sort of players around him to protect him and the massive crowd to play for !!

[@hailbaz]

Bye bye rangers no more haha