Only An Excuse, Comedy in Scottish Football & Growing Up With The Lions | With Phil Differ

Having worked on some of the best loved Scottish comedy of our times - including Scotch & Rye, City Lights & Rab C Nesbitt - Phil Differ knows a thing or two about making people laugh.
He’s also of course the creator of Only An Excuse, where alongside a host of contributors such as Tony Roper and Jonathan Watson he’s been looking at the lighter side of on Scottish Football from as far back as 1986.
Whilst comedy has played a huge part in Phil’s life, so too has Celtic, and he recalls the privilege of seeing the Lisbon Lions in their prime as an 11 year old boy in 1967, before then going on to meet them in the flesh many years later.
In general terms Phil urges caution when it comes to meeting your heroes, but discards that theory completely when it came to a “bunch of guys from Baillieston, Uddingston & Saltcoats” who won club football’s biggest prize and wrote their names into the history books forever.
Enjoy this brilliant special episode as Tino sits down with Phil to discuss a life in comedy, a life in Scottish Football, and a life in Celtic.
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[@TheCelticExchange]

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[@GeorgeButterworth-e7q]

Totally understand the emotional response of Phil. I’m of a similar age and can identify with the values, ethos of a group of individuals representing a community from a small European country! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🍀

[@alexframe7]

Brilliant interview. I can relate to much of what Phil talks about. The European nights were special back then. Keep up the great work Tino. Hail Hail.

[@TheCelticExchange]

Thanks Alex. Celtic have always been known for big nights in Europe. Thats slipped recently though and something we need to get back on track 🍀

[@paulallan9921]

Brilliant Interview Tino 👍🍀

[@TheCelticExchange]

Cheers Paul, glad you enjoyed it 🍀

[@georgecanning9004]

Another brilliant podcast Tino Phil's stories took you back. Show get's better and better.

[@TheCelticExchange]

Thanks George, Phil was a brilliant guest. Great to chat Celtic with! 🍀

[@jimroberts7466]

My first memory of Celtic park 1954 my old dad took me to see us playing Kilmarnock..Charlie Tully etc. still faithful…

[@TheCelticExchange]

Brilliant stuff Jim! 🍀

[@jamesbarclay8430]

Another great interview.

[@TheCelticExchange]

Cheers James 🍀

[@thomasbradley4833]

Loved this podcast, well done Tino.

[@TheCelticExchange]

Thanks Thomas, glad you liked it 🍀

[@geraldodonnell3221]

Another brilliant interview 👏

[@TheCelticExchange]

👍

[@robertdavey3381]

My first game 12 January 1966 I was 8 came over with my Dad and the club he was in dynamo Kiev 3-0 George Connolly played keepe up at halftime.

[@TheCelticExchange]

Great stuff Robert! Phil was talking about George Connolly off camera actually!

[@DavidBroadley-tw7ks]

I remember that game cup winners cup we got to the semis and Liverpool robbed us in the semis

[@DavidBroadley-tw7ks]

Dynamo Kiev knocked us out the european cup 2 seasons later in the 3nd round we were the holders my first game my da took me see celtic v thistle the jags won 1 2 19 65 I was about 9 I must have been unlucky my first old firm game was celtic 2 rangers 4 in the league 19 67 68 season we had knocked them out the league Cup the month before

[@justacotin]

Ah and some peppers,,red,,green,,oh and the Sunday peppers,chuck em all in 😅😅😅

[@TheCelticExchange]

Are these some old school/Phil Differ references @j ? 😀

[@garyhoward4216]

Nothing better than listening to Celtic fans talking about Celtic.

[@TheCelticExchange]

Thanks for watching this one Gary 🍀

[@robertdavey3381]

Over from Belfast

[@TheCelticExchange]

👍🏻

[@HoudiniJam]

Channel going from strength to strength, Tino. Not particularly active on the channel but I've been watching for a number of years. Keep up the great content, mate. Your passion for Celtic is palpable 🍀

[@TheCelticExchange]

Really appreciate that @HJ and thanks for tuning in when you can 👍🍀

[@jbhoyc8817]

Absolutely fantastic Tino & Phil, btw my first game was at ibrox 2/4/62, Scottish Cup semi final v St Mirren 🤦‍♂️ but hey, made it to 3 European finals - last one with my oldest son!! hail hail 🍀🍀

[@John-vw3lr]

Was there crowd trouble at that game ?

[@jbhoyc8817]

Yes there was a pitch invasion as we were 3-1 down

[@TheCelticExchange]

Cheers @jbhoy - great memories! Can't be many folks with us now who have been to all 3 of our European finals!

[@JohnAnderson-ss9vn]

@TheCelticExchange yes remember it well and the game was at ibrokes

[@John-vw3lr]

@@jbhoyc8817 aye I have read about that although before my time.

[@COYBIG1967]

Tino - so you wrote an essay about getting lost at a game . Phil oh aye how did you know about that. Tino - you got 💯 grading for it too. Phil- aye awright Tino pal your scaring me now 😂 😮😂 I’m kidding of course

[@TheCelticExchange]

Me and Phil were in the same class at school Anthony 😎

[@josephdocherty5977]

Absolutely brilliant. T I n o hh. Joe little Ireland comeing from Portugal 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇨🇮🇨🇮🇨🇮💰💰💰🙏🙏🙏🏆🏆👍😎

[@TheCelticExchange]

Cheers Joe, hope you’re doing well. You visiting Lisbon? 🇵🇹

[@josephdocherty5977]

Unfortunately no tin no I’m in Porto agggggh lol lovely place and people and believe or not they love my Celtic tops tc u brilliant pod ,.::::joe

[@spreadthelove77]

Another brilliant one, Tino. I remember going to the Kings with my late Dad and one of the set-up gags was the Jim White and Gerry McNee combo. McNee: And Rangers beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 with a goal from that hard-working, midfield Protestant Ian Ferguson. (Cue audience laughter) Slight pause before Jim White says “Hang on, Gerry. How do you know Fergie’s a Proddy? McNee: ‘Cause he looks like wan! Place was in genuine hysterics. And to be fair, when that show was released on video, it panned to Ian Ferguson himself and he was proper laughing at it. Imagine that now?😂

[@TheCelticExchange]

Cheers @STL - Only An Excuse shone a light on some of the madness of Scottish Football in a humorous way - some brilliant stuff over the years!

[@hailparadise88]

Brilliant interview again Tino 💚💚your comments about your pal Stephen Cushley he didn’t work in the bank by any chance did he? I worked with a Stephen Cushley in the bank when I was 18 and I’m sure he had relatives that played with Celtic

[@TheCelticExchange]

Sorry, GDPR prevents me from revealing any details on this. But aye, thats definitely Cush 😀🍀

[@briancavanagh9649]

First game Celtic v Airdrie 4-1 Scottish Cup 1964 at Parkhead aged 9. Days when you were lifted over the turnstile for free!

[@TheCelticExchange]

Back in the day Brian! 🙌

[@justacotin]

The pilots just went oot lol...

[@GraemeTyrrell.]

Can totally relate to Phil, I’m a Kilsyth Bhoy myself and all we did was play football and get chased aff the polis 😜

[@TheCelticExchange]

Not a bad way to spend your youth Graeme 😀⚽️

[@GraemeTyrrell.]

@@TheCelticExchange youth? I’m the same age as Phil and I’m referring to last week 😜😜😎😎😜 hahaa no great interview and great content on the channel 👍🍀 HH

[@johnharrison8857]

We lived in Dennistoun in the east end of Glasgow and in the fifties my father took me to see Clyde at Shawfield because it was a safe place to watch football on a Saturday afternoon….every other week we went to watch Rangers, Celtic or Partick Thistle …. My father was anti the “Old Firm” and for a man who “would never say boo to a goose” he nearly came to a premature end in the Jungle at Parkhead….Celtic scored a goal and when everyone was celebrating my father shouted “offside!”….there was a deathly hush around us and the only thing that saved my father from a “doing” was his wee boy standing beside him and appealing to him to keep quiet………….

[@TheCelticExchange]

Sounds like a lucky escape for both of you there John 😂🍀

[@JohnAnderson-ss9vn]

a county down was a lot of money back then

[@TheCelticExchange]

No doubt John, talking about nearly 60 years ago 💰

[@JohnAnderson-ss9vn]

it was a holiday of corpus christi for catholic schools on lisbon day

[@TheCelticExchange]

You old enough to tell the tale John?

[@JohnAnderson-ss9vn]

@TheCelticExchange yes I was 14 at the time and it was a magical experience something no one ever thought was possible

[@thetone1526]

Another fantastic show. How good is it to hear real Celtic people show their passion for our great club? Phil Differ is an exceptionally talented guy and it was great to hear his stories

[@TheCelticExchange]

@@JohnAnderson-ss9vnBrilliant John, great memories 🍀

[@rosaliehagart1888]

My dad's hame toon Kilsyth

[@TheCelticExchange]

Nice one 🍀 Hope you enjoyed the episode @rosalie

[@TheCelticExchange]

A convicted criminal Jim eh 😂 Sounds a small price to pay 🙌

[@jimroberts7466]

Early 70s hampden Scottish cop Celtic victory..after game heading into glasgow to celebrate van pulls up want a lift into town. Yea thanks. Police. Spent weekend in cells.appeared Monday sherif court. Breach of peace policeman gave evidence breach of peace .accused of walking down Aitken rd singing the sash …ho ho ho worth the fine £25…HH.

[@geraldodonnell3221]

Another brilliant interview 👏

[@TheCelticExchange]

Cheers Gerry, hope you're doing well 🍀