When Atletico Madrid announced their decision to don a replica kit from a match played 49 years ago in Glasgow, it’s fair to say I was taken aback. [Footy Headlines]This isn’t just any game we’re talking about – it’s the infamous ‘shame game’, a fixture that stands as a black mark in European football history.
In that match, played against Celtic, Atletico had three players shown red cards, another seven booked, and their aggressive tactics led to them being branded an “abhorrent affront to proper football.” The 0-0 draw was nothing less than poisonous. With police intervention necessary on more than one occasion, the game was a display of hostility, rather than skill or sportsmanship.
The paltry £14k fine from UEFA that followed felt like a mere slap on the wrist for the Spanish side, especially given the magnitude of their misconduct. But it wasn’t just the on-pitch antics that made headlines; the aftermath was just as tumultuous.
The second leg of the European Semi final in Spain saw the deployment of 1000 armed police officers as a precautionary measure. Celtic fans were advised not to travel, highlighting the severity of tensions between the two clubs. The environment had grown so toxic that legends of the Celtic side, Jock Stein and Jimmy Johnstone, even received death threats. The match ended in a 2-0 defeat for Celtic, after which the team promptly returned home, eager to leave the animosity behind.
Given this history, Atletico’s choice to wear a kit reminiscent of that fateful day in Glasgow seems nothing short of provocative. It’s akin to rubbing salt in old wounds. To many, this move is not just a nod to the past, but a stark reminder of one of football’s darkest hours. Having not lived it myself, I have been brought up on stories from my Father about that fateful night.
The decision is all the more puzzling considering Atletico’s current reputation. The club has worked hard over the past decades to establish themselves as one of Europe’s elite teams, boasting of a style that, while sometimes gritty, is far from the brute force exhibited in Glasgow all those years ago.
One might argue that the choice to wear the kit could be a means of honoring the team’s history. However, it’s essential to recognise which parts of history are worth celebrating. The ‘shame game’ is a chapter that should be acknowledged, learned from, but not glamorised.
In Football symbols and gestures hold significant weight, Atletico’s decision seems ill-judged. Instead of invoking pride and nostalgia, this move is more likely to inflame tensions and ruffle feathers, especially among those who remember the events of that evening all too well.
Of course the 22 men on that field will hold no candle to that game. They will go out and do their job, but an Atletico team sporting similar kits to a team that shamed the game at Celtic Park will be met with a wall of noise. Sometimes at Celtic Park, there’s an appreciation for some top quality opposition, I can tell you right now, that won’t be on display on Wednesday!
