MX23RW : Sunday, May 5 02:13:24| >> :120:41158:41158:

On this day: Liam Brady steps down as Celtic boss

Twenty-two years ago today, former Arsenal playmaker Liam Brady handed in his resignation following a two-year trophyless stint as manager of Celtic.

As a player, there were few of Liam Brady's generation that were more gifted on the ball than the Irishman.

Regarded to be a legend among the Arsenal faithful, Brady also made a big impression on Italian football fans following his stints with Juventus, Sampdoria and Inter Milan.

But, for all his talents on the pitch, the Dubliner was unable to transfer those skills into the dugout when he took charge of Scottish giants Celtic in June 1991, just 12 months after he had called time on his playing career.

Portrait of Celtic Manager Liam Brady circa 1991© Getty Images

The appointment of Brady was somewhat of a surprise given that he had no previous managerial experience and was also the first man to take charge of the Bhoys without having played for the club. Nevertheless, due to his standing in the game, the Celtic supporters were prepared to give the 35-year-old a chance.

Yet, on reflection, his tenure never truly got off and running. In his first two seasons in charge, Celtic finished in third position while bitter rivals Rangers celebrated a brace of title triumphs.

Not only that, many of his purchases flopped. The likes of Tony Cascarino, Frank McAvennie and Gary Gillespie all arrived at Parkhead, but that trio in particular struggled to deliver the goods on a consistent basis. A 5-1 defeat to Swiss club Neuchetel Xamax - at the time Celtic's heaviest loss in Europe - did not help Brady's cause either.

The situation finally came to a head 22 years ago today during what was Brady's third campaign in charge. A 2-1 defeat away at St Johnstone saw Celtic drop down to ninth position and that was enough to convince Brady to hand in his resignation, which was duly accepted by the board.

Speaking about his decision to step down, Brady said: "After recent results and performances, I have decided to resign. A tremendous pressure surrounds the club at present - the management staff, players, board and supporters alike.

"It is my responsibility as manager that this should not affect the players. I have not been able to do this. For this reason I have taken the decision to stand down."

Meanwhile, chairman Kevin Kelly added: "Liam always conducted himself with great dignity as Celtic manager. He did the honourable thing by resigning."

When Brady departed, he did so as just the second Celtic manager to have not guided the team to a trophy. The other boss - Jimmy McStay - was at the helm during the Second World War.

Brady soon returned to work with Brighton & Hove Albion, but his time with the Seagulls was no better than his stint in Glasgow.

ID:249558: cacheID:249558:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4523:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Leigh Griffiths of Wolves controls the ball during the FA Cup First Round Replay match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Oldham Athletic on November 19, 2013
Read Next:
McAvennie: 'Griffiths not the right man'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic220085275884
2RangersRangers110074245078
3Hearts20114637963
4Kilmarnock10104334952
5St Mirren21014246-446
6Dundee20024659-1341
Relegation Group
1Hibernian21014854-642
2Aberdeen22003749-1241
3Motherwell21015053-340
4Ross County21013459-2533
5St Johnstone20022550-2531
RLivingston21012563-3821
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
RLivingston3339212259-3718


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!