As the countdown to our glamour clash with Chelsea at Optus Stadium continues, we thought we’d re-visit the last time a high-profile UK club rocked up here in WA.
Celtic were, of course, the opponents, July 9 2011 the date and nib Stadium the venue.
The build-up to the meeting with the Glasgow giants was dominated by the weather, as torrential rain had the nib Stadium groundstaff working around the clock to make the surface playable.
Their sterling efforts eventually saw thousands of litres of water pumped away, allowing over 15,000 fans to file in and brighten up an overcast winter afternoon by creating a vivid sea of purple and green.
On the field, Glory more than played their part in what wasn’t always the friendliest of friendlies, with the late Liam Miller impressing against one of his former clubs, Jacob Burns making his presence felt throughout and a very young Adam Taggart enjoying an eye-catching cameo off the bench.
Glory skipper Jacob Burns and opposite number Scott Brown exchange pleasantries
Ultimately, Ian Ferguson’s side would succumb to a 2-0 defeat courtesy of goals from Gary Hooper and Charlie Mulgrew, but there were promising signs aplenty for the home faithful who would, of course, see their heroes reach the Hyundai A-League Grand Final some nine months later.
As ever in Retro Corner, we’d love to get your memories of the game and the day as a whole, so join the conversation on our Facebook page HERE or via Twitter HERE.
And if you haven’t already booked your seat for the Chelsea game, click HERE.
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