The name of McNamara first appeared in the team lines of a League Cup Final back in 1975 when Jackie McNamara senior played in green and white hoops however, it was to be a disappointing afternoon.
Old Firm rivals Rangers won 1-0 thanks to a diving header from Alex MacDonald and McNamara’s Hampden heartache was doubled in 1979 when as a Hibernian player, he played in the three Scottish Cup Finals that season.
The first two meetings with Rangers ended goalless and a third meeting saw the Ibrox men win 3-2 in extra time on a Monday Bank Holiday evening at the end of May.
Thankfully, Jackie McNamara junior, who played with both Celtic and Falkirk, and who compete in Sunday’s Semi-Final, has enjoyed better League Cup Final success starting just over 14 years ago.
The now Partick Thistle Manager talked through his League Cup successes with Celtic and a Hampden Scottish Cup appearance for the Bairns as well as pinpointing who could well turn out to be the matchwinners this weekend.
Ibrox Stadium, Sunday, November 30 1997 - Coca Cola Cup Final
Celtic 3 Dundee United 0
“That was a special game for me as it was the first medal of my career and that Cup win set us up to go on and win the Premier League that season. It simply gave everyone at the club a huge lift and turned us into winners.
Dundee United had a very good side that season but so did we, including my assistant manager at Partick Thistle these days, Simon Donnelly, who came on as a substitute that day.
It was a long time ago now but I do remember I was selected for a drug test afterwards and I missed out on the start of the celebrations back at Parkhead. I had to stay on at Ibrox and provide a sample while the rest of the boys were off with the trophy. I missed out on a good hour of that night
Marc Reiper and Henrik Larsson scored quite early on and then Craig Burley netted after Regi Blinker set him up and that third goal killed things. We could relax and enjoy the occasion due to that advantage as the clocked ticked down.
We saw the game out by playing well and playing with a lot of confidence.”
Two years later, McNamara was involved in the first ever CIS Cup Final against an Aberdeen side that he went on to play for later in his career.
Hampden Park, Sunday, March 19 2000 - CIS Insurance Cup Final
Celtic 2 Aberdeen 0
“Vidar Riseth scored in the first half and then Tommy Johnson netted in the second and there was no way back for them after Thomas Soldberg had been sent off.
Kenny Dalglish was in charge in the aftermath of the Inverness Caledonian Thistle Scottish cup-tie defeat that saw John Barnes leave his job at the club.
Winning the CIS Cup gave us a little lift at a difficult time as we were well behind Rangers in the League and at least it was something to show for a disappointing season.
With being two ahead and Aberdeen down to ten men, again it was a game were we could relax and enjoy the closing stages again. Games are in the balance at one nil but when we got the second and they lost a player we could see it out again in a positive way.
The following season McNamara missed out as Larsson scored a hat-trick as Celtic defeated Kilmarnock 3-0 after a booking in a feisty semi-final against Rangers that the Parkhead side won 3-1 cost him his place.
Hampden Park, Sunday, March 18 2001- CIS Insurance Cup Final
Celtic 3 Kilmarnock 0
“I was booked in the Semi-Final game and that was my second of the tournament and meant I was out. Ironically Lubomir Moravcik, who was sent off at the end of the game, along with Rangers pair Claudio Reyna and Michael Mols was allowed to play in it as he had served his suspension immediately afterwards.
It was the second big occasion I missed out on in my career as injury kept me out of the Scottish Cup Final in 1999. I went through an operation on my patella that year and was not playing when Rod Wallace scored the only goal of the game.
I can assure you that being suspended and your team winning is a lot better than being injured and your team getting beat.”
After leaving Celtic in 2005 McNamara had spells at Wolves and Aberdeen before joining Falkirk 3 years later and he was part of John Hughes’ side that reached Hampden to face Rangers not for a League Cup Final but a Scottish Cup one.
Hampden Park, Saturday, May 30 2009 - Scottish Cup Final
Rangers 1 Falkirk 0
“That one was played on a really hot day and Rangers got their goal just after half time with a spectacular effort from Nacho Novo and that was just about it. I am sure nine times out of ten Nacho’s volley would have flown over the bar but that day it went in.
Try as we might we could not get an equaliser.”
Hampden Park, Sunday, January 29 2012 Scottish Communities League Cup Semi-Final 2011/12
Falkirk v Celtic
Having seen Falkirk several times this season on First Division duty McNamara is well placed to judge their chances against his former side and he said, “Falkirk are very dangerous up front and Fardi El Alagui has been a revelation but Kallum Higginbothan is also very dangerous in the role he plays just sitting off him.
They have a number of really talented kids as well but Michael McGovern and Darren Dods have great experience although overall they are a very young side.
I have seen Celtic this season and if I was to pinpoint a dangerman for them it would be James Forrest. He helped them through a difficult patch earlier in the season and they look to him to create things in the same way that Aiden McGeady did.
A player like that can get you going if you are finding it difficult to make a breakthrough.
They looked to have turned a corner and have a winning mentality and that breeds confidence.
I would predict that Celtic will be too strong for Falkirk, however Steven Pressley’s side have beaten Rangers and Dundee United so they cannot be written off. If Celtic are off the boil at all it could be a really tricky afternoon for them.”
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