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| May 18 2008, 3:11 AM EDT (current) | auldbhoy | 6 words added, 1 word deleted |
| May 1 2008, 3:24 PM EDT | TheHumanTorpedo | 8 words added |
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[Player Pics]
Northerm Ireland international Anton Rogan will always be fondly remembered as part of the Celtic side which won the league and cup ‘double’ in the club’s centenary season.
Signed from Northern Irish side Distillery in 1986 Rogan made 148 appearances in the Hoops, making his debut in the trophy-less season of 1986/87 under then boss Davie Hay.Hay. Billy McNeill replaced Hay in the summer of 87 and Rogan quickly impressed the new manager and established himself as a first-team regular.
Hard tackling and energetic Rogan, although not the most skilful of players, was a robust, attacking full back who relished the chance to charge down the left-wing. His over-lapping runs and crosses were a regular source of Celtic attacks during that famous centenary season. Indeed it was his fine cross which set up Frank McAvennie’s equaliser against Dundee United in that most dramatic of cup finals.
Celtic never built on that double success though and like many of his team-mates Rogan would spend the next few seasons as part of a Hoops team which struggled badly to keep up with a Rangers team supported by a level of finance and ambition which the Parkhead board had no intention of matching.
Cup final success against the Ibrox side in 1989 briefly papered over the cracks as Celtic went into freefall. Rogan’s form and confidence suffered as the mediocre Bhoys quickly became sorry also-rans in the quest for domestic honours. Rogan, now no longer a first team regular under new boss Liam Brady, eventually left Glasgow in 1991 to join Sunderland in a £750,000 deal.
Despite the decline in the fortunes of the club and his own form Anton remained a well liked player among the support mainly due to his committed and combative approach to the game. Never the most cultured of footballers the Belfast-born player was prone to the odd error but his attitude and association with the glory days of the Centenary season meant he was almost universally liked.
Sadly though this affection was not shared by some so-called supporters of Northern Ireland who regularly subjected Rogan to vile sectarian abuse. This shameless display of bigotry was a consequence of Rogan being both a Catholic and a Celtic player. The same hate-filled individuals would raise their ugly heads again more than a decade later when Neil Lennon moved to Celtic Park.
After his days in Glasgow Rogan enjoyed some success in England but did play in the 1992 FA Cup final for Sunderland in their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. After leaving Roker Park spells at Oxford, Millwall and Blackpool followed.
ANTON ROGAN INTERVIEW
Ant becomes Rogan hero -
Football
Northerm Ireland international Anton Rogan will always be fondly remembered as part of the Celtic side which won the league and cup ‘double’ in the club’s centenary season.
Signed from Northern Irish side Distillery in 1986 Rogan made 148 appearances in the Hoops, making his debut in the trophy-less season of 1986/87 under then boss Davie Hay.Hay. Billy McNeill replaced Hay in the summer of 87 and Rogan quickly impressed the new manager and established himself as a first-team regular.
Hard tackling and energetic Rogan, although not the most skilful of players, was a robust, attacking full back who relished the chance to charge down the left-wing. His over-lapping runs and crosses were a regular source of Celtic attacks during that famous centenary season. Indeed it was his fine cross which set up Frank McAvennie’s equaliser against Dundee United in that most dramatic of cup finals.
Celtic never built on that double success though and like many of his team-mates Rogan would spend the next few seasons as part of a Hoops team which struggled badly to keep up with a Rangers team supported by a level of finance and ambition which the Parkhead board had no intention of matching.
Cup final success against the Ibrox side in 1989 briefly papered over the cracks as Celtic went into freefall. Rogan’s form and confidence suffered as the mediocre Bhoys quickly became sorry also-rans in the quest for domestic honours. Rogan, now no longer a first team regular under new boss Liam Brady, eventually left Glasgow in 1991 to join Sunderland in a £750,000 deal.
Despite the decline in the fortunes of the club and his own form Anton remained a well liked player among the support mainly due to his committed and combative approach to the game. Never the most cultured of footballers the Belfast-born player was prone to the odd error but his attitude and association with the glory days of the Centenary season meant he was almost universally liked.
Sadly though this affection was not shared by some so-called supporters of Northern Ireland who regularly subjected Rogan to vile sectarian abuse. This shameless display of bigotry was a consequence of Rogan being both a Catholic and a Celtic player. The same hate-filled individuals would raise their ugly heads again more than a decade later when Neil Lennon moved to Celtic Park.
After his days in Glasgow Rogan enjoyed some success in England but did play in the 1992 FA Cup final for Sunderland in their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. After leaving Roker Park spells at Oxford, Millwall and Blackpool followed.
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
ANTON ROGAN INTERVIEW
Ant becomes Rogan hero -
Football
Sun, The (London, England)
June 23, 2003
Author: Steve Smyth
June 23, 2003
Author: Steve Smyth
ANTON ROGAN was a Glasgow Celtic stalwart - a player who overcame a catalogue of injuries to write his name into the Parkhead club's history as a member of Billy McNeill's centenary year league and Cup double winning team. Today, his life doesn't revolve around football - but, instead, he concentrates on the asbestos disposal business he set up with a friend in Oxford.
"A dangerous occupation? Not really the regulations these days are so strict," he said.
Rogan, who made 18 Northern Ireland appearances, married Nicki an Oxford girl when he was playing for the local club.
They live at Bladon and have two sons Liam, four, and Conal 18 months.
System
His mum Patsy and father Sean still reside in Belfast - where the young Rogan learnt his football.
Disaster struck him when on the verge of joining Celtic from Irish League club Distillery - then managed by Roy Welsh - in the late 80s.
He recalled: "I was scheduled to travel to Glasgow and discuss terms when I broke my left leg in a Irish League game against Crusaders.
"Celtic, however, still maintained their interest in me. When I had recovered John Kelman who looked after the club's striking system invited me to join Celts on a youth tour of Holland.
"Alas, I broke the same leg in one of the matches, was sent home thinking my professional career was over before it had begun.
"A prolonged rehabilitation followed, Celtic kept their promise and signed me."
A year later, in the 1987-88 season when Celtic were celebrating their centenary, Billy McNeill, one of the Parkhead immortals and member of the 1967 Lisbon Lions European Cup-winning team, gave him his breakthrough.
Characters
The fans who in an earlier generation had idolised Charlie Tully, another Belfast import took the young Irishman immediately to their hearts.
Rogan said: "There were some wonderful characters at the club - Frank McAvennie, Paul McStay and Charlie Nicholas.
"And what a fantastic atmosphere, too. To be part of that set up was really something."
Rogan's Parkhead career came to a halt on the arrival of Liam Brady as manager.
Circumstances forced him to introduce a cost-cutting exercise which saw Rogan depart to Sunderland for Pounds 750,000.
Fortune, however, smiled on him at Roker Park.
He became an instant success and was included in the 1992 FA Cup final team against Liverpool at Wembley which they lost 2-0.
Rogan admitted: "It was the correct outcome for we were simply not at it in the second half."
Then followed spells at Oxford, Millwall - where a fellow Ulsterman Jimmy Nicholl was in charge - and eventually Blackpool - with Nigel Worthington.
Rogan, 38, was first capped against Yugoslavia in 1988 and the last against Germany as a substitute in 1997.
There should have been many more appearances but while Billy Bingham omitted him on occasions, this was due primarily to a series of injuries.
"Each time I was about to get fit I would pull a hamstring," he said.
"It proved a problem all the way and I had a heel builder inserted in the boot but eventually I had to undergo in Blackpool to remove a cyst from my knee."
A regret in football? "Yes," he said.
"I as disappointed I didn't play for Northern Ireland in the World Cup finals of Spain 82 and Mexico 86.
"That would have been a dream come true."
The departure of Anton Gerard Patrick Rogan came much too early.
Still, he made an invaluable contribution to club and country.
"A dangerous occupation? Not really the regulations these days are so strict," he said.
Rogan, who made 18 Northern Ireland appearances, married Nicki an Oxford girl when he was playing for the local club.
They live at Bladon and have two sons Liam, four, and Conal 18 months.
System
His mum Patsy and father Sean still reside in Belfast - where the young Rogan learnt his football.
Disaster struck him when on the verge of joining Celtic from Irish League club Distillery - then managed by Roy Welsh - in the late 80s.
He recalled: "I was scheduled to travel to Glasgow and discuss terms when I broke my left leg in a Irish League game against Crusaders.
"Celtic, however, still maintained their interest in me. When I had recovered John Kelman who looked after the club's striking system invited me to join Celts on a youth tour of Holland.
"Alas, I broke the same leg in one of the matches, was sent home thinking my professional career was over before it had begun.
"A prolonged rehabilitation followed, Celtic kept their promise and signed me."
A year later, in the 1987-88 season when Celtic were celebrating their centenary, Billy McNeill, one of the Parkhead immortals and member of the 1967 Lisbon Lions European Cup-winning team, gave him his breakthrough.
Characters
The fans who in an earlier generation had idolised Charlie Tully, another Belfast import took the young Irishman immediately to their hearts.
Rogan said: "There were some wonderful characters at the club - Frank McAvennie, Paul McStay and Charlie Nicholas.
"And what a fantastic atmosphere, too. To be part of that set up was really something."
Rogan's Parkhead career came to a halt on the arrival of Liam Brady as manager.
Circumstances forced him to introduce a cost-cutting exercise which saw Rogan depart to Sunderland for Pounds 750,000.
Fortune, however, smiled on him at Roker Park.
He became an instant success and was included in the 1992 FA Cup final team against Liverpool at Wembley which they lost 2-0.
Rogan admitted: "It was the correct outcome for we were simply not at it in the second half."
Then followed spells at Oxford, Millwall - where a fellow Ulsterman Jimmy Nicholl was in charge - and eventually Blackpool - with Nigel Worthington.
Rogan, 38, was first capped against Yugoslavia in 1988 and the last against Germany as a substitute in 1997.
There should have been many more appearances but while Billy Bingham omitted him on occasions, this was due primarily to a series of injuries.
"Each time I was about to get fit I would pull a hamstring," he said.
"It proved a problem all the way and I had a heel builder inserted in the boot but eventually I had to undergo in Blackpool to remove a cyst from my knee."
A regret in football? "Yes," he said.
"I as disappointed I didn't play for Northern Ireland in the World Cup finals of Spain 82 and Mexico 86.
"That would have been a dream come true."
The departure of Anton Gerard Patrick Rogan came much too early.
Still, he made an invaluable contribution to club and country.
