Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender recalls knocking Celtic out of the Scottish Cup and winning Gold Cup with Canada all in the same month
FEBRUARY 2000 was arguably the best month in Richard Hastings’ football career and not just for being part of the Inverness Caledonian Thistle team which beat Celtic 3-1 in the Scottish Cup third round.
After the full time whistle, the defender was not able to celebrate with his teammates on the bus up the road as he had a plane to catch.
He had been selected to play for Canada in the Gold Cup in the United States, with their first match against Costa Rica just five days after Caley Thistle’s famous night in Glasgow.
But it turned out to be worthwhile missing out on the celebrations as Canada went on to win the tournament in the biggest moment in their footballing history.
Speaking about beating Celtic in the Scottish Cup, Hastings said: “It was a mixed feeling. I was euphoric but also relieved. All these emotions I was experiencing at once at a personal level and as a team as we celebrated with the fans.
“It was a helluva night that we gave the supporters, but I had to fly the next morning to Los Angeles to join the Canada National Team for the Gold Cup, so I missed out on the celebrations.
“I was sitting in the airport waiting to get on the plane. I saw the people reading the papers and seeing headlines such as ‘Super Caley Go Ballistic’.
“I almost wanted to tell people reading the papers that I played in the game.
“Unfortunately I didn’t get to celebrate at all. I saw the pictures in the papers of the boys on the bus and I am sure it would have been rocking.”
Hastings was part of the Canadian team which beat Colombia 2-0 in the Gold Cup final on February 27, 2000 in Los Angeles.
He also had to cut his celebrations short with Canada as he flew back to Aberdeen to play for Inverness Caledonian Thistle two days later in their Scottish Cup fourth round replay which they lost 1-0.
However, he says the opportunity to be part of footballing history for both club and country are two of the best moments of his career.
He said: “People ask me what was bigger, but it is probably better to keep it one domestic moment and one international moment so they don’t have to compete with each other.
“It was bizarre when we won the Gold Cup, I didn’t get to celebrate it either. I had to get a flight back to Aberdeen for the Scottish Cup replay, so I was quickly shuttled away so I could play for Inverness.”
Hastings believes beating Celtic was a benchmark which would set up Caley Thistle’s success in the future.
He says the victory showed what could be achieved at Inverness and with players based in the Highlands.
He said: “At my age and stage of my career, to be part of a team to win a game of that magnitude at Celtic Park, it is one of the proudest moments of my career.
“Even the team that we had with players coming from the Highlands, it was a really special moment. It made us believe in ourselves.
“It was a result which put Inverness on the map for what we achieved and the headlines have never been forgotten.
“It was a standout moment, but we never expected the club to go and achieve what they did. It was a catalyst for things to come.”