SCOTTISH CUP BUILD-UP: Past Inverness Caley Thistle hero Ryan Christie recalls how Barcelona muggers left him fighting to hold onto his 2015 winners' medal
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Former Caley Thistle hero Ryan Christie has told how a terrifying mugging ordeal in Barcelona left him fighting to keep hold of his Scottish Cup winners’ medal.
Local lad Christie was part of the legendary Inverness side that lifted the trophy in 2015, just weeks before he completed a big-money move to Celtic
These days with Bournemouth in England’s Premier League, Christie proudly took his medal with him as he and his girlfriend holidayed in Spain in the aftermath of the incredible Hampden triumph.
Little did he know that he would be left scrapping to keep hold of the cherished gong in the backstreets of Barcelona.
The Scotland attacker told the Daily Record: “I actually had a scare with my medal.
“I got it at Hampden and I never took it off until the Wednesday, when I went on holiday to Barcelona with my girlfriend.
“I had to take it off because we were going through security. I left it in my wash bag for the holiday because I thought it would be safe there.
“Bizarrely, we ended up getting mugged in Barcelona.
“They took a lot of me and my girlfriend’s stuff but all I remember at the time was holding on to my wash bag. That was the one thing they weren’t getting.
“They could have everything else but they weren’t getting the medal.”
Stand-out memories of the 2-1 victory over Falkirk, which followed an astonishing upset against Celtic in the semi-final, include Marley Watkins’ opener, the potentially disastrous red card for Carl Tremarco and late drama that saw the Bairns equalise through Peter Grant, before James Vincent set the seal on Caley Jags’ greatest achievement.
Personally for Christie - in sensational form that season - the final itself ranked low in terms of performance, and he was eventually subbed off for matchwinner Vincent.
Christie recalled: “It was so early in my career and I was a nervous wreck. I was a local boy and it started with the press day.
“It was mad. We were used to one or two reporters and then there were loads of cameras and reporters for the week. The game itself wasn’t the greatest.
“We had played so well that season but the first half was pretty poor and I remember thinking this is not how I envisaged the game going.
“We had knocked out Celtic in the semis and I was naive and young, and because Falkirk were a lower league team, I was thinking we could maybe get a couple of early goals and really enjoy the game.
“It didn’t work out that way.
“The first 20 minutes were ropey. Thankfully, Marley put us ahead then I got subbed in the second half. I don’t think I got a touch of the ball.
“Carl got sent off and I was on the bench praying we would hold on for the 1-0 win.
“They equalised but thankfully Vinny scored the goal and my memory is getting subbed for the guy who scored the winner. I’m glad the gaffer made that call. The way we won it was amazing.”
Ranked as one of the Highlands’ all-time greatest footballing exports, Christie won two league titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups with Celtic, while also helping Scotland get to Euro 2020.
After the deciding game against Serbia, he famously melted the nation’s hearts with uncontrollable tears during a live TV interview.
Expanding on his cup final memories, Christie said: “I remember going absolute nuts on the bench. I was actually disappointed before that because I didn’t feel I had played that well personally, and didn’t have the impact on the game I had hoped for.
“When we scored the goal that went out the window and we were all buzzing from then on. When the final whistle went, it was just sheer enjoyment.
“I have won things since with Celtic and gained promotion with Bournemouth and qualified for the Euros with Scotland, but that brought more relief because of the pressure that was on us to get over the line.
“The Caley Thistle memory is really special to me and always will be.”
