Rare nothing to lose phenomenon, the Great Hunger

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International players will begin returning to Bayern Munich’s training facility today. Many will undergo their first session under new manager Jupp Heynckes. Five points off the pace domestically, they face Freiburg on Saturday before the visit of Celtic one week today.

Freiburg are above the relegation play-off spot on goal difference only, largely as a consequence of settling in for a draw. They have lost only two of their seven games. On Saturday, Celtic scouts will likely learn how Bayern play against a packed defence.

If the result in Brussels afforded Brendan Rodgers some Champions League freedom, Heynckes is under pressure to win both games this coming week. This is far from impossible (they are Bayern Munich, after all), but the new manager will be working blind, having little or no time on the training field with his players, talented though they are.

I’m feeling unusually chilled about the game in Munich. We will rest those who need it on Saturday, then travel with the rare ‘nothing to lose’ phenomenon, so scarce for Celtic teams. The contrast for the Germans could not be greater; a loss to Celtic would be cataclysmic. We should enjoy this.capture-20171009-120341

National Famine Day Memorial match-worn shirt

Many thanks to all who entered the raffle for James Forrest’s match-worn shirt, commemorating the Great Hunger, which followed the Blight which passed through much of Europe in the 1840s before hitting Ireland. A million died there, millions more emigrated, some to Scotland. A few of these new communities here setup football teams in Edinburgh, Dundee and then Glasgow.

Is this an important part of the Celtic story? I think so. Its consequences inform our values today.

You can enter the raffle by making a minimum £5 donation to Celtic FC Foundation here. The money will continue the great work carried out in your name. And you might win a signed, match-worn, Famine Memorial shirt.

What a great thing to do.

To enter, send your donation confirmation email to celticquicknews@gmail.com with the name of the PSG player who was booked for diving against Celtic last month in the SUBJECT line.

Thanks.

capture-20171010-125100

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  1. COWIEBHOY on 11TH OCTOBER 2017 11:03 PM

     

    Goooood afternoon CQN

     

     

    I generally would not discuss Sevco, they mean absolutely hee-haw to me

     

     

    Anyway, confused

     

     

    As a non accountant

     

     

    How does it look like they will enter any admin ? I thought the loans are all from fans and board members ? Would they not need to call in the loans ?

     

     

    If they need mor money to keep going, and no loans forthcoming, do they not just collapse/ fold ?

     

     

    And why would Park (jnr) let D Murray step back in and wipe out his loans ?

     

     

     

    ###

     

     

     

    I suppose if Park realised he wasn’t getting his money back whatever happened, and the only way of preventing liquidation was to do a deal with Murray, then he might decide just to cut and run.

     

     

    It all does seem a bit far fetched though. For one thing what’s in it for Murray? I can’t see how he could boost either his bank balance or his ego by getting involved. The only thing I can think of is that someone has the black on him.

     

     

    But I just can’t see it happening, whatever David Low has hinted at.

  2. DD, I guess we will not be meeting at the airport then! See you in Munich, but on Saturday first.

     

    HH

  3. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. We are at Gretna.

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  4. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    HAPPY HOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY to

     

     

    IANBHOY929 and 50 SHADESOFGREEN!!!!!

  5. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    BGFC and family

     

     

    Leaving so soon? Missing Saturday’s match,ya part-timers?

     

     

    Hope yeezaw have a great time,and come back wi three points and some great memories!!!

     

     

    And many thanks for the donation.

     

     

    HH.

  6. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. We just passed into englandshire on the way to Manchester airport!!

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  7. A good read and some memories brought to life with descriptions that brighten the page!

     

     

    HH

     

    ……………………………………………………………………………………..

     

    TONTINE TIM on 11TH OCTOBER 2017 11:16 PM

     

    Was down on TO yesterday for our biannual visit, this is a 110 km round trip and involves 2 highways, one the 2nd busiest in NA, and an expressway.

     

     

     

    On return I watched a WC game, difficult choice here as I have no love for “if he was chocolate he would eat himself” Cristiano’s side, highly talented but very cynical, they could put the argies to shame plus there’s the Seville and sleekit pretentious one factor and now the comedian over at hades versus the spiritual home of zwingli, calvin and farel, that is until I spotted that scheisskopf lichtsteiner that the pork and cheese won it over me.

     

     

     

    It was later on that I spotted on here Big Packy’s comments on the Brogans, which struck a chord with me.

     

     

     

    Bobby Evans was my first hero and when he left it was Paddy Crerand but another favourite then was Frank Brogan, not just me but my mad Celtic supporting class at St Pat’s which had a catchment area of Whitecrook tae Rhu and Renton tae Gartocharn as well as some of the teachers, we all loved Frank.

     

     

     

    He was extremely fast and could play on both wings very effectively although best deployed on the left and most importantly knew the way tae goal.

     

     

     

    He took over from Alex Byrne on the left wing and had a startling resemblance tae him as he was also talented but faint hearted tae.

     

     

     

    In saying that there was a talentless thug in light blue out there that terrorised Celtic wingers, he allegedly ended the sublime John Higgins career while Celtic’s Lion almost ended his by humphin him in revenge.

     

     

     

    The same wee barrel chested brute also ended the early career of wee Ten Thirty, no by intimidating him in fact the opposite, the young Bertie stood up tae him and missed out on the “Hampden in the Sun” game even though he had played in the earlier rounds, as a result of his gallusness which Bob Kelly decided wisnae the Celtic way.

     

     

     

    It is often mentioned how the wee mhan was inexplicably dropped for the SC replay in 1963 but so was Frank; the reason here was he actually ran away fae the hooligan in blue. There was no way back for Frank after that and he ended up down in Ipswich where he starred and is still well thought of.

     

     

     

    One of my favourite memories of him was in a game against Dundee, the Buzz Bombs debut, where he was switched to the right wing. This was the high flying City of Discovery side that would finish the season as champions, Celtic supporters that summer would sing “and just about daybreak I spied a wee lassie who told me the League flag had went tae Dundee”.

     

     

     

    This was a terrific Dundee side with internationalists Hamilton, Ure, Robertson and the fabulous Alan Gilzean who earlier that season scored 4 goals at hades as they gubbed the home side 5-1, there was also the veteran Gordon Smith, no not wiggie but a real fitba player, the only Scottish player tae win League medals with 3 different teams.

     

     

     

    Yet on this sunny March day we more than matched them and actually had a goal by the debutant chalked off. When Wishart, who had already won a title with the sheep, opened the scoring early in the 2nd half it looked again that another valiant attempt by the leather belts would fail. Not so, we battled on and with 10 minutes to go after a cross come shot from Frank eluded big ure and landed in the net there was now only going to be one winner, 5 minutes later from a Frank corner big Billy again notched a vital goal, against a player rated above him tae.

     

     

     

    Frank retained his place for the next 2 games a 4-4 tie with the Hi Hi in which he scored and 4-0 in the replay which was at hunden but was inexplicably replaced by Bobby Carroll for the St Patrick’s Day game at Broomfield where we lost 0-1, I believe that this is the game where the latter was hit on the heid with a pie.

     

     

     

    In typical Celtic of the day fashion he was back again for the visit of the sheep scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory.

     

     

     

    Frank was a much maligned player in an era where a lot of very good prospects just never really made it but he still had the distinction of scoring our 5,000 goal at Firhill joining such luminaries of Adam McLean, Jimmy McGrory and Jimmy Delaney who had scored the 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 respectively.

     

     

     

    I can still see the picture of him in the next day’s Record with Adam McLean, ironically a boyhood Thistle fan and former assistant manager of them, who had autographed the ball.

     

     

     

    The last I saw Frank was in a LC game down at Cappielow where he turned out for the home side, a shadow of the player he could have been.

     

     

     

    His “wee” brother Jim was the complete opposite, not as talented but dear God what a heart; he was one of those players that you could truly say played for the shirt.

     

     

     

    He like Frank could also play on both the right and left side although this time in the wing half position.

     

     

     

    He was one of those players who seemed to take ages to break through, not a QSK member but a generation before, but when he did it gave the Big Mhan the impetus tae allow Luggy tae leave.

     

     

     

    There are many memories of Jim in the hoops; most recall his last minute goal against deidco on the 1st anniversary of their disaster. We had taken the lead from another wee mhan’s header midway through the 1st half and looked on course for all 2 points when they equalised against the run of play with 9 minutes left on the clock.

     

     

     

    Back we came at them and just s it looked as if we were heading for a draw, almost as bad as a loss back then, up popped Brogie in the box tae nod home the winner, he wheeled round and ran toward the Jungle, i thought he was going tae jump in and join us.

     

     

     

    Prior tae that he had another outstanding game against them around 6 ½ year before. After a brutal nothing to play for LC game against the templars at the aptly named rugby park which saw both Big Billy and Chopper stretchered off and rushed to hospital we also had Lemon out injured and so a makeshift team lined up in the pouring rain at Parkheid tae face deidco.

     

     

     

    Jim was in for Bobby Murdoch and big John Cushley for Billy. The hun striker at the time, one of only 3 centre forwards born in the Good and the Bad tae play for the national side, had been a thorn in Billy’s side much the same as jimmy miller had been in Bobby Evans’s, he hardly kicked a ball that day as John outmuscled him, similarly the Hill of Beath bevvie merchant didnae stroll around the park nonchalantly as he would do at Wembley 3 years later as Jim put him in his place. Both mhen were immense.

     

     

     

    Within an hour we were 3 up and had also missed a penalty and a brilliant solo Yogi effort called back for a free kick tae us. They pulled one back in the dying minutes but we ran out easy easy easy winners. Oh aye and we also signed the Faither that week.

     

     

     

    And yet it was back tae the stiffs for Jim where he bided his time until John Clark done in his cartilage 3 ½ years later, once in this time rarely out

     

     

     

    Roll on 10 years tae a replay against FCM at Fir Park, former favourite Ian St. John was their manager and had brought former team mate Bobby Graham up fae Coventry. Graham was a sublime player and ran the midfield against us in the first game which was played on a Sunday due tae the power cuts and 3 day week then, only a Harry Harry double kept us in the cup.

     

     

     

    And so on the Wednesday night we set of for the steel town. It was a full house that night. Although Jim lined up in his now usual left back position as soon as the ball was kicked off Pat McCluskey went there and Jim followed Graham all over the pitch, it’s the first time I can ever recall us man marking.

     

     

     

    Even when fat Pat got injured his replacement Tid went straight intae the left back slot allowing Jim tae patrol the midfield along with the Quiet Assassin who had been listed at right back. A Dixie header on the hour at his former happy hunting ground saw us through tae the semis.

     

     

     

    That night epitomised how much of a genius the Big Mhan could be, however, he didnae always get it right and that wet night in the San Siro I watched a crestfallen, Brogie, Yogi, Davie Hay and Evan Williams who had all deserved better as they collected their runners up medals.

     

     

     

    I was at Jims last game the Paul Wilson GC final where he skippered the side in the place of the now retired Big Billy, by this time “Brogies gonnae get you” had lost his place to the rejuvenated Andy Lynch, sadly he was concussed and had tae go off.

     

     

     

    One last piece of useless information is that Jim attended St Joseph’s Dumfries where he played rugby for the school side, the alama mater and final resting place of our founder.

     

     

     

    Both Brogans were good Celts, with Jim actually being a great one. I have often said on here and other sites that if we could have cloned Frank’s talent with Jim’s determination we would have more than one Big Cup in the Trophy Room.

  8. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Disaster!! M6 shut both directionsdue to major fire!! Dad currently bombing down b6259 in the year 1642 in The Kingdom of Cumbria.

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  9. Gerrbhoy: congrats on the birth of your grandchild.

     

     

    Ianbhoy & 50 Shadesofgreen: breithlá sona daoibh.

     

     

    Wee BGFC: Have a great trip. Are you nearly there yet:-)

  10. TONTINE TIM

     

     

    Great read last night and read it again today.

     

     

    CQN at it’s brilliant best!

     

     

    I loved the Brogan’s too.

     

     

    Great memories of two great Celts.

  11. One more choon for the day .

     

     

    Bought in Edinburgh on the day of Hibs 3 -Celtic 5 . . 4 goals from Joe Mcbride and a truly great shift from Jimmy Johnstone .

     

     

    Still being twirled ( and bugging the hell out of my mother ) at the end of the month and a 1-0 victory in the League Cup Final v The Deady Bears. Great goal from the Buzzbomb man and great goalkeeping from Faither.

     

     

    https://youtu.be/MKiAUYIL0QA

  12. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    50 SHADES

     

    Happy birthday and welcome to the 57 Club. A Club I must leave next month. Sadly.

     

     

    IANBHOY

     

    Happy birthday. I enjoy your weather reports. Mrs H has family that live in Devon.

     

     

    Proper fitba’ is nearly back :)

     

     

    HH

  13. Neil Lennon & McCartney on

    BENDIGO on 11TH OCTOBER 2017 12:37 PM

     

     

    http://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/uefa-nations-league-republic-of-ireland-northern-ireland-and-wales-will-be-in-b-competition-36217269.html

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    “The league stage of the competition takes place between September and November 2018”

     

     

    More club v country debate at a time when Celtic (hopefully) will be playing CL group games?

     

     

    HH

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    WEE BGFC

     

     

    Closed between J39 Barrow and J36 Shap. One lane opened now southbound.

     

     

    Good luck!

  15. Thomas Muller —

     

     

    ” Ancelotti was the scapegoat for problems in the dressing room ..”

     

     

    11 10 17.

  16. These fekking pop-ups are driving me nuts. No I don’t want a Tui holiday, nor a Fiat nor anything else.

     

    Come on Paul, fun’s fun but get your arse off the pillow

     

     

     

    KINGLubO

  17. Gerrybhoy – another Papa on the blog, congratulations to you and your family on the arrival of young Innes.

     

     

    Ianbhoy and 50 Shades – Happy birthday to you both, have a great day.

     

     

    HH

  18. I enjoyed reading about the Brogans. I only saw Jim play, but what a hunskelper he was. In a more literal way, if you know what I mean.

     

    I was in the Celtic end the night Jim scored a very late goal to beat deidco 1-0. Could have been a League Cup tie.

     

    I also remember another midweek match where Big Tam scored the winner in the Celtic end. That may have been the night where the ref didnt see Big Yogi kick wee Johnston in the nuts and so refused to send him off. Greig was going scripto. The ref was subsequently suspended for 6 weeks. Name was Callaghan, I think.

     

    Great memories of great times, but we faced the blatant bias of the authorities even then. Made our successes all the sweeter.

     

    HH

  19. FRIESDORFER on 12TH OCTOBER 2017 12:02 AM

     

    One Malloy/DD

     

     

    What time is your flight out of Edinburgh to Stuttgart on Monday? I am flying to Munich, via Frankfurt, on Monday ETD 1245. Might see you at the airport.

     

    ——————————————————————————————————————————————————–

     

    I see that DD answered your question, hope to catch up with you in Munich

     

     

    HH

  20. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. At last back on m6! Da doin 95! Fire cost us an hour and a half!!

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  21. TONTINE TIM @ 11.16

     

     

    ” that wet night in the San Siro “.

     

     

    It was very apt that it was wet and miserable .Played in a city that was on strike .. An absolute bummer of a game .A bummer of a performance . Something wasn’t right. A game that is still stuck in my craw … . The Yang to Lisbon’s Ying .. Outplayed ,out fought and outclassed by a very good team. 3/ 1 on favourites , ridiculous quotes from the Management before the game re Feyenoord playing defensively etc etc.. A bad ,bad night ..

     

    Spent the night in an anarchist squat and then hitched it back to London the following morning . Soaked , skint and mightily p’d off.

  22. GRAFFITIONTHEWALL on

    TAL, How you doing my friend ?

     

     

    On my way to meet ACGR at the man’s coarse .

     

     

    I’ll be using that half dollar coin you gave me to mark every baw. Tell big Torontony tae keep the head doon. HH

  23. Gerrybhoy congratulations

     

    welcome to the Celtic family Innes.

     

     

    IanBhoy929

     

    HOooooooooooooooooooooopy Birthday

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