Adam Smith, regarded by many as the father of modern economics, once observed that crop failures caused dearth but that it took “the violence of well-intentioned governments” to convert “dearth into famine.” Throughout the 19th century, governments, social-reformers and subsistence –dwellers learned the enormous human cost that resulted when the poor were left to starve.
Ireland suffered regular famine for more than a century before when what became known as THE Irish Famine first struck the country in 1845. The potato blight travelled across Europe before arriving in Britain and then Ireland, but in most places the links between those who were suffering and those who were in a position to alleviate that suffering were sufficiently established to ensure dearth did not become cataclysmic famine. Not so in Ireland.
The famine lasted until the 1850s, a million starved to death. Nothing would ever be the same again. The blight returned in 1879 but by then the Celtic population of Ireland, who suffered disproportionately in earlier famines, were politically better represented and had structures in place to ensure those in need were assisted. As a result, the 1879 blight caused great hunger but cost fewer lives.
Brother Walfrid lived through the famine of the 1840s. The community who 125 years ago today decided to form a football and athletic club in order to feed the starving either lived through the same hardship, or were the progeny of those who did. All were informed by the actions across the water in 1879. Squalor, disease and starvation afflicted Glasgow, as it did many of the newly industrialised cities of the world. Walfrid and his colleagues were not going to stand idly by and hope for the best.
Celtic Football Club was not the only institution established in those years to cater for the poor. Across Britain others campaigned for clean water, sanitation, better working conditions and occasionally health care, but Celtic were quite unlike any others.
Football had caught the public imagination and benefited from the increased availability of leisure time in the early 20th century. Brother Walfrid could just as easily established a musical troupe to raise funds. If so, there would be no Celtic. Those who met in St Mary’s hall had seen how successful other football clubs were becoming and decided to copy their ways. They watched how successful Hibernian, from Leith, had become and decided Glasgow’s east end would be equally fertile ground.
Hundreds of other football clubs were formed in the 19th century but no others had the unique story of Celtic. If you listen to modern brand consultants you will hear them talk about establishing a legend for your brand. Adorn it with positive, aspirational sentiment that people want to be a part of. Whenever I hear this kind of talk, or watch a business try to position itself along these lines, I think of how getting the foundations right on day one set our club out on this enormous journey.
No one was trying to establish a brand in 1887, in fact, those in charge of the club seemed immune to the concept for over a century, but all of the positive sentiment which is persistently associated with Celtic can be traced back to that meeting at St Mary’s, even down to what might have seemed like small detail. Unlike Hibernian, Celtic would not be a club for members of a church or parish, this would be a club who wanted all members of society to work with, support and play for. From conception, the message of social responsibility was evangelised.
The world is enormously different today than it was back then, and our community reflects those changes, but anyone who counts himself a Celtic fan is a product of the club’s history. You are here for a reason.
Tomorrow night’s opponents proclaim they are ‘more than just a football club’. In their case that is correct, but this is a truism for most football fans. Few will say, ‘Although I turn up every week, there’s nothing special about this place’. Those who understand how much more Celtic are than just a club, know that it is no longer the responsibility of Brother Walfrid, now it is yours and mine. We have the enormous responsibility to take care of that 125-year heritage and, if possible, enhance it. That’s the challenge every time you get your ticket out your pocket, you scribble on a blog, or you’re asked to assist someone in need.
What an enormous privilege.
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The voting machines are fixed!!
Mitt’s the man!
FSTB
If I’d known then what I know now,I might have held onto one of them!
Though probably not,tbh.
FSTB
And btw,vinyl is obsolete-though still superior,of course!
*my da’s favourite team was:
Kenneway Hogg and Morrisoon, Geatons Lyon and Paterson, Delaney MacDonald Crum Divers and Murphy
Crumjude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
18:08 on 6 November, 2012
Beattie Donnelly Fallon Fernie Evans Peacock Tully Collins Mc Phail Wilson Mochan.
Simpson Craig Gemmel Murdoch Mc Neil Clark Johnstone Wallace Chalmers Auld Lennox.
Tontine Tim,
If you went to the reserves too, you will have seen one of the finest players to wear the jersey, imo: Alex Byrne. Paddy McCourt couldn’t lace his boots for sheer ability but he never seemed to make it in the first team.
Ho sento no parlo el catala ! And if I could I would tell them ” For it’s a grand old team to play for !! ” Hail Hail Mon the Hoops !!!
125 years of enormous privilege and how right you are Paul and like probably most supporters we spend quite a significant amount of our waking hours thinking about this great football club. Rising from poverty the club established itself for all time in the European football history books and it’s fitting that to-morrow night we take on the greatest club side ever to grace a football pitch in Barcelona.
Perhaps Perry Como’s theme song from the great Paul Newman movie could also be part of the Celtic story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubutG6yQrR0
Paul 67…… What a great piece, absolutely condenses why we are THE best club in the world .
We are a club that at times rips out your heart and hurts you so much but that just adds to the love.
God bless Brother Walfrid, happy birthday CELTIC
Paul67 et al
For all of you from the Chicago school of politics;
Vote early, and vote often!
oldtim
put yer blinkin phone on….
Proud to have supported Celtic all of my life – GREATEST club on Planet Earth. More than a football club – just like Barca!
Any other club come close? Only Rotherham United IMHO! Lots of my workmates gone to Fleetwood Town tonight to follow the lads – GOOD LUCK to ’em! Great little club who think the RIGHT WAY!
Great camaraderie between RUFC fans and Celtic fans at the Rotherham CSC (The Wilton, Kimberworth).
I see Barca are staying the Radison blue again, they stayed in the Abode previously…wonder why the moved out…
Paul67
A very pertinent article on our Club’s 125th Birthday – very well written.
Bit of a milestone for me – been around now for half the time Celtic F.C. have existed.
There have been many highs and a few proverbial lows – we have enjoyed them, learned from them and in some cases survived them – an evolving and all inclusive Club.
Proud to be part of it and glad (like all of our Support) to have contributed in some small way to where we are today – celebrating 125 years of unbroken history!
Next target for me – our 150th God willing!
H!H!
BMCUWP
Spot on the old crackle added to the listening experience ,Ah the good auld days .
chumbleywarnerCSC
125 years of Celtic – superb.
Doesn’t seem that long since the centenary season …
McLeish supposedly distancing himself from the Scotland job. Says his future is in club football. Isn’t that exactly what he said last time? You’d have thought that would have been a wee clue for the SFA. Always found that a very strange appointment. Were they intentionally giving him a leg-up back into club management? He’d been out of work for a while and nobody was looking at him.
Paul67 et al
“The Grand Old Team celebrates its…”
Sounds familiar, looks familiar and yet I cant recall ever seeing or hearing it exactly like that.
The Grand Old Team
(Henrik Brandt in the er Daily Record today)
My all-time best team – made up of players I saw play – in the old 2-3-5 formation!
Simpson; McGrain, Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly; Johnstone, Larsson, Dalglish, Auld, Lennox.
HH!!
McLeish now saying he didn’t use the Scotland as a stepping-stone back into club management. Yeah right, Alex – we believe you. Never understood why anybody thought James McFadden smacking one in from 35 yars made Alex McLeish a good manager, but there you go…..
Surely not……
Pie and Bovril @pieandbov
Incredible that in a Scottish Cup 4th round littered with great games Sky should opt for Rangers v Elgin City. #Bonkers
So I guess it’s Mulgrew at left back tomorow with Ambrose and Wilson in the middle. Lustig or Matthews at right back?
Celtic won a lot of praise and goodwill after their performance in Camp Nou even from our EPL friends and I enjoyed watching the game again last Saturday night when all had departed to the land of nod.
We broke out of defence and looked dangerous on quite a number of occasions in the second half and with a little composure could have hurt Barca.
Young James Forrest will be a big loss to-morrow and posed problems for the Barca defence. Let’s hope Georgios is fit and with four goals to his credit so far in Europe this guy will be a huge threat – he thrives on the European stage.
The Camp Nou game reminded me of of the 3-2 match against Man Utd some years ago at Old Trafford and the subsequent praise for the team afterwards.
We won the return game at Celtic Park – could lightening strike twice?
Paul67
Excellent article, well said.
Happy Birthday, Celtic.
Slàinte, friends.
craggy island gaa
Gordon j
Please God,not Mulgrew at left back,against Messi,I have seen milk turning quicker.Has to be Matthews.
Please Neil
Forster
Lustig Ambrose Wilson Mulgrew
Brown Wanyama Ledley Samaras
Commons
Hooper
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
17:45 on
6 November, 2012
MARRAKESH EXPRESS
if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Dunno what that means,never have.
——————————
If you include the full quotation it becomes clearer…
“Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”
A good reason never to play the huns again.
What’s the chances of Lenny pulling a fast one re injuries to Sami, Hoops and Emilio ?
Could Lenny pull a surprise and play Tony Watt to-morrow night?
I usually refrain from team selections, based on the suggestion the Neil Lennon knows a bit more than me!
However, I would suggest Matthews for the left back role.
He is more mobile than Charlie and, if Messi plays wide, he always comes inside, which would suit Adam.
Just seen Professor Paddy Reilly my adviser of studies at Glasgow and my god mother’s brother talking about Celtic on BBC Scotland . Haven’t spoken to him in about five years. A great man who has written a lot on Celtic . Good to see him looking so well.
fanadpatriot
19:06 on 6 November, 2012
Gordon j
Please God,not Mulgrew at left back,against Messi,I have seen milk turning quicker.Has to be Matthews.
Messi won’t be wide right. Will be nominally centre-forward but dropping back into midfield. When he drops back Iniesta runs beyond him and/or Villa drifts in from wide. It’s this movement we have to get to grips with. They pass the ball 20 times looking like they are going nowhere, then suddenly ping-ping, shot and goal.
New bid of £280 for Wee Oscar
hankray
19:16 on 6 November, 2012
Could Lenny pull a surprise and play Tony Watt to-morrow night?
I’d throw him in – the lad is hungry and on-form. Doesn’t look like the type to be over-awed by the occasion.
BIG CUP WINNERS,
I doubt there’s any chance. Sammi might play but we can’t, imo, play Mulgrew at lb. Has to be Mathews. He has pace, which will be absolutely essential. While I really would prefer Sammi and Hooper up front, I wouldn’t be too unhappy starting with Sammi and Miku, especially as Miku has played in Spain and Sammi is the only player I think they are really worried about.
Whatever team we do field, I’m sure the support will get right behind them.
Barcelona to celebrate our 125th birthday; what more could we ask for?
If Neil decides to keep Charlie on the bench it will be some strong bench with Kayal, Watt , Miku and Charlie.
Ledley at l/b
Mulgrew at l/m for me
and if Hoopers injured Tony Watt to start
tallybhoy
18:47 on
6 November, 2012
My all-time best team – made up of players I saw play – in the old 2-3-5 formation!
Simpson; McGrain, Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly; Johnstone, Larsson, Dalglish, Auld, Lennox.
HH!!
tallybhoy, that’s the closest I’ve seen to my top team. I have Boruc and McStay , instead of Simpson and Auld (though I never saw too much if Bertie).
Further new bid of £300 for Wee Oscar