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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Screw it Neil, lets go for it.
Forster
Lustig Wilson Efe Matthews
Watt Brown Wanyama Ledley Samaras
Miku
Attacking 3 of Watt, George and Miku…
Watt has the pace to play counter attacking football, I don’t think Commons has.
Good morning friends,
Wake up to seven texts from insomniac Celts and the great news that Obama has been re-elected. Good start to a potentially momentous day.
Weetabix and coffee and then off to mass. Haven taken a few days annual leave to really savour this – will go and visit my dad this morning. Then up to Glasgow, bit of tapas and vino with the boys and off to sample the atmosphere at the fanzone.
Then, the main event. What will Paradise be like tonight?
I hope we put on a tremedous show and the players make us proud. I’m sure they will.
The photo of the three little genuises in the trophy room with the hoops last night made my heart soar. New screensaver sorted. Went to see Graham Hunter on Monday who reinforced the beauty of this Barcelona team. Make no mistake to see these fellas tonight is a special privelege, like my dad seeing Puskas and Di Stefano, we’ll discuss tonights event with future generations of Celtic fans.
On our 125th anniversary is it inconceivable the team could do something so, so special tonight? Can the Celtic family roar Neil’s young lions to victory against the best team in history?
Yes we can!
Yes we can !
Yes we can!
Enjoy the day everyone…..
TJ
Morning all. Wild and windy here in North Ayrshire.
Excited as a wee bhoy going to Celtic Park for the first time. I didn’t sleep too well (but that was mainly because I was following the Presidential election: thank God Obama won).
Win, lose or draw tonight is what Celtic supporters love, seeing our team playing against the best and playing football the Glasgow Celtic way.
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED.
It’d be hard to better what is already being said on here today.
COYBIG!!
coybig!
COYBIG!!
Glasgow really is Green and White.
dubaibhoy, i thought Commons done pretty damn good when he came on in the Nou camp
Message to my nephews teachers : Don’t expect any work out of him today unless you can somehow incorporate tonight’s match into your lesson.
I expect my productivity to be less than stellar today also. And probably tomorrow if I decide to watch the game again when I get in.
I blame Neil Lennon.
Good morning fellow Celts
Good things will happen in Glasgow today- a day for making new friends.
Enjoy
HH
Murdochbhoy, yermanfromMK
I am assuming the MK is for Milton Keynes? Well Im hoping so, I have just moved down and have no clue anout places to watch the hoops? Any tips?
When playing Barca minus several first choice players and with another few not 100% fit, the last thing you should do is leave out your most influential player this season. Commons must start, though maybe a bit deeper than usual as he is our best player at retaining possession in the middle.
Whilst perusing the coming public lectures at the University of York this one did catch my eye..
‘The Big house has much to learn…But it also has much to give’
Speaker: Dr Terry Dooley, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
A lot to learn and
£147 million at the last count…
the exiled tim
23:20 on 6 November, 2012
Sorry for the late reply, seem to be doing that too often just now, but it will also be interesting what the big, indebted clubs will do if UEFA try to enforce their new rules.
Breakaway?
I’m of Catholic Irish descent from Dundalk, and today I feel it more than usual. I am so glad to be here, to be alive, to be a Tim and a Celt and to be able to roar out my support of The Bhoys at Parkhead as we compete against the best of Catalan. A great occasion, a great celebration of endurance, resistance and freedom.
HH!
10h 43m to go…
Im sure I just saw Messi & Xavi coming out of FOPP Union St with Gangham Style
Happy Anniversary to all……..
Cant wait for the match tonight, up at 05.30am like a kid on Xmas Day…..
Leaving the north and heading south for the east end very soon……
HH
I expect Barca to be too good for our young team tonight.
This Barca side are probably the best team that has ever played football.
They will play in front of the best fans in the world tonight.
If we can go one up,they will enjoy an atmosphere unmatched anywhere in world football.
If defeat does visit us tonight ,I hope that we chant the name of our Catalan rivals and applaud them of the park.
This will reinforce the wonderful reputation of our fantastic support.
If there is a minor miracle and we win.
They will hear us singing in Barcelona anyway.
Happy 125th birthday Glasgow Celtic.
A67
On the off chance anyone has 2 tickets for the game and isn’t able to go, like probably thousands of other people i’d happily purchase them. :-)
hoopybhoy
the queue is now the length of London Road…
and I’m at the front….. o))
this is the day
this is the day
that the lord has made
that the lord has made
Let get stuck into Barca!!
Sorry, mistaken identity, it was Mumford & Sons!!!!
haha ok blantyretim, can I try and skip in the queue just behind you? :-)
Good morning bhoy’s and ghirls’s,
I feel like I’m ten years old today. I can’t remember being as excited about a game as I am today. The funny thing is that, usually the excitement is tinged by fear, not today though. I expect nothing but effort from our bhoy’s, which I know they will give in abundance.
At this special time in our history, if I had the choice, I could think of no better opponent to play than Barcelona. My three nephews and niece will be with me at the game tonight, all four are between 12-14 years old, I’m not sure they understand just what a privilege it is to be a Celtic fan at this moment in time, tonight I think they will.
Today I again understand what it’s like to feel 12 years old.
Bring on the thunder Lenny and the Bhoys.
Hail Hail
Morning bhoys, from a wet but thankfully hun free mountain.
That’s me got the Jeep running, an hour in the pouring rain, so yer man better be for buying it :>)
……………………………………….
Doc
It’s a difficult 1, uefa say they will enforce their rules, but, the glamour teams are all in the mire, if you take them out, the CL don’t look so good as a sellable item for the TV.
There will be some sort of compromise I reckon, the big clubs won’t want to break away, uefa doesn’t want to lose them.
The big clubs will break away if they have to.
All in all, clubs like Celtic, who run their business properly will get shafted as ever.
The Germans could have a major say on how things turn out tho, it depends on how they see things.
A good display tonight will do for me, I can’t see us getting a result, but a performance like we put on in Barca will be Ok.
It’s a learning process for Lenny and the team, if it helps us get to the last 16, I will be over the moon.
HH
Morning Hoops .
Have to admit to feeling like a second-rate Tim today . Not only am i not able to attend tonight , I couldn’t work out the acronym COYBIG until miki67’s post earlier . Doh !
Anyway , will be in Flannelly’s in coventry tonight and if anyone can correctly identify my 2 badges and tell me the origins of my username , drinks are on me !
HH
Sanna (thethingswe’lldotogetsomeonetotalktous csc)
Morning all!
Radio 6 joining the build up. Yesterday it was jcge, today waterfront by Simple Minds. Great stuff.
hoopybhoy
I wish you luck in your quest.. KTF…
Andrew67
09:14 on
7 November, 2012
Good post,enjoy the occasion of watching the best team of all time IMO.
So what do we want from the Benfica – Spartak game as a result tonight??
Away to FF Andrew67
Starry PLough
I want a Spartak win and at least a draw for us.
Benfica will be almost out in that case and we get at least 3rd
the exiled tim
09:28 on 7 November, 2012
If you look at the big clubs from Spain, Italy, England and Germany, it looks like only the Germans who are anywhere near ready to comply with the fair play rules.
I too will be happy with a great performance, a result may follow from that, you never know, we pushed them all the way in the last game, that application and the Thunder, well just hoping………
Also very much looking forward to the GB display, they are a spectacle and this one promises to be even more so.
Excited doesn’t cover it.
!!Bada Bing!!
09:51 on 7 November, 2012
‘Good post,enjoy the occasion of watching the best team of all time IMO.’
Only assembled because of money, no other reason. Money they haven’t got. They may be the best football team there’s ever been but they epitomise a lot of what’s wrong with modern football.
Snake Plissken
We have to beat Spartak in Glasgow anyway if we can best them over two games we should get at least third place, I have a feeling Benfica will beat them tonight tho’ as Neil says our focus is on our game, I would dearly love to see us get result tonight, that would really be saying something!!
Off to my studio I can’t stand the waiting!
Bada Bing
Thank you.
Big Pierre
You must try harder (;-)
A67
I’m supposed to be working today, sorry boss, it’s not going to happen, thanks for paying me though!
So I hear from an impeccable CQN source that I have my very own thread on Follow Follow now. If that lot are attacking my blog then I must be doing something right. I take it as a badge of honour to be on the wrong side of FF.
An Obama win in the US too, saving the world from Mitt and his magic underpants.
A victory tonight would be a very nice treble!
Andrew67
I don’t need to try anything…. I’m too caught up in the occasion that is the greatest club in the world versus the greatest team in the world. Everyone is feeling the excitement/anticipation and hoping for a result but you always come on with negativity… perhaps you’ll call it realism but most folk would rather be optimistic.
I certainly won’t be chanting for and applauding Barca off the pitch if we lose!
Gordon J
Be careful there are some real nut jobs out there.
A67