I remember the days (as a kid) when I’d get excited about Scotland-England games. At the time the countries were neck-and-neck in the number of wins each had over the other, we knew we’d punched well above our weight for a century. Since then, the inevitable verdict of demographics has taken its toll.
Now we know we’re a small nation, inconsequential to the football world, and we’ve even starved of developmental resources compared to the riches that ploughs into the English FA from Premier League TV deals each season.
The historical rivalry remains but I don’t feel it anymore and surely English fans care even less. They will have to dig deep to muster anything more than an interest in the three points available tonight, having long since moved onto Argentina and Germany for their rivalry. And Iceland, of course (forgive me).
Great sporting rivalries can endure for generations but that doesn’t mean they’ll last forever. Circumstances can change causing both sides to lose interest and find others to do battle with. None of our 20th century rivalries will survive. If we could bloody the nose of Barcelona for a third time in the 21st century later this month, our hit rate would place the Catalans in the crosshairs. Bring it on.
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Gerryfraethebrig.
If Leigh gets back to dominating like he did last year he will wak in but it’s one good season so far.
Le Petit merde was a good enough player but, like Viduka, he’s no getting in.
Gary Hooper was good for a bit too but which of my 12 forwards would you remove for Hooper?
wak is just the way Leigh walks.
Who pays the likes of Boyd to come up with such nonsense? Surely even he doesn’t believe that?
Does this story just mean that Craig Whyte, constantly dining out in top restaurants, is having his bankruptcy order lifted cos he can’t pay? One of you financial experts needs to help me here:-
” Former Rangers owner Craig Whyte has had his bankruptcy order over multi-million pound debts lifted. Whyte, 45, was made bankrupt at the High Court in London last year over a debt of more than £20 million owed to ticketing firm Ticketus. Records from the Insolvency Service show that Whyte was discharged from his bankruptcy on 29 October after co-operating with his trustee. The discharge means restrictions on Whyte’s ability to apply for credit have been lifted. However, he cannot act as the director of a company and the process of recovering money owed to creditors could go on for several years. Whyte described himself to his trustee as “unemployed” and his address was recorded as “unknown”. Louise Brittain, one of Britain’s leading bankruptcy experts, was appointed as the trustee to probe Whyte’s finances. Ms Brittain, the head of Contentious Insolvency at London accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, has built a fearsome reputation while dealing with some of the country’s most high-profile bankruptcy cases. Previous bankrupts she has handled have included disgraced Tory MPs Jonathan Aitken and Neil Hamilton, TV presenter Michael Barrymore, historian David Irving, singer Kerry Katona and former Rangers captain Colin Hendry. Speaking last year, she said her job would be an “information gathering” exercise to see if Whyte had any money or property which could be sold off. She said: “Creditors can ask for a bankruptcy trustee to be appointed to deal with the bankruptcy and that’s why I have been appointed. “This can be done for various reasons, such as estate being held abroad, and it is not unusual in a bankruptcy of this kind. This is not a normal consumer credit bankruptcy. “My role is to interview the debtor and investigate their assets by looking at their bank accounts for example. “I will then make any payments that are possible to the creditors. “The process can take anything from 18 months up to five or six years. “The debtor will be discharged from their bankruptcy after one year but that can be extended if there is non co-operation.” The bankruptcy petition was filed at the High Court in London over debts worth £20.8m. Ticketus provided cash to help Whyte purchase Rangers in 2011. The agreement was later terminated when the club entered administration in February 2012. Whyte also faces criminal charges over his part in the Rangers takeover and is due to go on trial next year.”
Parkheadcumsalford
This might explain his motivation:
Kris Boyd Signed from Kilmarnock in 2006 for £500,000. Scored 101 goals. Joined Middlesbrough in 2010. EBT worth £215,000
David Hopkin formerly of Leeds now Livvy manager….think he has been eating at Jmccormicks house, looks like he has found his appetite after stop playing….
Anyway on the betting front both teams to score and the New Saints win 3/1…..
Fill your boots the Welsh team are top of their league
It’s a sad day when BBC Alba is your choice for fitba fix
Even better New Saints have the hoops on
SFTB
Cascarinos ability as a pundit replicates his performances in a Celtic jersey.
K Boyd is just another lying ,sleek it hun.
The demise of Scottish football was started in the late sixties when we had one of the worlds top sides for about 8 years having their players overlooked for inferior huns.
The 80s Aberdeen, Dundee std and Celtic all continued in the pass and moving style of our football heritage.Again better players were overlooked for slugging huns.
Murray and Sounness brought in the English style of big and physical who aided and abetted with the mibs overpowered all.
Scottish teams abandoned youth and went looking for hulking players for abroad and took the same physical and long ball approach.
Martin O’Neil understood this and built a team to cope with the physicality and cheating.
It was necessary but counterproductive to rearing Scottish talent.
The Celtic board in recent years realised we could not continue on this path and our youth are improving.
Hopefully other clubs in Scotland will try to emulate though it’s difficult as the bigger fish will buy up emerging talent as we did with Dundee std.
SFTB
No complaints from me, we all,love a Celric goal scorer :-)
As for Hooper fair play he chased his Engurlund dream, but in my short time watching Celtic I think Hooper & Stokes had a great partnership, maybe not Henrik & Sutton but in time those two bhoy said could have broke records in the hoops, alas, it didn’t happen, for the record I thought Anto Stokes was a great player for us and wish him well in everything he does
holy mudder a jaysus trump is in the whitehouse
Watching this Livvy v New Saints game (which isn’t the best) had a wee moment, the last time I watched Livingstone at home was 23/03/2008….. My wee maw had not been well at all and in between drifting in and out of consciousness that Sunday was the day she was in a better place, anyway, my young nephew was devastated and his mum said away and watch the football with your Uncle Gerard….. Celtic won 5-0 that day (I think) and somehow I know his gran would have much preferred him watching the hoops rather than breaking his heart greeting
Mon the New Saints :-)
So many names and combinations thrown out in best teams.
Not once have I noticed the name of
Dunky MacKay
Club captain, somewhere around 200 appearances and in an era where wearing a blue jersey meant an automatic Scotland cap, he secured around 15 caps.
Not only an outstanding full back he was the first full back who was a footballer first and a defender second.
He had great vision and accuracy in his passing and was a stand out in many mediocre Celtic teams of the early 60s.
You may have gathered he was a favourite of mine.
GG
He made one of my later teams- I only saw one season of his work. He outshone the young Lions in the team because he was mature and steady.
Very telling that of the top ten highest paid footballers, 3 are with Chinese teams. Therein lies the demise of the EPL, and Sky, as it won’t take long before the talent starts gravitating towards there. The sooner the better in my opinion.
Wee Mollie doing well in the SCBU at Ninewells, now off the drip and quite alert and feeding ok, so things are on the up.
HH
SFTB
Apologies I was rushing my read back back before heading for mass.
Off now to give thanks for so many blessings.
GG,
Dunky Makay is, imo, the second best Celtic right back I have seen (after the great Danny McGrain).
New Saints score. Mon the Welsh Hoops.
Friesdorfor
Hope mother and daughter are well…..it’s always a worrying time but well worth the worry :-)
Wish well to the whole family…… A new addition is pretty dam amazing
GFTB
The tagliatelle bolgnese was excellent. The laddie Hopkins would have had seconds for sure.
Friesdorfor.
Congratulations to all and delighted that things are on the up.
Well done to everyone who participated in the sleep out. A great achievement and makes everyone think how difficult life can be for the homeless.
Hail Hail.
GFTB, JNP,
Many thanks, HH
i passed by celtic park around 5 last night, was in rutherglen and decided just to drive up dalmarock road to just have a wee look,
celtic park, and in fact the emirates, all lit up and sparkling looks absolutely stunning.
it really is a special place.
i wondered why the big screens were on, and then remembered the sleep outers. well done to you all, a hard shift for sure, but in company, and safety.
i then was back in argyll st at half six. i watched a homeless couple start to pack up thier stuff from the empty shop front next to marks and sparks.
quite humbling, its coming up to christmaS, and this pair, i would guess early thirties, but really the worst for wear, made my heart sink some. the girl then did something that took me by suprise, the rubbish of the day that was around their pitch, she picked it all up, and tidies up the spot. takes a sandwich she has been given, walks across to the station front, and gives it to another poor guy sitting over there.
whatever the stories behind these kids, its bloody awful to witness.
anyways.
on a seperate point, the front of house of fraser light curtain, quite an eyeful, my kid was mesmerised.
brogan, wonderful post, thank you.
Many thanks to those who did the sleep out.
My all time 11 of players I have seen
Boric
Danny
Davie Hay
George Connelly
Danny at Left Back
The Maestro
Lubo
Wee Jimmy
The Buzz bomb
Kenny
Henke
Kris Boyd on Donald Trump being elected President. “It’s the SFA’s fault for relegating Rangers, karma by the way but”
Jmccormick
Just cheated, phoned the Indian Sizzler in Coatbridge fish & chios for the two bosses and a wee (16in) four seasons pizza for myself ….. We work all week so may as well avoid the dishes
JNP
Wasn’t on during the week, hope all is good, and reading some other posts the positives on here far outweighs the neg(atives) :-)
St Stivs
Humbling…. and pretty dam shocking, a lot to be said for having big families, I would be distraught if any of mine had to suffer homelessness ….. Sad stuff
Dallas
No Pat Stanton :-)
Mon the hoops (Welsh ones)
Big Jimmy, great post about Pat Stanton and big Rod the Nod (who later became rod the plod).
Big Roddie could head the ball clear to the half way line if he got a good connector with the ball.
Pat did an interview on Stv Edinburgh earlier this year. He said playing centre back was his favourite position and was playing there when Jock arrived as Hibs boss.
He was surprised when Jock approached him to sign for us. He said to his dad, who was aHibs diehard, how would he feel about leaving Hibs. His dad told him to make the move and thankfully he did.
Celtic Underground have a podcast with Pat and it’s a good listen.
He mentions one of his sons is now a Celtic fan as a result of Pat’s short time with us.
JMCCORMICK@ 5.03.
Tagliatelle all bolognese .
Memories of a waiter in Bologna having a hissy fit when an American chap asked for Spaghetti Bolognese ..
This is Bologna ——- we eat tagliatelle here -if you want spaghetti go to Roma or Napoli
Forster
Agathe Virgil Mjallby Tierney
Brown Petrov Keane Sinclair
Larsson Moussa
Subs
Sutton
Lennon
Nakamura
Bobo
Griffiths
Lambert
Wanyama
Big Jimmy
When you posted about Pat Stanton I knew Dallas would respond, I think our Dallas is Pat Stantons number one fan…… Which isn’t a bad thing :-)
Me and Dallas have had this conversation before,mi live the the fact that Leigh Griffiths is still a Hibs fan, and by all accounts Pat Stanton was a Hibs fan…..mi don’t need my Celtic players to be one of “us” as long as they try their best that’s good enough for me
LeighGriffiths Celtic legend in the making and will surely make one if SFTB six teams :-)
SOUTH OF TUNIS
My wee Italian pal warned me about that very thing. It all makes sense, the less rich Bolognese sauce adheres better to the wider pasta.
The richer Carbonara sauce, favoured by the Romans is best used with the thinner pasta or better still the angel hair pasta I had in Rome last year.
Like any recipe, quality of ingredients makes the difference.
Afternoon again.
Quite a few typos in that long post earlier but I was half asleep honest!!
Re Craig Whyte – His discharge from his Bankruptcy is an automatic thing.
Bankruptcy is always something that is for the benefit of the debtor, never the creditor, and the way the Law works is that you don’t remain Bankrupt forever.
After a period of time, normally 1 year, provided you have co-operated with your trustee, then you are automatically discharged and encouraged to move on and set about rebuilding your credit rating etc. This will happen automatically over a period of time as long as you live within your means.
So, there is nothing unusual in anything here.
Re players who would be just outside your all time top team, God there are loads of them.
Some guys just loved pulling on the hooped shirt and despite maybe never being the very best players they loved playing for the club, lived the dream of dreams and had some great moments in the process.
Dixie Deans and Joe Miller come to mind in that category. Dixie was really proud to wear those hoops.
As was Charlie Gallagher, Johnny Doyle, The Magnificent Tommy Burns and oh so many more.
In the really enjoyable time I spent with Willie Wallace, Willie made it really clear that he just loved playing football and thoroughly enjoyed his times with Stenhousemuir, Raith Rovers and Hearts.
But, he considers himself a Celt. That was where he played his most effective football and achieved his greatest success. More importantly, that is where he found his band of brothers and it was noticeable after all these years that whenever Willie spoke about a Celtic team, be it a Celtic team from the 60’s, 70’s. 80’s, 90’s or beyond, he automatically used the word “WE” when describing Celtic.
The Welsh hoops 6/5 your dough
Maybe it’s another 5-0 like 2008
BRTH
Willie Wallace like George Connelly were two players my father spoke of more than any others
Leon Russell R.I.P.
https://youtu.be/37dw2r45Xzg
I think we could maybe stretch to a full team of hibs supporting Celtic players.
The 2mcnamaras. Yogi Hughes. Leigh. Pat.
Who else ?
the brazilian grand prix is a bigger flop than my drunken attempt at coital last night
and i was home alone
;-)