Derek McInnes faced a difficult challenge. How do you stop Celtic, who have swept all before them, on their way to a third consecutive domestic treble? His choice was clear: get in about them, barge, kick and shove whenever close to a green and white jersey.
After Celtic’s opening onslaught came to nothing, this strategy worked for Aberdeen for around 30 minutes. At that point, the already booked Dominic Ball flew dangerously into Ryan Christie. The latter took 6 minutes to be stretchered off; the former collected his second yellow.
Aberdeen should have pondered the wisdom of their aggressive tactics, but by now the outcome was no longer in doubt and they went down with studs up and hurling abuse.
Two minutes after play recommenced, James Forrest created space 25 yards from goal before despatching a magnificent left foot shot beyond Joe Lewis into the net. It was a goal to match the occasion. From that distance, on his weaker foot, the chances of scoring were remote, but James seems to rise to these Hampden occasions.
Jonny Hayes evaded Mikey Devlin and moved clear through on goal but the Aberdeen central defender pushed Hayes from behind eight yards out, resulting in an inevitable penalty. Odsonne Edouard made no mistake from the spot.
It went from bad to brutality from Aberdeen when Lewis Ferguson lunged at Tom Rogic’s shin. Ferguson had both feet off the ground when he came into contact with Tom. Referee Craig Thomson was five yards away and issued a straight red card. Tom answered this attack in the best way possible, by scoring from a rebound attempt at the resulting free kick. He was fortunate not to have been the second Celtic player to leave on a stretcher.
To illustrate the extent of Aberdeen’s demise into indiscipline, Derek McInnes was ordered to the stand, where he joined his already-red carded assistant, Tony Docherty. His team were dirty and occasionally thuggish. I do not know if there is a way for a Scottish club to plan to beat Celtic, but there are many better ways to lose.
Had this been Neil Lennon, had this been Neil Lennon’s team, he would be hung out to dry by pontificating critics. Instead, Celtic rose above the fury. For once, we did not even have to endure the perennial Hampden flares.
The Scottish Cup Final takes place on 25 May. Your script is written, Celtic….
As we walked to Hampden yesterday the conversation eventually came round the 1937 Final between Celtic and Aberdeen, which attracted 137,000 attendees, and the crushing at pay gates some of us experienced in the 70s and 80s.
We talked about the 1985 Scottish Cup Final, a pay at the gate game, when police opened the gates, allowing thousands of Celtic fans free entry into the Hampden terraces, then the league clinching game against Dundee in 1988, when Celtic continued to take money at the gate despite crowds breaking over the barrier due to crushing. There was no such thing as a full house in Scottish football back then.
The FA Cup Semi-Final at Hillsborough between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in 1989 saw the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans, crushed into pens with no way to exit. Police opened the gates to alleviate crushing outside the turnstiles, resulting in hundreds of fans funneling into a tunnel, unaware they were blocking the only exit from the two central Leppings Lane end pens.
After the initial mistake to open the gates, systemic failures exacerbated the death toll. Lies were told, compliant journalists were co-opted into a conspiracy and it is only now, 30 years later, that criminal proceedings are underway.
Until 1989 football was killing its fans through neglect. Rangers decided to rebuild their ground after the 1971 Ibrox Disaster, which claimed the lives of 66 fans, but the loss of two lives on the same stairway a decade earlier, or incidents involving multiple injuries in 1967 and 1969, registered little response. Celtic Park never had incidents like this, but if you were a fan in the pre-Hillsborough era, you will remember moments of mortal fear at one turnstile in particular.
The legacy of those who lost their lives on the Leppings Lane terrace 30 years ago is a safer game for us to enjoy today.
213 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- »
Bit of a lost day yesterday ?? emdy know why tony doc was sent off for HH
Has Deek been given a polis escort yet?????
Big Packy…………Celtic also had injury problems with Rogic not fully fit and losing young Christie. I always fancied Celtic to win yesterday on form we have the better players.
Ivehad- Hearts will play the same way the Sheep did yesterday.
“We hope the authorities also take the same interest in offensive chanting directed at Celtic Football Club and our supporters at yesterday’s match and other games.”
Herts will play a weakened team on Saturday against Sevco, as they did at Ipox the other week (they made 5 changes then). I could be wrong again though.
We are going to need 2 wins still in my opinion.
D. :)
Serious looking fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
Delaney steps down from FAI….
Bada…hope Broonie has an alibi…and that no-one has benn injured
If the guys must retain the “cheer up ” song, why not replace the adjectives sad and orange with “tax dodging”?
McCann and McInnes couldn’t take exception to the truth of that version.
Badabing
Re Notre Dame
https://twitter.com/i/status/1117839242418368513
V.sad
HH
A classic mixed metaphor from the halfwit that is Alex Rae on SSB …
“Yesterday’s performance was a gold star in Neil Lennon’s feather”
Dear oh dear .
An Tearmann…wow that is a serious blaze….hope everyone safe
Fred C 6.40pm
Wee EBT Eck just said
“In the past 2 years Brendan’s wide players (Forrest & Sinclair) have delivered over 40 goals, James Forrest has nearly got 40 on his own” :-) :-)
AT- looks really bad…
Bada @6:25
Looks like our board have grown a pair ⚽⚽at last, about time
Bada and Prestonpans Bhoys:
” Chanting of this nature should have no place in football and we condemn this wholeheartedly,” said a Celtic spokesperson.
“We hope the authorities also take the same interest in offensive chanting directed at Celtic Football Club and our supporters at yesterday’s match and other games.”
The predictable opening then the kind of response I believe most of us want. Well done , Celtic.
JJ
Well, That’s the voting all over. We should find out by Wednesday how we have done. No matter the result – win, lose or draw – a huge thanks to all who voted and all who shared and all who voted and shared. We are by far the least affluent and numerically smallest of the contestants, but hope springs eternal. On a positive note, Mrs S has had 8 new referrals – two self-referring adults, 3 from Social Work Children with Disabilities, 2 from Education – youngsters excluded from school on behavioural grounds, and 1 Residential Care Home. The 2 adults are pro bono – as usual – but there should be funding for the others. Once again, My gratitude goes to CRC for his company and encouragement back in Pink Street, Lisbon, nearly two years ago now.
And now onto Celtic matters. I liked this from Tontine Tim from 3:11 p.m.
Moving on tae the sad song, if for no other reason than it used tae be a hun one we should ditch it, we did have our own version of follow follow at one time and when I was in high school some of the Bankie lhads used tae sing “hello hello we are the Bisley bhoys”, they were soon ditched as should this one, there are plenty of good Celtic songs out there.
We could still use the concept but rearrange the words i.e. “sheep shaggin bassa” or “sad slippy bassa” etc.
************
Another one, Thankfully ditched, was “ It was Green, White & Gold with Saint Patrick on the fold, The sash my father wore”. Oh, and I hated that follow follow parody one.
Also harking back to TT’s Clancy Brothers story. my father’s party piece was “It was the greatest mix-up that you have ever seen, My father he was orange and my mother she was green”…..although he swapped it around as my mother was the convert, and you know what they say about converts!
Still buzzing from yesterday’s performance.
Here’s a great we blues choon for yeez a’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Q0qqNwee0
KINGLuBO
Fred C at 6:40 and GFTB at 6:50 – Comedy Gold from SSB. Thank goodness we don’t get it down here…well, I know I could internet it, but why the hell should I. But I do like the snippets provided her on CQN. Cheers, Bhoys
Fred C – it would be good to catch up again as mentioned a couple of weeks ago.
I have sent thisto the Celtic Supporters Liaison Officer:
” Good evening, John-Paul,
I have emailed in the past asking you to pass on to Celtic Officials matters upon which I felt supporters would like to see some action.
This time, it is to praise those same Officials for their Statement re Chants at Hampden.
That Statement combines criticism of those who indulge in unacceptable behaviour with a strong suggestion that this is not just a Celtic matter and all offenders MUST be treated equally.
Well done, Celtic. ”
If others do likewise, it MIGHT encourage Celtic to reflect our views in a like manner in the future.
JJ
Scaniel 7.12pm
Am a SSB addict, always have been, I used to get annoyed at the bias but when I take a bit of time their hurt is so enjoyable …
Wee EBT Eck talking about funds for the tangible reach … “once the share issue money is in, ah mean the season ticket money” :-)
still no mention of the real songs of hate … SSB is so good
No surprise to see Derek McInnes supporting his player. Sorry that Neil Lennon also gave Dominic Ball a free pass on that assault on Ryan Christie. If you watch the view that shown Ball facing Christie, you can see that Ball is not remotely interested in the ball and is instead looking at Ryan Christie. It was a horrible deliberate assault and deserves a long ban.
on ssb 2 daft sevco supporters and ebt rae are telling themselves “aye we can be the dominant force” “we just need 4 new players and £12 million on ryan kent”
king has spoken, and they buy in again, thick as pig shit ra loat of em.
To the poster at 7:23pm, you may need to adjust your Blog Name to the correct spelling for Mr Hayes ;-)
Saint Stivs
I agree with your assessment of the Hun support.
Trouble is, I feel we have many in our support just as thick.
JJ
Jobo
the 7:23pm poster has it correct……it is Jonny himself who has got it wrong.
JJ
GFTB – I get your fondness for SSB as it can be hilarious and so deluded and I suppose it was my secret vice/guilty pleasure when we first moved down here, but I haven’t the stomach for it anymore. I still enjoy their hurt when reported on here, so thanks for that.
Scaniel 7.32pm
I can also understand fellow Tim’s not polluting their eardrums :-)
Those pesky chores (dinner, dishes & ironing) don’t do themselves
All the very best on Wednesday with the vote
Hail Hail
Its striking how everyone connected to the badgers den-by employ or affiliation, ruin they’re characters by defending RFC to the point of idiocy. Derek McInnes is – i would guess -a decent enough kind of bloke-but his character is ruined by this trait of theirs. It really is light and dark-we have the limelight -they have the twilight.
I wish Celtic would sort out the dodgy songs they/we sing at matches-there should be a club announcement about a Zero Tolerance day-no dodgy songs and no bloody idiotic flares-set a clock-to be proud of-let darkness get darker and lightness get brighter by exemplary behaviour.
BT channel 64 free sports
Celtic v Aberdeen full game just starting
hahahahahahahahaha
EKBHOY on 15TH APRIL 2019 6:09 PM
Her Brittanic Majesty Sevco Dictionary update
Tangible reach = distance to the sun cubed
Periods of varying quality = win , draw , win , lose , draw repeat due to poor quality
Investment = borrow externally
GFTB on 15TH APRIL 2019 8:04 PM
BT channel 64 free sports
Celtic v Aberdeen full game just starting
====================================
Great spot – cheers!!!! That’s this evening’s TV entertainment sorted – brilliant :-))
Real tragedy re: Notre Dame – what a loss to Paris. Hopefully no people are injured.
HH
BGFC
…………..Rahman Bawbag said in his report that we had condemned “sectarian” chanting………….can someone confirm that our statements mentions the word “sectarian”.??? Thanks.
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 15TH APRIL 2019 6:37 PM
If the guys must retain the “cheer up ” song, why not replace the adjectives sad and orange with “tax dodging”?
McCann and McInnes couldn’t take exception to the truth of that version.
—————————————–
Tax dodging – brilliant, although I personally prefer the orange bastard version ?
Re the Dublin wingers name, I assume he was christened Jonathon & not John, therefore he is Jonny & not Johnny.
Big George 8.22pm
Only came across the game as MissGFTB was recording Home Alone 3 & Cornation Street :-)
Young Fergie could have been booked 3 times on first 20mins
Fitba’ journalists should be bemoaning the likes of that wee son-of-a-hun….and the horrible way anything or anyone related to that Klub has screwed up the game in Scotland for generations.