We’ve been here several times before. Our first venture into the Champions League play-off round was in 1998 against (then) Croatia Zagreb. Zagreb were clearly the better team but while a 1-0 win in the home leg gave us hope we were outclassed in the return game.
The unforgettable tie against Ajax was next. Celtic’s best away performance in this tournament saw us beat the Dutch champions 1-3 in Amsterdam. Ajax were clearly caught cold and performed infinitely better at Celtic Park, winning 0-1, but Celtic shut up shop to deny them any real chance of progression.
Basel were unknown and un-fancied in 2002 but their movement in central midfield was too much for Celtic, although curiously they only managed to perform for 45 minutes in each game. An away goal defeat blocked our route to the top competition. MTK Budapest were professionally swept aside in 2003.
Who can forget Spartak Moscow? Just as they had done against Ajax, Celtic did the hard work away in the first leg, returning with a 1-1 draw, but incredible dramas unfolded at Celtic Park. Roman Pavluchenko levelled Scott McDonald’s opener but the Russian missed a first half penalty. The game went to extra time and with minutes left a defender punched Scott Brown’s shot off the line. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink missed with the resulting spot kick setting up a memorable penalty competition.
Vennegoor of Hesselink and Pavluchenko both scored this time as brave efforts from Gary Caldwell, Derek Riordan and Maciej Zurawski, who almost certainly knew he would never kick another ball for Celtic, and a save by Artur Boruc, sent us through. Naka proved that 12 yards is too close a dead ball distance for him.
A favourite Celtic Park memory? You bet.
The adrenaline is pumping already. Bring it on.
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A first !!!
Top Five
HH
Hail to the European giants of Scotland
I was on a cruise in the Cariribean when we played Ajax andvI was desperate to find out the result! Details came from a Old Rangers fan on board who did not seem to happy but I was jumping for joy, just couldn’t believe it.
Give us another 1-3 tonight Bhoys.
niallo83
12:16 on
21 August, 2012
£6.3m plus add ons for staying in EPL and apperances
philvisreturns12:06 on 21 August, 2012:
>>>>>>>
disinformation. no breakdown of those figures which are only indicative of a fiscally incompetent chancellor,his boss,and thie minions. so….explain the 4% drop in retail spending,the rise in inflation, and all the other stuff you studiously ignore?
” lies, damn’ lies, and statistics ”
stop jumping around to the right of Adam Smith and take a look at one in the pantheon of your gods : i.d. smith….a craven,bullying fascist with a pen. like all the best fascist : he does his best work on paper. that’ll be what has him in the dock before he can shout, ” social cleansing ! “
Lets get on to BDO and register our concern at the goings on in Sevco land
2-2 tonight
1-1 next week
Tight but through we go
HH
ItaliaBhoy
07:54 on
21 August, 2012
‘If a right-wing politician was accused of serious sexual crimes’
My understanding of the allegations against Assange is that he didn’t wear a condom whilst having consensual sex with the two complainers.
Perhaps he should have sought sanctuary in the Vatican embassy.
Naka not joining in the celebrations due to feeling of shame at having missed his penalty.
When in pain, it is best to be alone.
The New Article notification has gone fluorescent yellow. Won’t miss that even if you are reading the blog in the dark.
And then we sold A. McG. to…….Spartak!
We will progress in the next week and then the fun begins!
I’m well looking forward to tonight!
Helsigborg’s Green and White! Disnae have the same ring…..but you know what I mean!
HH!
traditionalist88
That would not be good for the old ticker.
Mort
Paul67
Celtic will need to make sure we are not swamped in midfield as Helsingborg like to play 5 in there and close down all the space. A night for cool heads and patience and then do them at Celtic Park.
HH
Mort
Nope! Sure would beat penalties though:)
HH
traditionalist88
True, nothing worse than penalties.
Mort
getting excited not and feeling good abaout tonight.
Taking my daughter for her first time to CP for the home leg.
Looking forward to a glorious night and a happy drive home.
I may watch the game with the volume down if the commetators are too hunnish
Please Celtic, please lets not lose a quick early goal. Too many times in the past my adrenaline, my nervous excitement has been sapped right at the beginning of European away games.
I wished I shared others confidence but its not the way I am with Celtic. I will be watching biting my nails, nervously pleading for the result and hopefully jumping around like an idiot if we score :)
I hope its a very enjoyable evening for you all! Hail Hail!
Cant see there being many goals tonight. I’d be delighted to come back with a 1-0, to us that is. The question really depends on the way Lenny sees it. Does he go for it an try an win it with an away win, or does he try to shut up shop an go for a scoreless draw?
Team selection will be crucial tonight. I’m hoping he goes for it, HH
Dog boiling, Ayn Rand fanatic / right wing mentalist @12.06
Please stop talking tripe.
You are talking cash figures – you seem to have missed out inflation.
In addition you do not seem to understand the difference between DELs and AME.
DELs = Public spending on public service provision.
This is falling and falling heavily in real terms.
AME = Benefits / pensions / interest / the dole.
This is rising both in cash and real terms.
It is either that or we have starving grannies or even more beggars on the street.
All that money spent on your education at St ALS and you are only capable of regurgitating the headlines from the Forger’s Gazette.
up_over_goal – I imagine social security will account for a substantial fraction of that public spend
It always does:
2012 public spending:
Total Spending £688.0 billion
Pensions £127.2 billion
Health Care £121.3 billion
Education £91.7 billion
Defence £45.8 billion
Welfare £115.1 billion
2010 public spending:
Total Spending £660.8 billion
Pensions £114.6 billion
Health Care £118.2 billion
Education £88.4 billion
Defence £43.2 billion
Welfare £110.0 billion
So welfare has gone up “only” five billion a year in the past two years, but pension costs us £12.6 bn more per annum – uh oh.
But what’s really killing us is interest from all the debts Gordon Brown ran up for us: it’s costing approx. £47bn a year this year to service the UK’s debt – up from £30bn in 2010.
£47bn a year! Not to pay off our debts, mind. Just to pay the minimum on our national credit card.
a fraction which will no doubt increase as the failed economic policies of George Osborne produce more unemployment.
Please enlighten me: which economic policies of George Osborne have failed, specifically?
NB inheriting a job where your one-eyed lunatic of a predecessor willfully bankrupted the organisation isn’t an economic policy. (thumbsup)
ernie lynch,
The allegation in one case is that the woman was asleep when he penetrated her.
On the subject of the Assange case: while he is unlike to face proceedings in this country please keep the tone appropriate for the site.
ASonOfDan, we need to keep it tight in the middle too.
Didn’t see the penalty shoot against Spartak,nerves shattered I took a walk back to ole Ruglen.
Misinterpreted every shout from ground ,on way down Springy road.
philvisreturns
12:30 on
21 August, 2012
‘NB inheriting a job where your one-eyed lunatic’
I’m reminded of Michael Foot’s retort to Lord George Brown greeting him just after Foot had been elected leader of the Labour Party.
‘Here he is, Labour’s one legged leader.’
‘Ah well, George, you know what they say, in the land of the legless the one legged man is king’.
Paul 67 –
The only thing I’d take issue with there is I think Celtic’s best away performance in the Champions League was against AC Milan in the last 16. A stonewall penalty not given against Maldini cost us a quarter-final place against the team who went on to win the competition.
The Ajax match has a special place in my heart though as it is the only time I have seen Celtic win away in Europe in over 30 games attended … and we were brilliant that night as well.
philvisreturns
I’m glad you’re here to keep me right.
miki67
12:01 on
21 August, 2012
And btw, Brother Walfrid never said ‘boo’ about Marxists. He was a MARIST,and I have a lot of time for them as well as Marxists.
And yes,I get the joke. I just won’t let right wingers have it all their own way with their sleekit lies and ‘libertarian’ values. A satanic notion that ‘libertarianism’, if you ask me. Unbecoming of a Tim.
: > )
~~~~~~~~~~~
Truth Never Dies
————————-
Truth never dies. The ages come and go.
The mountains wear away, the stars retire.
Destruction lays earth’s mighty cities low;
And empires, states and dynasties expire;
But caught and handed onward by the wise,
Truth never dies.
Though unreceived and scoffed at through the years,
Though made the butt of ridicule and jest,
Though held aloft for mockery and jeers,
Denied by those of transient power possessed,
Insulted by the insolence of lies,
Truth never dies.
It answers not. It does not take offence,
But with a mighty silence bides its time.
As some great cliff that braves the elements
And lifts through all the storms its head sublime,
It ever stands, uplifted by the wise,
And never dies.
As rests the Sphinx amid Egyptian sands;
As looms on high the snowy peak and crest;
As firm and patient as Gibraltar stands,
So truth, unwearied, waits the era blest
When men shall turn to it with great surprise.
For as Dear Brother Walfrid said,
The Truth Never……..Dies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(ThumbsUp?)
philvisreturns12:30 on21 August, 2012:
>>>>>>>>>
Yer like an incorrigible crack addict with the interminable lying statistics : too addicted to Toryism to see that your world (in a political sense) is crumbling all around you, and too blinded by dogma to accept the truth of what’s staring you in the face.
I don’t expect a response…..you’re just too haughty in your ivory tower and you don’t speak to the peasants. I get it, you abhor reality, but you defend your class. Fair enough. Carry on,old bean.
ASonOfDan
12:25 on
21 August, 2012
Paul67
Celtic will need to make sure we are not swamped in midfield as Helsingborg like to play 5 in there and close down all the space. A night for cool heads and patience and then do them at Celtic Park.
HH
I agree. Hopefully we keep it tight in the middle of the park. Deny them space and at the same time avoid being outnumbered in the middle of the park and giving our defence protection.
Dan
Mon Cel’ic – get intae this mob.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
12:30 on
21 August, 2012
ernie lynch,
‘The allegation in one case is that the woman was asleep when he penetrated her.’
My understanding is that her complaint was that no condom was used, rather than that penetration had taken place. In other words even if she had been asleep if he’d worn a condom she would have had no objection.
Assange is no doubt a narcissistic creep, but the charges against him are trumped up and politically motivated.
Paul 67
I well remember the Croatia Zagreb game. Our first attempt at qualification for the Champions league was overshadowed by Fergus’s colossal blunder of, getting rid of our first manager in nine years to win a Championship flag for the Celtic supporters, only to be ousted in preference of the retention of the despised – Jock Brown as general manager ? Way to go Fergus….
The Ajax game in Amsterdam was in the times of great happiness for this Celtic fan.
Martin O’Neill’s Treble Winners dishing it out like Celtic teams of the Mr Stein era. Great Stuff.
Who could ever forget the late Tommy Burns magnificent celebrations after the Spartak Moscow game ? Superb memories.
Look for more great memories over these two legs as well. Neil deserves a break at this level. imo.
Anyway
Off oot
May God Bless Paul 67 and ‘Every’ Internet Bampot.
Hail Hail
Paul
Trusting your post to ASonofDan was not in reference to the Assange case!
philvis
He has failed to invest sufficiently in new infrastructure projects in order to stimulate economic growth, apart from the odd spasmodic attempt such as the one announced in July, which will make little difference while still costing a fair whack), deciding instead to place all his hopes and dreams in private enterprise, which, in a shrinking market at home and in Europe, is folly.
Cue rising unemployment and more need for social security payments..
Philvis…,
whats the defence buget pver those same years
If I had been a Helsingborgs scout watching our game against Ross County I would have reported back a physical packed defence, and an in-your-face, dont-let-them-settle midfield will frustrate Celtic. But they will not give up, even to the last second.
BringbackBroonieCFC
I just hope we attack them.
Get in their faces,
press from the front, and pass from the back, stop them playing.
Having 5 across the middle right be the way to do that though, as long as they are willing to go forward
SonOf
HH