The most striking aspect of yesterday’s games came from Pittodrie and Tynecastle. Aberdeen scored twice in second half stoppage time to secure a home win over Fola Esch from Luxembourg (good grief). Hearts came from behind with the assistance of a penalty and an own goal to secure a narrow win over Estonians, Infonet.
Infonet finished fourth in the Estonian league last season, well below possible Celtic Champions League qualifier opponents, Flora, and will fancy their chances of knocking Hearts out.
None of this means that Aberdeen, Hearts of Celtic have an equal in Estonia or Luxembourg, but it’s a testament to how bizarre playing football before you have completed preseason is. Even very well-run clubs like Southampton, who were humbled a year ago by Erik Sviatchenko and his Midtjylland pals, can find themselves out of Europe before they realise they are in a competition.
Celtic are likely to be playing the Estonian champions in 11 or 12 days. If they overcome that they will face a vastly stiffer test in three weeks time.
Yesterday’s exercise in Slovenia will hopefully blow some cobwebs away but FC Flora are 17 games into their league season, that fact alone should give Brendan Rodgers plenty to consider. Aberdeen’s toils in particular disturbed me.
Many thanks to all who contributed to the fantastic raffle competition yesterday, you’ve raised £375 already. A reminder……
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
We have a £5-a-ticket raffle to win the chance to appear in your very own team photo, alongside the Celtic players and management at the preseason photocall for 2016-17.
You will then meet treble winning captain, Tom Boyd, who will give you a personal tour of Celtic Park.
Celtic will provide you with a strip, which you will retain, and you will receive your team photograph, framed and signed by the team, on a specially prepared mount.
Your donations go to Celtic FC Foundation, to support their work in Health, Equality, Learning and Poverty. The Foundation deliver often life-changing support and opportunities to children and adults in Scotland, Ireland, the rest of the UK and in many needy areas of the globe.
Buy your ticket at MyDonate here. You can enter as many times as you like, but only donations of £5 or higher will be entered into the raffle.
You. The team. The management. Getting your squad photo taken. And getting a strip!
You’ll have had worse days.
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BMCUW –
Thanks for that. Interesting.
I have it on very good authority that even before the end of the season, Joey Barton was offered to Celtic. Lawwell told his agent that as they would soon be looking for a new manager, no such decisions were possible at that time.
The agent was back on the phone as soon as Brendan’s appointment was announced. Lawwell duly approached Rodgers and asked if he would be interested in Barton. Brendan said, “He’s a talent, but I couldn’t work with him. I wouldn’t have him in my dressing room.”
To which PL apparently responded with, “Thank God for that!”
If the above is true, and I believe it is, it suggests that while PL dreaded the thought, he would have gone along with it if it was what Rodgers wanted.
Thankfully they both concurred and the rest is history.
AULD TAM
That tale warms the cockles of my heart considerably!
As a reward,an old friend of JIMBO67 recommends a new wee place in Embra.
Well,Leith if I’m honest.
Take the missus. £20 a head if you time it right.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/01/norn-leith-edinburgh-restaurant-review-marina-oloughlin
Hail hail from a rainy sunny rainy then sunny Bowness-on-Windermere!
Heading into town after work to meet Oldtim
Usual place and usual open to all invite.
Be there after 4.30 probably
prestonpans bhoys on 1st July 2016 3:39 pm
Hail hail from a rainy sunny rainy then sunny Bowness-on-Windermere!
Hail hail from a rainy sunny rainy then sunny Bo’ness too
Afternoon from a baking hot Old Town in the Algarve,32 degrees
Jobocsc
Auld Tam on 1st July 2016 3:20 pm
ps. Brendan, you already have 95 midfielders and 2 strikers, one of whom is Ciftci(so 1 striker), so maybe Barton ain’t the priority at this time…
HH
BLANTYRETIM
Sod!
Hope you both have a grand old evening. And that it’s mobbed!
TRADITIONALIST88
Dembele?
!!Bada Bing!! on 1st July 2016 3:43 pm
Afternoon from a baking hot Old Town in the Algarve,32 degrees
==========
Is Jinkys still going mate? In the New Town if I remember right?
HH
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 1st July 2016 3:46 pm
Conversation referred to was before the end of the season?
TRAD
Ah,got you!
Apols,aye,yer right!!
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 1st July 2016 3:53 pm
The main thing is Barton is a nutjob and we have guys in the development squad who before too long will be a better bet:)
HH
Seen a couple of articles recently that seem to point to a softening of the UEFA stance on ‘cross border’ leagues.
There is also a growing feeling in England that if the national team is to improve on their dismal tournament record, a shorter EPL season could be one of the solutions.
I could see a EPL (A) and EPL (B) of say eighteen teams each in future with the League Cup competition restricted to lower divisions clubs – coupled with the discontinuation of replays in the FA Cup, the average number of domestic games played per season by the top thirty-six clubs would be around forty, or less, dependent on a cup run.
The top four in EPL (A) would still qualify for the Champions League, and I suggest the top four in EPL (B) going in to the Europa League.
An invited place in EPL (B) could be on offer to Celtic in future – I know there are many ifs and buts that would have to be overcome, however I do not think it is ‘pie in the sky’.
TRADITIONALIST88
He’s also a very good player,whose nasty streak-which has plagued and pretty much wrecked his career-will be encouraged in Scotland.
Not condoned.
Encouraged.
Once again,Fraser Wishart will be mute while his members are seeing their very personal members booted up beside their Adam’s Apple.
All to the acclaim of the hacks,who will praise his passion and,erm,skill.
You heard it here,though hardly first.
TRADITIONALIST88 on 1ST JULY 2016 3:46 PM
!!Bada Bing!! on 1st July 2016 3:43 pm
Afternoon from a baking hot Old Town in the Algarve,32 degrees
==========
Is Jinkys still going mate? In the New Town if I remember right?
It’s at the top of The Strip mate,I seen some of the game in there last night, I know the bhoy who owns it,really nice guy HH
If Barton turned up at CP,I would have had a big decision to make,a reprehensible ned
AULDTAM@3:20
If you are suggesting that Peter Lawwell does not force all signings on the manager – and that every step of incomings and outgoings is not synchronized to maximise his bonus and a yearly upgrade of his ‘heated driveway’, I am afraid you may incur the wrath of a number of CQN posters and their ‘backslappers’.
MATS NILLOC
A reduction from 20 to 18 teams means a reduction from 380 to 306 matches.
That will put serious strain on the Sky/BT model of finance as they will have 74 fewer shite games to avoid inflicting on their customers.
Accordingly,I doubt it will happen. Not least since two teams would have to vote for penury. That’s two teams from any fourteen or so who canny guarantee their safety every year anyway.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 1st July 2016 4:04 pm
aye, he is fanning the flames without being aware of the potential consequences
HH
Bonbhoy,
Just arrived now time for my favourite pub the hole in the wall and watch the dead animals on the wall :0)
!!Bada Bing!! on 1st July 2016 4:05 pm
Nice one, great little spot – always had a good chanter at night, any time we were there:)
HH
Trad-Sean no longer sings there,not keeping too well, I’m sure a few of the Irish bhoys will know him well,spent a couple of interesting evenings in Jinkys with him HH
!!Bada Bing!! on 1st July 2016 4:20 pm
Sorry to hear that
HH
It’s Friday its five to five it’s …………….
BMCUW –
Thsnks for the recommendation. Duly noted.
Quiet on here?
HH
Jeromek67 at 2.36pm
I was at both the games young PJ came on as sub for the pars. In the first, he rumbled up the opposition (I forget who) in a way none of the more experienced forwards did. In the second, he laid on the hatrick for Faissal El Bakhtaoui with a great piece of wing play. Accepted that this is League 1 level but I’d say there is something about the lad. Well worth the punt at the price I’ve heard we’ve paid. Much as I’ve a soft spot for the pars, they have more than their fair share of moaners in the stands who see the glass as permanently half empty …. imagine that! :-)
Oooh I could crush a grape..
Embdae don’t Twitter with Eddie Jordan? I’m sure he’s sitting along from me in a hotel in Albufeira….
*dont —do
From The Wakes on Twitter
A bayonet is a weapon with a worker at both ends . . #Somme
https://twitter.com/thewakes/status/748918417781055488
HH
Too many brown envelopes, going to E P L.spongers.from Sky so that there will no need to play less games a working man’s game,took over with neds, whos prime aim is to shaft the ordinary man and woman. Fan power could stop all this corruption. don’t go to stadiums.time it worked for the fans.all games with 3o’clock kick offs.price of watching football cut in half.its just not players that should get all the perks
Green fields of France
https://youtu.be/s1QoUCAJInI
HH
Is the blog broke?
My 1st friday tune
http://youtu.be/F_BOR6V1UkY
Bobby at 4.04, the very mention of that wee weasel Wishart is annoying. The only time you ever or hear or see him do his SPFA job is if something is going on at Ibrox.
I passed Celtic Park about an hour ago and both big screens had been taken down.
I don’t know if they are being repaired or replaced.
Screens down at Celtic park, lucky the sevconians aren’t around!