The comment in today’s Telegraph by Joe Ledley confirming that, in the event they win the league early, Celtic have considered giving players some extended rest period before the end of the season has a lot of focus about it.
We have Champions League qualifiers starting on 2 July and hopefully extending six games later in the last week in August, all plans must be made with the objective of being as strong as possible for these games.
Last season APOEL Nicosia got through the Champions League group stages, beat Lyon in the last 16, before being stopped in the quarters by Real Madrid, but their European adventure this season was ended in August by Neftchi Baku. Rangers run to the Uefa Cup final in 2008 was quickly followed by an August elimination at the hands of the mighty Kaunas. We don’t need reminded of what happened in 2005, when the club formerly known as Artmedia Bratislava, and no longer playing top flight football, caught Celtic cold. Five times.
I’m keen to hear from Celtic on policing and stewarding at games. The club have to be attentive to all season ticket holders who feel they have been poorly treated, by police or stewards. Processes to deal with such matters must be open to supporter groups to audit, perhaps even to administer. Delegate thus, and you resolve many concerns.
The Lions Roar event at the Kerrydale Suite on 1 March, with a film of the 1967 European Cup final, will have commentary from Bertie Auld, Stevie Chalmers, Bobby Lennon, Jim Craig, John Fallon, Charlie Gallacher, Billy McNeill, John Clark and John Hughes. Mike Jackson will also be there with Billy. Tickets went on sale six days ago and there are only a few left…..
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twists n turns @13:30 – has that been verified as an official GB statement. I asked earlier in the wake of the CST statement.
The CST say they weren’t aware of any such meeting with “fan’s groups” and wouldn’t have gone. What fans groups does that leave? Are we talking supporters clubs rather than umbrella groups? If so, which of these groups are so loyal to PL that they’ve managed to keep his threats to the GB secret for this amount of time?
That the GB are receiving harassment isn’t open to question but I feel there’s something bigger going on that’s about fueling fan vs board sentiment as well as fan v fan.
DR……………………………………Arrogant Celtic players boast of March title win
When will we see the benefits of this seasons Champs League performance in regards to the mystical ‘coefficent’ and thus the number of these scary godawful qualifiers?
Hi Paul67,
“…Celtic have considered giving players some extended rest period before the end of the season”
This could be a great call, I remember (thoughthe circumstances were somewhat different) Kenny Dalglish giving some youngsters a run out at the end of a Season.
These bhoys did themselves and the Club proud.
The only thing is getting the team properly prepared for the qualifying games after the lay-off, even Pilvis was a bit rusty on his return and our players are only mortal:-)
Gary Hooper SPL Player of the Month.
tommytwiststommyturns
13:43 on
18 February, 2013
If Motherwell keep winning (except against us), including their game in hand, and we keep winning, including our game against Motherwell next week, we will be 21 points ahead therefore can clinch the league mathematically on 31st March v St Mirren away. However by beating Aberdeen on 16th March would put us 21 ahead with 7 to play, uncatchable.
Andrew Young @Hullbhoy
Statement expected later from Celtic re Green Brigade issues.
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An Italian Journo has blamed Juve’s physical and mental lethargy v Roma on the psychological [ and physical ] consequences of having recently played an intense game where Juve had everything to lose .
Tallybhoy @ 13:30 said: ‘The fact that we will have to navigate through THREE CL qualifying rounds next season just to get to the group stages, says it all about the standard of the SPL.’
I think it also says quite a lot about the inherent unfairness of numerous CL spaces being allocated to the largest and wealthiest leagues and about the lop-sided formula used to calculate UEFA co-efficient values …
FF
Celtic beat Aberdeen in a Scottish Cup final, watched by a record crowd of 146,433 at Hampden Park.
Real Records CSC
Ntassoolla@13.32
“Celtic have made clear their views on the fans.
Payment, not participation, is their role.”
I’ll now have to agree with you on that one mate. I, like many others, would like to hear some feedback from the club on the GB statement.
I know a coupla the lhads in the GB and nicer young fellas
you could not meet. They are die hard Celtic fans and all they wanna
do is go watch their team and support them to the best of their
abilities. The harassment they are receiving at present is both
shocking and an indictment of Alex Salmond and the Scottish Executive,
Strathclyde Police and, I’m afraid I have now come to the conclusion,
Celtic Football Club.
Let me be the first to say. I don’t agree with ALL the actions of the
GB and at times have found some of their banners etc to be ill thought
out and lacking in good judgement. They need probably to come up with
a better strategy themselves on how to deal with the club. On the
whole though, they, in the main, have been responsible for “Bringing
back the thunder”, as has been requested by Neil Lennon. For their
Herculean efforts in doing so they have been thanked by being treated
like the scum of the earth by the Scottish authorities, the
Strathclyde Police and, seemingly, unless I hear different, the Club itself.
Members of the GB, in my experience, are mostly young people who are ordinary guys with an extraordinary love for this football club and all it stands for.
They are decent people, from decent families, who, it seems, the
authorities are trying to turn into some new type of criminal which
they have defined themselves. This is political policing at its worst.
When cases get as far as court they are thrown out right away. The
whole arrest and prosecution process is being used as a tool to harass
and discourage membership of the GB.
This is an issue that needs to be addressed very quickly and some clarity brought to it by both the Police and Celtic. What’s going on is completely wrong, and we, as Celtic fans need to say so publically.
Marti
TommyT the theoretical maximum for Motherwell is their present tally of 40 points plus 39 points from the remaining games = 79. So we have to reach 80 points, 22 more than we have.
Since this scenario assumes them defeating us twice, we cannot win before 06/04.
Should we defeat them their theoretical maximum is reduced to 76.We then need 19 points, i.e. – 6 wins plus a draw, making it possible to win thetitle against Aberdeen on 16/03.
Marti Sandino I am not impugning the characters of anyone.
But I do think it best to get things off one’s chest.
I’m not prepared to support what I do not know. A few minor convictions won’t turn me against anyone, especially those picked up in one’s youth.
As one wag said “Breach of the peace is more of a hobby than a crime in Glasgow”
It may be my suspicions are totally unfounded regarding club and 111. But forewarned is forearmed.
Phil
A vote for independence is not a vote for salmond or the snp.
I would wager you still dont ask your mum and dad for pocket money, or if you can stay up late to watch the scary film. And that is because i assume you are an adult and as such chosen to live by your own decisions.
Re providing the players with an early break, won’t this bring us up before the SFA on charges of fielding a weakened team?
I recall Blackpool being fined for one such game a couple of seasons ago, while Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea routinely get away with it.
It’s hard to argue you’re rotating your squad if you’ve actually sent most of your first 11 on holiday.
Kayal33 & Ntassoola – thanks for the feedback. It’s looking like the Dons game then…..
which means that MWD is a dead man !!!
T4
Ntassoolla
So Celtic can win the league on 16th March which is my birthday. That would be nice!
LB
weeminger
It was copied from their website and is on there as having been posted by “admin” so I have no reason to believe it is not official. I cannot obviously vouch for its accuracy but if true, then indeed there is an awful lot more going on than we are aware of.
My take on the GB is that they have shot themselves in the foot on a couple of occasions, with their F*** uefa banner, and with at least one other banner I can recall with political connotations, which I would rather they kept out of football. In the case of the UEFA banner, I can see where it would leave Peter Lawell in a rather difficult situation if he were to be seen defending the GB.
If you isolate those incidents, there appears to be a ridiculous level, indeed probably illegal level, of intimidation going on from the police towards members of the GB. It also seems that it may being aided and abetted by Celtic FC, if, and again I stress IF, the statement from the GB is an accurate one.
My reservations about whether or not Peter Lawell’s comments are accurately represented are heightened by the fact that I would think if he truly wants them disbanded, he has a very easy route to follow which is simply to disperse them at season ticket renewal time. Refuse them a new ticket unless they move. I am not suggesting he should do this, I am simply stating it is an option he has open to him if he indeed wants to see the end of them.
I would like to see the 3 groups, GB, CFC, and Strathclyde Police, sitting together around the table at CP to thrash out the problems, agree the guidelines and put the matter to bed forever. I do not think that is an unreasonable request, but it appears at present that the GB are the only ones open to making this happen.
Self policing has much more chance of working than the current level of policing we are reading about.
I hope there is a resolution to this issue. The GB have added colour, noise and a real sense of atmosphere within CP and I honestly feel they would be a sad loss to us.
But the Aberdeen game is only 5 games away? I make it goal difference v St Mirren just now?
tommytwiststommyturns
Last year Motherwell achieved 62 points. That’s the highest points total they have ever achieved in the SPL.
The best points tally for a team apart from Celtic or Rangers was Hearts in 2005/06 with 74. Next best is 66.
I think Motherwell (or any other side) will do very well to get 70 points this season so I reckon 4 wins will be enough for Celtic.
Mort
I am a big fan of the G.B and all they have done to enhance the atmosphere at Celtic Park. They have magnificent.
Although I am probably not aware of all of the arguments it seems unlikely that the club are behind any efforts to “smash” them given that they allow a section of the ground to be under their control and given the fact that Lenny presented the league title to them in such an open and symbolic gesture. If the club wanted them gone I would think they would not allow members to renew season tickets in the same area.
I don’t think the GB have helped matters themselves having being at war with John Reid and now, to a lesser extent, PL. A better relationship with the club is a two way street.
That said, they are Celtic supporters, and the club needs to examine they way they are being treated whilst trying to do just that. They deserve no less. The club will be the worse for their loss.
Folly Folly
13:53 on
18 February, 2013
Tallybhoy @ 13:30 said: ‘The fact that we will have to navigate through THREE CL qualifying rounds next season just to get to the group stages, says it all about the standard of the SPL.’
I think it also says quite a lot about the inherent unfairness of numerous CL spaces being allocated to the largest and wealthiest leagues and about the lop-sided formula used to calculate UEFA co-efficient values
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
You are, of course, quite correct.
Celtic are miles in front of every other club in the SPL – we can only play what is put in front of us. Some early season blips appear to be a thing of the past, and we should have the title wrapped up by the end of March, if not sooner.
CL places are weighted in favour of clubs from the ‘big’ four or five nations – and that is not going to change.
HH!!
Sonsoferin @ 14:00,
That’s a good point, but if we have it done and dusted by St Patrick’s day we can trim the squad at the time of the split.
That way no unfair advantage to any team that plays us.
Mind you we should consider having the full squad back for the Mothers…
LiviBhoy I wish you happy birthday in advance and hope you enjoy all of the day.
If any of your pals are the kind of scoundrels who might take you to The Budgie then accept their invite. It’s a great place to start the trip to Aberdeen.
Mort – that would be Ross County away on the 9th of March, assuming we win the previous three.
MWD is still deid though….! :-)
T4
I could do with a better relationship with my spelling and grammer.
needaproofreaderCSC.
Up to the 16/03 when we play Aberdeen Motherwell’s games are
v DU h
v RC a
v us h
v Hearts a
v Dons a
v Hibs h
The likelihood of them winning all of those (outwith their game with us) is remote given the way SPL results have gone this season.
If we keep winning we could actually clinch the league title before Aberdeen on the 16th.
The only drawback of The Budgie is the requirement to order food. No requirement to eat it.
TinyTim (FTLT),
we’ll have a wee chat about that trip another day!
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Ntassoola@13.59
Agree 100% with your comments.
Twist n’Turns@14.05
“I would like to see the 3 groups, GB, CFC, and Strathclyde Police, sitting together around the table at CP to thrash out the problems, agree the guidelines and put the matter to bed forever.”
The most sensible sentence of the day concerning this matter. I sincerely hope that all parties would do just as you suggest. Time will tell I suppose but I’ve a feeling that some in the Police are currently enjoying their role at the minute in all of this, as witnessed by the Facebook page of at least one of the officers involved.
LiviBhoy@14.02
Good to hear confirmed we might win the league on March 16th as I just booked my flight for that game this morning!
Marti
From Leggat’s alcoblog. Is drink really as pernicious?:
‘LENNON’S IRISH TRICOLOUR COLLAR BREAKS UEFA RULES
The question is simply, this: why does the manager of the Scottish Champions, the club representing Scotland in the European Champions League, wear a foreign flag on the collar of his track suit?
Why not, for instance, the Saltire? Or is Neil Lennon ashamed of his adopted country’s flag? Is there something about it he finds distasteful?
Too blue, perhaps? Too blue and white, perhaps?
Well, you know, I am a decent chap. An understanding soul who is always willing to try to see the other fellow’s point of view and I can understand why Neil Lennon would not want to incense the hateful IRA supporting bigots of the Green Brigade by wearing the Saltire on the collar of his track suit.
Perhaps he lives in fear of offending these dangerous terrorist supporting zealots.
But why does he not merely opt for the club colours? Green and White. Why does he have to add another colour, a colour which has nothing to do with Celtic, in order that the collar of his tracksuit resembles the flag of a foreign country, in this case the Republic of Ireland?
And who is at Celtic who allows this to happen? Peter Lawwell? Surely not?
After all, unlike the Celtic manager, chief executive Peter Lawwell is a Scot. What is the attraction of such a foreign flag for a Scot? In Lennon’s case, as an Ulsterman with a Republican family background, I can just about fathom why he loves wearing the Irish Tricolour.
But there is no such mitigation which can be offered in the case of the man with the decisive power in such a matter, Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell.
And then there is the question of UEFA and their statutes, which forbid any expression of political opinion. Perhaps somebody may like to draw UEFA’s attention to the Irish Tricolour on the track suit collar of the manager of the Scottish Champions in order that they can ask Neil Lennon why he wears it.’
TTTT
Nothing to do with me.
It’s all that WeeOscar4Lifes fault!
And Celtic for getting pumped out of Scottish Cup.
MWD
tommytwiststommyturns
As an addition. Motherwell have 40 points from 25 games. That works out at 1.6 points per game and extrapolating that to the end of the season shows they would be expected to end with 61 points.
Mort
twists n turns – 14:05 on 18 February, 2013
Cheers. I’d only ever seen it linked to a person with an offensive user name on another forum.
SonsOfErin
14:00 on 18 February, 2013
Re providing the players with an early break, won’t this bring us up before the SFA on charges of fielding a weakened team?
……………………………………………………………………
The SFA are more likely to charge us with trying to win the bloomin’ Champions League!
Apologies for minor language violation in my last post.
It’s not like me, really.
Monaghan
I wonder of old legless would get so worked up if it was Arsene Wenger wearing a French badge…. I doubt it..
3 colours on a collar are now a flag? How did that come about? Every piece of clothing could be construed as a flag. Crazy stuff.
LB