Back in the 80s I had a soft spot for Porto. Their 2-1 1987 European Cup final win over Bayern Munich, coming from behind in the last 15 minutes and scoring with a back-heel, against a vastly better resourced opponent, was something Celtic fans could relate to.
A decade later I followed Porto’s tribulations as they tried to recapture those heights in the Champions League with a new team. They remained an engaging team but when it came to the big clubs there was always one who would wipe the floor with them. Manchester United scored four without reply in the 1997 quarter finals. The following season Real Madrid hit six over two games without conceding as Porto exited at the group stage.
It was a group stage exit the next season, before Bayern Munich took them in the 2000 quarter final. Then what looked like a significant reversal as they failed to qualify for Europe’s top tournament, settling for Uefa Cup football instead in season 2000-01. They eliminated Celtic from the group stage in 2001-02 but were taken home and away by Real Madrid in the last sixteen.
All this time they were fine-tuning player development and recruitment strategy; buying marginally better players and selling for ever-increasing money. Real Madrid may have wiped the floor with them but Porto’s business model was fine-tuned by 2002. Real won their last European trophy that season but the gap with Porto was closed in an instant.
Celtic are less than two years into their current strategy and we’re miles ahead of where we should be. It will be extremely difficult to match this season’s on-field achievements next season, but the stage you exit the Champions League is only one yardstick available. It took Porto years of slow and meandering progress to learn what it took to reach the highest level. This is our task.
On Friday 1 March the Lisbon Lions will be at the Kerrydale Suite providing commentary and answering questions on their magnificent European Cup final win in 1967. This has never happened in 46 years since that game, to say it is a unique opportunity fails to tell the whole story.
The event is part of our 125 4 125 campaign – central to reinvigorating the charitable spirit which is part of the club we love. It will be a family occasions, tickets are available at £10 for adults and £5 for children. The night has been organised by several fans working in conjunction with the people at Celtic Charity, so please do your best to support this great occasion. Individual tickets or tables are available, details here.
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I’ll miss that Kev guy- he makes me laugh
I see kev is being taken out for his morning walk…….hope he remembers to give himself a good shake before he has his Pedigree Chum …….
setting free the bears
09:23 on 15 February, 2013
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Oh….before I go….
The BBC’s commentators rubbished the rep of Celtic’s customers(co Fergus)
so – that constitutes grounds for a ban. imo.
The pea-shooter approach was adopted by the club when they banned
Hugh Keevins. For what ?
Peter Grant – The hearbeat of a Celtic team who had won zich for 6 years ?
Murdo – Legend Beyond Explanation
Anything else that ye want to know ?
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
09:27 on 15 February, 2013
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The ole KevinJungle guy certainly knows how to get you
onto the blog. Eh ? :o)
KevJ
Yes
I was not seeking the individual reasoning behind each decision, and, I note, you only explained one half of each equation I posed.
How about an explanation for the inconsistencies in logic?
Stairheedrammy
09:23 on 15 February, 2013
I’ll miss that Kev guy- he makes me laugh
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As my favorite Super villian would say – “Why So Serious ?”
HH
A year on and those 4 riders are still galloping along in pursuit of their prey.
Even CW’s trusty steed which had seemed to tire a bit has now found a new lease of life and is catching up with the pack again.
However, 1 rider is galloping off ahead of the other 3. NFL your riding prowess is legendary !!
setting free the bears
09:34 on 15 February, 2013
How about an explanation for the inconsistencies in logic?
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I’m afraid you’ve lost me ?!?!?
Sorry
SFTB ……..it cannot be explained since it’s incoherent gobbledegook
I love a bit of gobblededgook in the morning…
Not got all day…..
KevinJungle – Murdo Macleod – 4-2 – Cheerio 10 iar :o)
I’m not sure why you are getting it in the neck but I think everyone should just move on. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if people disagree with you they should make their point and then drop it.
We all support the same team.
LB
LiviBhoy
09:43 on 15 February, 2013
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Absolutely.
But, here’s the thing…they don’t drop it when it’s me…it’s me they want
to drop…off a cliff :o)
HH
Morning all. Just managed to get wifi in hotel so not read back or been on since Wednesday night. anything happen over at the ol bigotdome.
Pleasant morning in old Plovdiv town after torrential rain all day yesterday
HH
Best wishes to John Savage ( big jock ) tonight
BBC2 8.00pm
Mastermind
Subject. The History of Glasgow Celtic Football Club
John is originally from Bo,ness and attended St Mary’s. A good lad with a great sense of humour
Sure he will do well
Hail Hail
Was telling a rangers supporter about this .Said he was going to apply about the history of his club. However John Humphrys turned him down as they could not make up two minutes of questions on his team as they have no history ………Boom Boom
Sky news saying 500 people have been injured by the meteor explosion/shower over Russia.
so whats the traynor story , asking Whytey if it sok to publish stories, and this will be was paid by the BBC as well.
links anyone
morning cqn
got talking to a zombie at work…first time in months he wanted to talk football
the zombie was talking up his team and how they were going to build another tier at ibrokes
as there was massive demand for tickets…..(. i know…ha.ha)
when i informed him of how much this would probably cost at a minimum he said we got £22 million in the bank
had to laugh as i said sevco are running at a loss of over £3 million per year and all them big investors will want a return on their share investment every year
and that the only tiers he will get to see is the tears of laughter as chuckles does a runner with any cash back to england
the zombie said that it would never happen
had to remember him about what he said last year
just like administration !
just like liquidation !
just like division 3 !
stupid stupid zombies
jam67
Good morning from a cloudy Manchester.
Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and supportive words overnight and this morning.
Paul67, thank you for this blog. Times like this are when it is at its finest.
Hail Hail
Is anyone investigating how the zombies were allowed to sold for £1, completely ignoring the creditors’ right to ‘protection’ of the assets..?….i cannot see the liquidators ignoring the sale …. and the subsequent sale of assets……sets a very major precedent…
KevinJungle – Murdo Macleod – 4-2 – Cheerio 10 iar :o)
I’m a live and let live type of guy. I used to run the supporters bus and watched guys want to fight every week. never understand it. You make a point if someone doesn’t agree you emphasise that point and if they still don’t agree then you drop it. We all have different views and it would be a boring world if we all agreed all the time.
I reckon we have the most diverse support in the world and I love that about our club. We don’t always agree with everything but we are not sheep. Look at the sheep accross the city. They let their club die because they didn’t have a spectrum of views and the intelligence of our support to challenge every view and situation through sensible debate.
It always makes me a little sad when I see conversations such as the one on the blog this morning.
Agree to disagree Bhoys and move on.
LB
Kev J
It may be unfair not to reveal my own views on your choices.
Murdo won 5 leagues and 3 cups compared to Peter’s 2 leagues and 4 cups. Murdo was clearly a superior player in a superior team. But Murdo bailed on Davie Hay and left for nothing just like Judas did. Peter stayed to combat a financially enhanced rangers outfit. He showed loyalty, just as the Maestro did, though, like most of the Celtic team then, he possessed but a fraction of Paul’s skills. You obviously do not rate loyalty and courage above skill and a mercenary attitude.
Now, I prefer quality to Celtic mindedness. I’d rather we had Ashley Cole than Anton Rogan so there is no inconsistency in my admiration of Murdo as a skilled player and my despising his disloyalty to the club and his tendency to walk out demanding more of our money. Which he did as player and as assistant manager. Wonder how Murdo’s managerial career went after that? Maybe that’s why he is reduced to being a shock-jock pundit.
I do not favour bans lightly. The print media is dying and only dinosaurs like yourself think the Record remains important or is a way to influence the actions of the Celtic Board. For me supporting the Record is close to buying The Rangers News or whatever their mag is called.
The BBC have a more mixed record. Wee Pat and Richard Gordon were out of order and have been careful not to repeat their mistake even though they never apologised. Certainly wee Pat’s self-proclaimed rep as a fearless commentator on “sectarianism” from all sides lies in ruins. He is now much more of a Chelsea fan than the Celt he was in his teens and early twenties. He is just a pretend Hibbee, another metropolitan disguise by a boy that has forgotten himself. He will turn into Shug in good time.
….the incoherent inconsistencies…consistent incoherencies…
…whatever….will have to wait till another day.
Have to go Off oot.
Pogmathonyahun
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57569553-76/meteorite-suspected-of-causing-explosions-damage-in-russia/
livibhoy
09:52 on
15 February, 2013
Simples……he’s a bhun……
Livi Bhoy
I am constantly amazed at the thin skin shown by mineshafting critics of our club, the guys who run to the media, as if they are our friends, to complain about Celtic.
When they make their pungent criticisms on here,and then receive contrary opinions, they cry that they are being bullied, censored and driven off the blog.
It is a childish response. They are just being disagreed with. Their points of view are being countered with contrary facts and alternative rhetoric.
You may not like it (there’s lots we all do not like but have to live with) but, please, unless you think we have broken a language policy on the blog, then you will have to learn to tolerate these so-called “fights” with less sensitivity.
WOW…….THAT is awesome but worrying also…….noone seemed to ‘see it coming’….?
Off to watch Sky news…
67heaven … i am neil lennon..!!.. ibrox belongs to the creditors
09:51 on 15 February, 2013
Is anyone investigating how the zombies were allowed to sold for £1, completely ignoring the creditors’ right to ‘protection’ of the assets..?….i cannot see the liquidators ignoring the sale …. and the subsequent sale of assets……sets a very major precedent…
—-
Hope you’re right, but when BDO were appointed liquidators for oldco, they made a distinct point of stating they would not do anything in their winding up of oldco to jeopardise newco progress.
Whist the sale of the assets were suspicious ( ahem ), the fact they made that statement rather curtails what action they can take without impacting on newco business model.
Hail! Hail!
Why does KevJ always say “awf oot” and then doesn’t go ‘oot’?
Oh poor wee Kev, the wind up merchant supreme getting his ass chewed on here, I really feel for him I really do..
setting free the bears
09:52 on 15 February, 2013
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What a pile of p#sh
Murdo was promised by the old board that
at the start of his 10th year with the club – he would
get a testimonial. Then the board – at the last min – changed
their mind ? Strange that ? Maybe the same as the reason
Danny McGrain gave as to why – he was never given a job as coach
at the club – religious reasons ? I’m being serious here.
Wim said that – Murdo should get the managers job when he(Wim) left
but…truth is…Murdo knew too much aboot – Fergus & Jock Brown and was seen as a threat hence the reason why…Fergus employed Eric Black to spy on Wim and Murdo…nice place to work eh…?
Peter Grant – when he came back to the club with BTM – was honest
enough to say that – if Celtic had money when he played then, the
likelihood is – he wouldn’t have been given the chance to play for Celtic.
As for the Maestro’s loyalty…he threw his jersey into the Jungle at his last home game of the season…a defeat by Murdo’s Hibs i think, thinking that he’d be off in the summer ? No one came in for him. The board spin-doctors said they knocked back
the likes of – Inter etc…Aye. The huns sang – Nobody wants you Paul McStay and, they were right !!! Canny believe I just said that – but it’s true !!!
If a bid had come in for PM the board would have flown him to whatever country….
…anything else before I have to go – Off oot ?
the spirit of arthur lee
09:55 on
15 February, 2013
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I bet the ole Russians thought they were being nuked, brown trousers with bicycle clips time.
Reminds me of the old Atari arcade game Missile Command.
So back to league duty this weekend. Won’t be easy for the players to pick themselves up after the Juve game – might be a few changes to the team perhaps?
estorilbhoy
10:09 on 15 February, 2013
Why does KevJ always say “awf oot” and then doesn’t go ‘oot’?
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Ye see…folk reply after I say – Off oot – knowing fine well that
because I’m such a nice guy that I’ll come back and give them an answer :o)
HH
starry plough
10:10 on 15 February, 2013
Oh poor wee Kev, the wind up merchant supreme getting his ass chewed on here, I really feel for him I really do..
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Awe – thanx xxxx :o)
kevinjungle – murdo macleod – 4-2 – cheerio 10 iar :o)
10:15 on
15 February, 2013
estorilbhoy
10:09 on 15 February, 2013
Why does KevJ always say “awf oot” and then doesn’t go ‘oot’?
______________________________________________________
Ye see…folk reply after I say – Off oot – knowing fine well that
because I’m such a nice guy that I’ll come back and give them an answer :o)
—-
I won’t bother replying then so you can get ‘off oot’ :))
Awe naw ma Kev Jungle poster( free with the Daily Record) has fell aff the wa’ Blutack is no whit it used to be…
Kev Jungle
In the first place Eric Black was not employed to spy on Wim and Murdo, he was employed after they left to work with Dr Jo.
As for your hatchet job on Paul McStay, well I don’t think it is even worth the oxygen or the typing.