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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starry plough
10:18 on 15 February, 2013
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Was that the – topless wan
or the wan wi the – firemans uniform ? :O)))
xxxx
Snake Plissken
10:20 on 15 February, 2013
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Yer wrang !!!
Eric was the – spy from the Black.
KevJ
A testimonial after 9 years service?? You sure? Did Murdo tell ye that excuse?
And He and Danny were not given jobs for religious reasons??? What religion was Jock? What position were Danny and Murdo appointed to within the club, if not coaches? We did not give coaching jobs to Charlie Tully or Paul McStay either. What religion were they? We cannot continue to employ every ex-player unless they are proven quality in their job. Murdo has a poor record as a coach- that is why he is a shock jock pundit.
And Paul McStay was obviously the subject of interest from other clubs but, when he retired from Celtic, he was unfit to continue playing for anyone, hence the “lack of interest”, as you call it.
How do you reconcile calling for Celtic to buy Celtic minded men and then calling them out for religious discrimination?
As it is Friday and fish day for some of us, the ole Catholic Steak, this might interest some of those who have fishing as a hobby.
Fishing in Indiana
FYI Some of you may have read about the “invasion” of Asian Carp that are infesting the Illinois River as well as the Wabash River. If you haven’t witnessed the spectacle of these creatures leaping out of the water when “agitated” by the sound or vibration of a boat propeller, take a look as this video. They are a menace and biologists and state natural resources people are trying to find a way to get rid of them — or, at least, keep them from reaching Lake Michigan.
Why Go Fishing in Indiana…
This is for those who have not earlier seen this gift of nature. :
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=x3Bf0WhvsNk&vq=medium
The maskless wan that reveals you as ” The Prophet and Wise Wan of all things Celtic”
The Unsung Hero of CQN, that wan made me laugh it really did…
You must have some contacts inside the festering bowels of Celtic Park for all the stuff you claim to know, you and Shug of course!!
Kev Jungle
I apologize, Eric Black was employed as youth development in the same season. However the rest of your point is assertion.
Is there any evidence of this spying?
Snake Plissken
10:20 on 15 February, 2013
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Paul McStay will always be – The MAESTRO – to me.
Especially when he played next to Murdo.
Paul’s career when downhill when he was made captain. imo
That decision by the manager was typical of a series of bad
decisions being made at the club at that time.
Now – would a Celtic captain be scared to take the 1st penalty v’s Raith rovers
in a Cup final ?
Well. I’m soory to say it but – Paul bricked it that day and it came round and bit
him hard when he he ended up having to take the last penalty.
No Re-writing History – CSC
soory = sorry
typo
sorry
Snake Plissken
10:26 on 15 February, 2013
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There will be recorded evidence of – Eric Black spying – in the press
of that time.
Sorry I don’t know how to locate.
Slightly surprised by the lack of discussion about George Galloway’s assertion that the BBC edited out of Question Time his call for Rangers to pay the money it owed in taxes when it went into liquidation.
Obviously you’d need to discuss who would pay and how (BDO? Sevco? Rangers directors? Murray?), but the main point is censorship. High-ups at the BBC are in on the Goebbels act.
Nothing to see here, Timmy. Jog on. Come on the Teddy Bears.
Exactly how far down the well has the poison that was that football club reached?
Pogmathonyahun aka Laird of the Smiles
More of an asteroids man myself
starry plough
10:26 on 15 February, 2013
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Well…as they say – a good journalist never reveals his sources.
Ooops….. :o)))
On the subject of Murdo. He never gave less than 100% in a Celtic jersey as did the Maestro and Peter Grant. In the Hoops non of these guys let us down. Murdo left to make more cash after giving us the best years of his career. Peter wasn’t always a great player but gave his all and we should all admire that. The Maestro was my hero. What a great player. Cut in the mould of TB. The man would have done anything for Celtic and carried so many players it was a travesty.
What they have done with their careers after they stopped playing is their business. Murdo is a man with his own opinion on the radio that’s his choice.
All 3 great Celtic men in the jersey for me.
LB
the spirit of arthur lee
10:32 on
15 February, 2013
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Got to admit I preferred Asteroids as well, that was when I was younger. Unfortunately it’s now Haemorrhoids ;-)
LiviBhoy
10:34 on 15 February, 2013
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Absolutely M8
Well said
God Bless
Hail Hail
We All Move On As One – CSC
Pogmathonyahun aka Laird of the Smiles
Sounds like a new shooting game for the X Box
I mean it this time…I really do….
Off Oot.
May God Bless ‘Every’ Celtic Fan
setting free the bears
was it not rob mclean and not richard gordon on the
cup final programme
Celtic_First
I think there is an extended version of the show shown at a later date. I would assume that BBC London didn’t think that the Rangers question was not worthy of television last night but maximum publicity has been achieved by it’s admission because George won’t let it go. He has already had a run in with Alan Sugar on Twitter. Mr Sugar seemed to be taking a slightly racist view IMHO that George had a beard and dressed in a certain way to appease his electoral area in Bradford. Poor stuff from Sugar who I usually admire for his forthright views and achievements in life. I may have picked him up wrong on Twitter but would like to see them go head to head on QT at a later date. George is some debater and everuone on the panel running scared on a host of issues last night. He has skills and it’s good to see a man who will challenge the MP’s having a seat in parliament.
LB
Morning all. Lovely day here.
Watching George Galloway on Question Time was frightening at times. Pure demagoguery. Populist irresponsible stuff.
Celtic_First
Given the amount of money that David Murray borrowed and lost then borrowed and lost, it will be in many peoples interest to have this scandal hushed up, just as a man can’t tell one lie there’s no way that a club such as the former Rangers can run up such debts without the approval of a friendly bank manager sealed with a handshake, so if the bank knew, the people who run the bank knew and on and on till it reaches the corridors of power and somebody say “Awe FFS how are we going to cover this up??””
Heads should roll let’s see if they do Ole George is good at asking the awkward questions and I doubt he would be asking them if there wasn’t a political angle to be ground!
Come in Bagpuss yer time is up…
KevinJungle – Murdo Macleod – 4-2 – Cheerio 10 iar :o)
It’s what they do in the jersey that matters to me. After they leave it’s about putting food on the table for their families. Whatever they do is their choice.
LB
the spirit of arthur lee
Ah, the ole X Box, always been a Nintendo man myself, but everyone to their own. Both my Bhoys are X Box men. I have enough trouble these days with my new mobile phone without learning how to use another games console pad.
Obviously the dark forces working for the huns at the BBC ,have stretched south of the border re George Galloway calling out the huns to pay their taxes.I hope GG follows it up or a FOI request might unearth the rat.
Say what you like about G.Galloway but he has cojones.
!!Bada Bing!!
Scotland tonight should invite him on. They appear to be the seekers of truth and justice for Scotland. Imagine if he was at the Scottish parliament? He would have Salmond in knots about it.
LB
celtic_first
10:31 on
15 February, 2013
Absolutely ………the cover-up to end all cover-ups…….. BDO / LNS / HMRC appeal are critical to ensure truth and justice prevail …….should be interesting….
I got a ‘rude awakening’ when the verdict on the assault of our manager at Tynecastle was announced …….
Morning bhoys from a sunny hun free mountain valley.
Well, well, well, so George G has been silenced re the huns and their tax dodges, what a surprise…not.
I remember the first time I posted on RTC, and I said that I thought the masonic cabal would win out, and the huns would win the tax case.
Oh how they laughed and mocked, I remember well who was doing the mocking, and even RTC himself asked me to give a reason for thinking that they would win.
I couldn’t give a reason other than the cabal will do what’s they deem necessary, I reckon the next phase of the tenticals reach will be the LNS enquiry, or at least the dishing out of the punisment after the results are presented.
They have stolen millions, shafted creditors to the tune of 60 odd millions, had an administration event like no other in history, where no body lost their jobs, where the admin men attempted to employ more people, I could go on, and on…..
Tis a dirty fight, I know where I would wager my money as to who the victors will be.
Kev Jungle
Please dont think this as me having a go but I am curious why someone who has so little respect for Celtic would bother to support the club at all??
pogmathonyahun aka laird of the smiles
10:46 on
15 February, 2013
Pleased to report that I have never ever played any game on Xbox etc…..LOL
TET
Why is the masonic cabal still so powerful in Scotland in this day and age?
Serious question. I cannot understand how they can get away with it.
This is a world in which nothing can be hidden. Therefore, if you are in the public eye, you have to make sure you have nothing to hide.
Friendliest with Arsenal, tribute matches for Gascoigne, the Adidas deal, the stadium renaming, the Arsenal share buy back, the Dallas Cowboys link up, the 500m worldwide Behrs….
Need I go on…..???
LOL LOL
LiviBhoy
How can there be an extended version of Question Time? Do they mean on the iPlayer? It doesn’t get repeated on TV does it?
Does Scotland need 42 teams, never mind a team in Inverness?
Inverness CT manager Terry Butcher says low crowds have caused him to question whether the Highland city deserves a team challenging for European football.
A crowd of 2,529 watched their 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock on Wednesday in poor weather conditions.
“I honestly don’t know how much more we can do. We played some of the best football of the season,” said Butcher.
“Does this city deserve a football team like we’ve got? I don’t know.”
Butcher is urging more fans to turn out, with his side currently sitting second in the Scottish Premier League table.
Inverness have the second-lowest average attendance in the SPL at 4,017 – higher only than St Johnstone and lower than fellow Highlanders, Ross County.
“I know it’s difficult weather, but I don’t know how much more we can do,” said Butcher.
“We cannot do any more: second in the table, could have gone three points clear of our nearest rivals for second place with eight games to go before the split.”
Celtic_First
A very good question and one that is very difficult to answer.
The only answer that I can give is, in relation the scotland is, Hidden in Plain Sight.
.
Kev..
Peter Grant..
Why after he was Conected but Never Proved.. Involved in a Betting Scam on his Appointment. At Norwich in October 2006 I believe he Should have been Banned for Life from Football.. To see him come to Celtic Dissapionted me..
IMHO he used a Flew in the Betting system.. It’s been Done before but probably could Not be Done Now..
Though.. Murdo Probably bet Celtic to Win 4-2 on One occasion.. Ha
Summa of NeverTrustaGamblerCSC
TET
Right. But at some stage one or two of them surely have to say to themselves: “This will never wash. We’ll never get this past the bampots.”
Surely at some stage the truth will come out.
Surely at some stage a journalist will ask Charles Green why he asserted Rangers would die without a CVA in the close season but now asserts that they didn’t. What changed? Please explain it, Charles.
Surely they cannot go on treating us all like people who cannot read.
Nimmo Nimmo
Where for art thou Nimmo?
Get yir finger out your Lordship CQN needs something else to fall out about.