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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Roses are Red,
Violets are Glorious,
Don’t try and Surprise,
Oscar Pretorious!
rebelbhoy72
Welcome to CQN-bloggers-anonymous.
Fine first post.
MWD
Paul67
We’re on the one road, defo the right road
We’re on the road to we know where
Defo the right, defo the right road
And we’re together now, who cares
North men, South men, comrades all
Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal
On the one road, swinging along
Singing the Celtic Song
don’t know why but it always worries me getting into conversations about helmets…
A bit off topic, I know, but this appeals to my sense of humour:
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/103/1360847344133.jpg
Could possibly apply to Chuckles sooner or later ;-)
Now the dead have been dead for a year now surely the coffin will be sealed? I’m just thinking of the health risks!!
H H
Fore!!!
singapore celt
13:14 on
14 February, 2013
Fore!!!
I’m not getting involved
Rebelbhoy72 : refer reply previous thread ….. Toffeetim. Hail Hail.
31003,
No comment :-)
SPC
singapore celt
Thot the same masel. Chas free kicks were not up to his usual standard. Esps his last one. It went straight into Bufons arms.
Bufon didnt have a difficult save to make all night.
tictaewin
13:07 on
14 February, 2013
What a depressing read man.
You have obviously not been watching our youth.
I think Watt is good, young Paul George (in my opinion) is better. McGeoch and Forrest are diamonds in the making.
There were people on hear and in other places wondering why we were wasting time buying a 3rd string Newcastle keeper. Some thought Kayal would never be bettered.
We are moving forward, we will be in the CL business end for years.
Paul 67
A good article supporting the club’s strategy which is long-term and requires patience. It should also require standing up for what is right on and off the field. On Tuesday we were treated to deliberate and persistent cheating by Juventus in the form of wrestling in the penalty box. Our manager contrasted this with Juventus’ last visit to Celtic Park when the referee warned the players before the match that he would book them and award a penalty if there was any wrestling in the box. Early in the game an Italian defender was wrestling with Sutton in the box before a corner. The referee stopped play and warned him again. When the corner came over the Italian was still wrestling Sutton. The referee booked him and awarded a penalty from which Celtic scored. There was no more wrestling in the game after that. In spite of what Stewart Dougal says , if referees applied the rules like this, there would be no more wrestling. There is an interesting article by Phil Gordon in the Times to-day accompanied by photographic evidence. He suggests that Celtic should send a D.V.D.to U.E.F.A. and to Platini in particular, protesting about this cheating which is ruining our game – and so they should!.
Jude,
Don’t get me wrong love the big guy, presented him The Sing Tims POTY trophy personally along with The Token Tim. I just feel when Izzy is there he isnae the same.
However thought Izzy had a great game.
Hail Hail
SPC
rebelbhoy72
Well said that mhan!
Welcome!
HH!!
31003
13:13 on
14 February, 2013
don’t know why but it always worries me getting into conversations about helmets…
————————————————-
You’ll be ok as long as you don’t have your Helmut Schoen.
Porto like many Mediterranean clubs subverted work permit and passport regulations and so had access to players that we too could have afforded were the UK equally disdainful of the law.
Porto showed the same contempt for the ethos of the game.
Alex Ferguson was outraged when this attitude helped oust his team against Porto.
He would have had more credibility had he been equally condemnatory of exactly the same cheating tactics against Celtic 9 months earlier.
Celtic’s achievements were won fair and square and that’s how it has to be for most of us.
With the Brazilian and Mexican economies on the up, Spanish and Portuguese football face stiff competition to sign players from across the Atlantic. The knock-on effect of this is that their football is attracting less interest in Latin America and is suffering a consequent drop in TV revenue from that part of the world. Hence they’re pink lint. Whereas Brazilian teams are in a similar position to the EPL at its inception, when it attracted big names who were ever so slightly past it.. Then went on to suck in talent from everywhere.
Celtic have to figure out their place in this world. But dividends have to be paid otherwise shares could be put up for sale and Dermott Desmond might have to pay for control of the club.
singapore celt
I like Izzy and Joe Ledley as a combination which presents us with the question again “What do you do about a Bhoy called Charlie?”
starry plough @ 12 59.
Sepp Blatter
I read a French thing written by him —— President of an Empire.
Pages and pages about how big and powerful he is . Pages and pages about him and famous and influential people . It was nauseating .
Choons ——– Ujama have just released these —-
7 “– Invaders —- Conquering Lion
7″ —Invaders ——Heaven and Earth
7”- Naggo Morris ——- Bootlegger.
Truly great choons from the late 70s . Top riddim of the times . I imagine Conquering Lion will be on You Tube .
Highly recommended . I imagine they will sell fast
Shieldmuir Celtic
This issue raises its head every now and again. In France in 2006 or 2007, they clamped down hard on this wrestling and one PSG player gave away 5 pens in four games. PSG complained that he was being victimised but the head of French referees said they would continue to implement Law12 to the letter of the law.
The wrestling stopped for a while but as it went out of the public’s conciousness, refs have by and large reverted to giving frees against the attacker.
Mort
31003
Duck then!!
Shieldmuir Celtic @13.22 your post very much corroborates and echoes what Gordom Strachan said. Very well written too.
Starry plough,
No idea :/) Lennon is the chosen one :-)
Interesting point all the same!
Hail Hail
Weeoscar4life
I donated via text can i get on the wall of fame?
B-)
Brilliant article Paul67.
Really looking at the bigger picture.
Yes I thot Izzy was back to his best.
“Roses may be Red,
and violets are
unfortunately Blue…..
but My Dearest Celtic,
I love you”
H&S might insist!!
Helmets?!
Helmut Schoen?!
Are you a pole vaulter?
No – I’m German, and mein name is NOT Walter!
Coat on!
HH!!
While I agree with the general thrust of Paul67’s article, I hold nothing but contempt for Porto, no matter what they have achieved off the field.
Their disgraceful diving, play acting and general cheating in Seville has left them forever tainted in my mind.
South Of Tunis
Already out of stock on Dub Vendor, classic tracks I love the Invaders traxks I think Rodigan used to play them a lot..miss my London groove sometimes, life here in Blatterland is quite dull, CQN a life saver for me!
Roots selection…
http://youtu.be/oAe41z8H9So
Heaven and Earth..
Paul67 & Fellow posters….I’ve come up with an idea….just don’t know how to implement it….maybe some techy guy could set it up…
By allowing sounds on to the blog we could have our own individual sounds to announce each posters first post of the day….Me, being akin to royalty on here, and of course being a senior member (ahem) would have my first post of each day heralded by a fanfare of trumpets….sounds good so far….Kev Jungles would obviously be a blown raspberry….and so forth. I would suggest each poster suggests what they would like to signify that they are in residence…so to speak…
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
12:46 on 14 February, 2013
He also believes he has a full head of hair :)
…I wonder what sound could announce smashingmilkbottles onto the blog…..
Bluebells are blue
Shamrocks are green
We paid our taxes
You shafted your queen
Happy Administration Day Zombies
Shieldmuir Celtic @13:22
Agree wholeheartedly with your point there, I was only saying myself while watching the game that in my opinion a senior Celtic club official, should have been in the ear of the UEFA delegate during the game!! and definately way before half time!
I know it could lead to questions about impartiality etc but surely somebody in a senior position could have asked the question have the laws of the game been changed!!!
rebelbhoy72
I know exactly where you are coming from, living in Roscommon myself now (moved from navan) if I were to watch any Celtic match in a pub you could get lucky to have another Tim or 2 with you but most of the time it is the epl fans there sickening with there patronising crap about Celtic being there 2nd team!!!! but haven’t got a clue about the ethos or background of our grteat club.
Welcome to the site
Hail Hail
….then of course….smellovision’s not far away….