Granada drew their first two league games of the season (away to 10 man Villarreal, home to Valencia) before losing by four to Rayo Vallecano, so I did not hold out much hope they would tax Real Betis last night. Betis battered them, but it took 89 minutes of effort to score the winner.
The game finished around midnight local time, so even if Betis delayed their homeward journey until today, it would have been a late and exhausting night. 69 hours after full time, they kick off against Celtic. I don’t expect to see hands on hips after 20 minutes, but any port in a storm……….
Betis have now played four competitive games this season, not a lot of game time. Our fourth competitive game was Jablonec away on 5 August, we have played eight subsequently and have five rest days since what was a straightforward win over Ross County.
Celtic have never won a competitive fixture on Spanish soil (even if you include Gibraltar!), we should be in no doubt the odds we face, but if there is a good time to go to Spain, it is in the first group game.
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SPIDEY101 on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:59 PM
A very good but damning summary.
It should be required reading for the “ah don’t support the board, ah support the team” brigade.
☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️
Truth!!
Hail Hail
Spidey 101, excellent posts late last night. Making a lot of sense and asking pertinent questions that many are afraid to ask, sadly many want to wash over the recent shambolic boardroom performance and put all the eggs into the “Ange” basket.
I feel sorry for Ange the expectations on one mans shoulders are incredible.
He’ll either need to be the worlds best multi tasker or be very lucky indeed.
I have faith in what he is trying to do with the team but its not his job to carry a dysfunctional club in its entirety.
Apparently if Ange does not scream from the rooftops about what is going on behind the scenes we have to assume all is well. Garbage.
Why do we keep getting this pish about games being “SOLD OUT”, there must have been 10,000 empty seats on Saturday. Now I’m trying to organise a trip up the road for the Leverkusen match, the website is hopeless, “Event not available or SOLD OUT”. Why do Shareholders not get a chance of tickets? To many buying season tickets just for 2 huns games, rant over, bye…🍀
BBJ has lived in Edinburgh for a few years now…….
Some haw maws expecting Celtic fans to go for the , I know the real reason but I’m no telling ye angle.
Maybe a wee bit of respect required?
I’ve notice large areas of empty seats on TV coverage lately but since I have not been there I did not comment.
Is the upper stand the same? TV coverage really just shows lower.
Could we be getting lied to about ticket sales or are people not attending?
I would have thought recent home performances would have ensured decent turn out for the home games?
TIMMY7_NOTED on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2021 8:47 AM
I believe the Official Version regarding Ross Co game is that the Young Wans were all at Transmit.
Well more often than not 119/120 are almost empty, as was RC game
I think you are glossing over where Betis are in football terms Paul. Spurred on by Seville’s standards in Europe, Betis have built up a very strong team mentality in the last couple of years, symbolised by the evergreen Joaquin Sanchez and the strict training methods of Mr Angry, Manuel Pelligrini. Their centre forward Borja Iglesias (Panda) is a big threat. Two ex Barça and Real Madrid players are outstanding attacking players ; Cristian Tello and Sergio Canales. They will have no problem with a high intensity pace to the game, they are used to that. Celtic will miss Kyogo but also Eddie and Christie. I can’t see us getting anything out of the game but we need to do it Ange’s way, he is Mr Nice, even if it means losing big as against Barça or PSG in the past, otherwise you don’t progress, Celtic has always got to play their own game wherever they play, whatever the sporting cost. You can’t speculate with that. 90 + minutes in the Benito Villamarin stadium is a challenge and a test, we have only stopped the rot so far post Lennon, and we are nowhere near where our team and club should be.
A lot of people commented on here in the past about Brendan Rodgers fake tan while at Celtic. If you look at those in the directors’ box in their suits and green and white ties there are a few there who have been soaking up the fake rays.
There could be many reasons why thousands of seats are left empty for home games :-
Alternative attractions. Eg Transmit.
Travel chaos round Parkhead. Note Trains were all cancelled westbound on Saturday evening.
Travel fear.
Fear of crowds.
Supporters clubs not functioning at full capacity.
Habit. Fans have got used to watching matches in the comfort of their own homes.( or pubs )
Supporters wary of giving their ST to others.
Isolation.
Work commitments.
Family commitments.
Etc, etc.
One thing is for sure ID cards ( vaccination passports) will only exasperate this situation.
HH.
SPIDEY101
14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:59 PM
Excellent stuff
The comments from Bolton’s David Wheater on his time under Neil Lennon make his appointment for a second time at Celtic all the more difficult to understand.
Wheater has said Lenny liked a pint and was turning up late for work. How we went from Rodgers back to Lennon is just appalling. Some may call it a ‘largish’ mistake…
SPIDEY101
What could have been a bigger mistake than bringing back Lennon a second time.
21-5-79
It is difficult to know what exactly is going on re ticket sales at Celtic home games. Give you one example, next week’s League Cup tie against Raith Rovers, Thursday 23 Sept. 7.45 pm. We have known about this match for weeks, and in the past it has always been relatively easy to buy tickets for these games, but for some time now they have been available only to Season Ticket holders. Not exactly sure why this should be the case, but anyway, the deadline for ST holders was 5pm yesterday, but as of about five minutes ago there is still no public sale, and no way of knowing how many and in which areas tickets will be available. If any. Not ideal this close to the game. And as you say EL ticket packages appeared to be sold out, though now a 5pm deadline today for STs there as well. I noticed that the lower Main Stand, of old, was pretty much empty again on Saturday, does anyone know the protocol there re SPL games? No point in in contacting Ticket Master, and not a whole lot in trying to speak to Celtic, least not directly. Do not know why we cannot run our own ticket operations, but that seems to be beyond the club at this point in time. Not the staff in Glasgow, used to deal with them over the phone or in person, always efficient and helpful.
RIMTIMTIM
A lot of people commented on here in the past about Brendan Rodgers fake tan while at Celtic. If you look at those in the directors’ box in their suits and green and white ties there are a few there who have been soaking up the fake rays.
==============================
Anyone who knows me or reads my posts will no I do not love the board.
But…………………..it’s been a great summer and I’m sure some if not all of the board have gardens, like me.
brownasaberrycsc
Still they prattle on.Now the apparent “Board lovers” are hiding behind Ange.Spidey being praised for regurgitating the same guff that’s been circulating from the malcontents for years.Really?If you hate the Board that much,if you think they have no idea on how to run Celtic,you will get no arguement from me on that score,mainly because I don’t give a toss.The Board are an irrelevance to me.Always have been but don’t try and say people are hiding behind Ange because his comments on Dominic don’t go with the agenda you are pushing at present.He could not have been more laid back about the affair,even talking up his relationship with Nicholson,of whom I was totally unaware existed.
If you feel so strongly,don’t buy STs,don’t attend the games.Protest outside Celtic Park.I would back that stance.I,and I am sure a good few more on here did it to oust the Kelly’s during Celts For Change.Good thing was,no internet back then.You are effecting no change whatsoever,battering your keyboards with rage day in,day out about the present set up.If you are not of a mind to get off your arse and do something positive about it,why bother.The Res 12 guys were heroes,for not just sitting contemplating what to post on here next.
All I want is to come on here and talk about the team,the games,the manager,but it’s getting increasingly difficult with all the keyboard Wolfie Smiths.
BSR @ 8:47 AM,
Some haw maws expecting Celtic fans to go for the , I know the real reason but I’m no telling ye angle.
Maybe a wee bit of respect required?
Ain’t that the truth – I’m believing nuthin’ until I know:
1) What he said in regard to Daniel Fergus
2) Was it verified by Daniel Fergus
Hail Hail
In terms of the crowd on Saturday, it wasn’t full but I didn’t think it was majorly so (mind you, i’d had a gallon before kick off).
Loads of youngsters heading the other way to TRNSMT in the morning/early afternoon.
From a personal point of view, I signed up for the HTCS primarily to be in the mix for semi and final tickets. A lot of the early games are midweek so i don’t travel from Ireland for them (only so many hols and cash).
If i am going to miss a midweek game and maybe another Saturday game close to it; i send my ST over to scotland to be used. There is now a local CSC so i might start handing it to them as it will be easier to get it back in time for games i will travel for.
An example of a wasted ticket will be the RR game. I am travelling to Glasgow the next day to meet pals and go to Playground gig – catching the Dun Utd game on the Sunday.
I can’t travel on the Thurs afternoon to catch the RR game due to pandemic flight schedules and i’m not taking a while day off Thurs/hotel etc for that game.
I could send over my ticket but getting it back on the Friday can’t happen due to gig and we will be out all day Sat so unlikely to work out. Shame but a wasted ticket I paid extra for and empty seat.
I missed Jablonec too (extra cost) despite being in Scotland as my wife said my priority was to spend time with my folks and not Celtic!!
TURKEYBHOY on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2021 10:27 AM
Looks and sounds like no one more “battering your keyboards with rage day in,day out” than you
I have given up one of the best seats in the house in front half of 405. Four associates have also done so.
The only weapon the ordinary supporter has is withdrawal of custom.
The only thing our custodians understand is money.
You keep on supporting our custodians.
Financially supporting the team is supporting our custodians.
To argue otherwise is akin to Hun continuation logic.
TB
Why don’t you just scroll by
TURKEYBHOY
You do a pretty good line in anti-Wolfie prattle yourself mate ;)
I thought SPIDEY’s piece was interesting and well-written, so I said so.
Do I endorse every point or sentiment they made? No.
Is the blog enriched by expressive and thought-stirring comments like that? Yes – IMO.
Without what you’re denigrating as ‘prattle’ Paulo’s blog gets weakened.
As SFTB and I have been exchanging, it’s surely about having a balance of differing opinions without the place getting hijacked by huns, trolls and sadistic pot-stirrers. You’re not in any of those camps.
Helluva boring Celtic world if everyone thought the same as me. HH
If influence at Board level is the desired outcome, uniting the “24%” might be the way forward?
What size of shareholding is needed to have the right to call an EGM?
Is it 5% ? (can’t recall).
If so, if the 24% can’t be united ….
…. how about uniting 21% of the 24% ?
🤔
So now the accusation is that the club is lying about games being sold-out.
Celtic have a set number of season ticket holders. Let’s say 50,000 for this example. With red zone restrictions, let’s say the capacity is reduced to 58,000 which is about 2,500 short of capacity. That means there are 8,000 tickets available for general sale on a first come first served basis. As soon as those 8,000 tickets are purchased, the match is a sell-out.
I have one friend and one nephew who are ST holders but haven’t attended any game this season because they are still wary of crowds during the pandemic. There were ST seats near me on Saturday lying empty.
Sell-out means there are no more seats available for non-ST holders. Celtic have no control over ST holders not taking their seats on match days and they certainly cannot sell ST seats on general sale on the basis that the ST holder might not turn up.
It’s not rocket science.
On Saturday I had a look around the stadium and reckoned with the empty seats, the attendance was circa 50,000 which isn’t too shabby.
As for the poster claiming shareholders should get priority for general sale tickets, I think you mean why should you miss out because you didn’t go into eTicketing until it was too late and all general sale tickets had gone. You think because you’re a shareholder you should have priority? How would that work?
my views in the first post were focussed on the team – I want us to be better and we could be better. The frustration is that we’re not just being left behind by the monied clubs but also being overtaken by clubs with less money than we have.
There’s various reasons for that – tactical calls in big games, bad luck at times, referees who aren’t protecting our players, poor transfers (looking at Barkas) but the overriding factor seems to be complacency throughout the club:
Board – fundamentals are fine (we’ve no full time club doctor, no head of recruitment, no head of sports science, and falling down the UEFA coefficient table);
The last management team – we’re not far off, just need a bit of luck, if we go on a wee run it’ll be fine, etc; and
Fans (some anyway) – no-one in the Rangers team would get in our team (perhaps not but the sum of their parts is greater than ours), and remember the “if we win our 3 games in hand we’re right back in it and they won’t handle the pressure” comments.
Ange wasn’t my first choice but now has my 100% backing – he’s shaken up the team and got rid of the complacency and want aways and has real ambition to make the team the best it can be. I hope he succeeds. I’m less confident the Board will back him, and while it’s an irrelevance for some it shouldn’t be. Their backing (on the back room team, sports science/medical/scouting support, transfer cash, etc) is fundamental to Ange succeeding- he can improve players (we see that with Ralston in particular) but he’s only one man and needs support to push on.
The fans will remain split – not everyone agrees on the problems/solutions/way forward. That’s healthy and it’s what this place is for – Paul could easily block folk who don’t agree with his leaders but doesn’t.
The option, if you don’t like my posts or find them to be prattling on, is to scroll by. Before you do though, I would be interested in your thoughts about where we are and what you’d like to see going forward – I’m always interested in hearing other viewpoints.
Sorry last post was intended as a reply to TurkeyBhoy.
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:15 AM
Understand your maths logic but your point is dependent on the veracity of the claim that all STs were sold.
I have no evidence they were not but comments regarding this are all reliant on that claim being genuine.
I treat all Celtic press releases with a degree of suspicion and IMO events of recent days bears this out as not a bad policy.
Turkeybhoy
Reading Spidey’s post it demonstrates gross incompetence at Board level and why we are where we are.
Reading it you start to wonder if it was deliberate but as legal advice was proving in the particular instance of their handling of Res12 was deliberatly misleading and costly, then the only other reason for the consequences which Spidey set out is incompetence of a level that is of concern to many supporters and shareholders.
In that respect the baton of concern that the handling of Res12 has formed has been passed to the Celtic Trust who will carry it over the line as it’s under starters orders.
Celtic’s response will be interesting, to bring in a Moody Blues number we can only become at one with The Board if there are No More Lies.
At one is what atonement means.
new article posted.
I think Shareholders should be given the opportunity to purchase tickets once the Season Ticket holders have bought theirs for the European game’s. Season Ticket holders will probably get the option to buy extra tickets later this week, which is wrong, so your next door neighbour who’s never been to a game in his life could get a ticket before a Shareholder.
AULDHEID on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:53 AM
“Reading Spidey’s post it demonstrates gross incompetence at Board level and why we are where we are.”
It doesn’t. It’s one person’s take.
Agree with much of Quadrophenian’s 11:12 post.
Most of us are likely attracted to what we identify as ….
– “well written” stuff
– a point of view we generally agree with or at least a stance we are comfortable with
– a specific subject we have heightened awareness of
We’re probably less inclined towards
– poorly written
– we don’t agree
– we are less aware
So, how does one react to content that is well written but we either don’t agree with it or reading it makes us feel uncomfortable?
Hhmm !!!!
–
The Moody Blues song I mentioned can be listened to here
https://youtu.be/KX5-9w1cx60
It’s a while since I heard it but on hearing the lyrics again I think it is even more apt than I thought.
Hear for yourselves. It is a song of longing , an inner human desire to belong to something they love truth and honesty.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:03 PM
Internet rules seem to state that if someone does or says anything that makes you feel uncomfortable you are well within your rights to attack their viewpoint and/or them.
I vaguely remember having to scroll thru some oootburst from a wee sleekit, many-monikered pop-up who wanders aw aboot Timdom…especially the smaller fringe sites……..
Its main point on this occasion was a threat “to shut the site doon ” or wurds to that effect………..
Imo. its the same here wi’ the resident rocket(s)
They despise this fine place, and its genial host as much as they despise Celtic.
CELTIC40ME on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:02 PM
AULDHEID on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:53 AM
“Reading Spidey’s post it demonstrates gross incompetence at Board level and why we are where we are.”
=====
Well it’s mine based on hard evidence of it, and the more who see it the more who will share that opinion.
If they do not they need not be concerned.
It doesn’t. It’s one person’s take.
SQUIRE DANAHER
Sorry but that makes no sense.
If for arguments sake Celtic sold 53,000 STs in 2020 and 50,000 in 2021 that means 3,000 remained unsold. So consequently there are 3,000 more seats available to general sale for each match, accounting for the reduction in capacity for red zone.
For the purposes of a sell-out, it makes no difference whether or not all STs were renewed, as long as the non-ST seats that go on general sale are all sold, it’s a sell-out.
https://youtu.be/2Qs1J612nZs
Never knew this was a jazz composition
Dave Brubeck